Blighted by benches
Memorials ruin beauty spots, says charity boss
BEAUTY spots risk becoming like ‘graveyards’ because they are blighted by too many memorial benches, a National Trust executive has warned.
Charles Alluto said the tributes ‘ changed the character of an area’ and should have a ‘limited lifespan’.
It is also feared visitors feel uncomfortable using the seats – a popular way of commemorating a loved one – because they are sometimes festooned with flowers and cards. Mr Alluto, who leads the charity on Jersey, said his favourite headland, St Brelade’s Bay, had been spoilt by 16 benches. Other areas that have suffered include Le Hocq, Green Island and Archirondel.
Jersey has now announced that it will refuse permission for more benches in some spots. It follows similar crackdowns in areas on the mainland such as Maldon in Essex, Bradford in West Yorkshire and South Lanarkshire near Glasgow.
Mr Alluto said: ‘There is a danger that beautiful coastal spots could become memorial areas. When people put memorial benches somewhere, they put them in a place where that person liked to go. If there are too many we run the risk of changing the character of an area.
‘There needs to be a policy where memorial benches have a limited lifespan. It is absolutely crucial they do not become graveyards.
‘What can be easily forgotten is that these are benches for people to sit on but often you do not want to sit on them because they become too personal. It is like standing on someone’s grave.’
He added: ‘We only have a certain amount of land. We’re all going to die one day. You’ll have this perpetual requirement for memorial benches and it’s a matter of how you deal with that in a sustainable way.’
The National Trust does not have a countrywide policy. Decisions on memorial benches are made at a regional level or by individual properties. Tree-planting is encouraged by some. Sales of benches at Maldon Cemetery and Promenade Park in Essex were suspended by the district council in February last year amid concerns there were too many.
Bradford council introduced restrictions in its parks and at rural sites in 2015 following complaints about flowers, shrubs, trees and even a decorative fence appearing at benches.
South Lanarkshire council had previously banned new memorial benches from its parks and open spaces after complaints that they were too depressing.