Britain’s beauty spots are being ruined by too many memorial benches which make them look like ‘graveyards’, a National Trust chief has warned.
Charles Alluto, who heads the charity on Jersey, said his favourite headland on the island is blighted by 16 seats installed by relatives of the deceased.
He said the situation at St Brelade’s Bay and other beauty spots including Le Hocq, Green Island and Archirondel is a ‘great pity’.
Similar complaints have been reported across the UK and Jersey’s Infrastructure Department now says it will refuse permission for any more in some areas.
Charles Alluto, who heads the National Trust on Jersey, has said Britain’s beauty spots are being ruined by too many memorial benches (Pictured: Memorial benches on the coast near Le Hocq, Jersey)
He said the situation at St Brelade’s Bay and other beauty spots including Le Hocq, Green Island and Archirondel is a ‘great pity’ (Pictured: Memorial benches on the coast near Le Hocq, Jersey)
Mr Alluto, 52, said a ‘consistent policy’ is required to prevent some areas become a ‘graveyard’. He added: ‘It’s having an adverse impact on an area of natural beauty’ (Pictured: Memorial benches on the coast near Le Hocq, Jersey)
His thoughts have been echoed by St Martin Constable Michel Le Troquer, who said that no new benches would be allowed at St Martin’s Village Green (Pictured: Memorial benches on the coast near St Brelade’s Bay, Jersey)
Mr Alluto, 52, said a ‘consistent policy’ is required to prevent some areas become a ‘graveyard’.
‘It’s having an adverse impact on an area of natural beauty,’ he said.
‘The benches are put in places where people enjoyed that natural beauty but you’re undermining the place they actually enjoyed.
‘In Jersey we have lots of different agencies and I think you need a consistent policy across the island, and I think you need a specific time span for them to exist.
‘We only have a certain amount of land to play with, that’s why it’s become such an issue here on Jersey. We’re all going to die one day, and that’s not going to stop.
‘You’ll have this perpetual requirement for more memorial benches and it’s a matter of how you deal with that in a sustainable way.’
His thoughts have been echoed by St Martin Constable Michel Le Troquer, who said that no new benches would be allowed at St Martin’s Village Green.
He said: ‘I agree with many of the comments being made. I understand there are a lot of donations down at Archirondel, but it is not parish land and we do not give permission for benches to be put there.
Mr Alluto added that the benches often become ‘too personal’ and sitting on them would be like ‘standing on someone’s grave’ (pictured: Le Hocq, Jersey)
Mr Le Troquer suggested that planting trees may be a more suitable alternative. He added: ‘A lady recently donated a willow tree for a very damp area of land at the back of the parish green which is really nice. We do not want a forest there but there might be space for some more’ (pictured: Le Hocq, Jersey)
Mr Alluto added: ‘We’re all going to die one day, and that’s not going to stop. You’ll have this perpetual requirement for more memorial benches and it’s a matter of how you deal with that in a sustainable way’ (Pictured: St Brelade’s Bay, Jersey)
‘I am delighted to accept donations of benches for the parish green but I think we have now reached a limit.’
Mr Le Troquer suggested that planting trees may be a more suitable alternative.
‘A lady recently donated a willow tree for a very damp area of land at the back of the parish green which is really nice,’ he said.
‘We do not want a forest there but there might be space for some more. One of the main issues is that when people want to leave flowers and cards strapped to benches, it can make it rather awkward for the people wanting to use them.’
Mr Alluto, the CEO of National Trust for Jersey for 18 years, added: ‘I think the situation at Archirondel is a great pity – 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 to.
‘If there are too many we run the risk of undermining that concept and changing the character of the area.
‘There needs to be consistency and a policy where memorial benches have a limited lifespan. It is absolutely crucial that they do not become graveyards.
Martin Gautier, director of technical services for the Infrastructure Department on Jersey, said he thought that too many benches had been installed (pictured: Le Hocq, Jersey)
The department will now refuse any more at some beauty spots but the island has stopped short of a blanket ban (pictured: Le Hocq, Jersey)
He said: ‘We get frequent, probably weekly requests, to put memorial benches on public land. It is quite a difficult situation as we have to try to balance the wishes of a bereaved relative with having a sensible approach’ (Pictured: St Brelade’s Bay, Jersey)
He added: ‘I personally feel that there are slightly too many. In St Brelade’s Bay there are about 16 in front of the L’Horizon’ (pictured: Le Hocq, Jersey)
‘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.’
Martin Gautier, director of technical services for the Infrastructure Department on Jersey, said he thought that too many benches had been installed.
The department will now refuse any more at some beauty spots but the island has stopped short of a blanket ban.
He said: ‘We get frequent, probably weekly requests, to put memorial benches on public land.
‘It is quite a difficult situation as we have to try to balance the wishes of a bereaved relative with having a sensible approach.
‘I personally feel that there are slightly too many. In St Brelade’s Bay there are about 16 in front of the L’Horizon.
‘I visited Green Island this week with the [Infrastructure] Minister and we agreed that there are too many but we are where we are.’
The National Trust does not have a UK-wide policy on memorial benches, with the issue decided at a regional or property level.
In many sites relatives are encouraged to plants trees instead of leaving benches.
The National Trust does not have a UK-wide policy on memorial benches, with the issue decided at a regional or property level (pictured: famous viewpoint in Whitby where there are a number of memorial benches)
Elsewhere in the UK, Bradford introduced restrictions on benches in July 2015 and problems have been reported in Tyne and Wear and West Yorkshire (pictured: the coastal path in South Shields in County Durham)
Elsewhere in the UK, Bradford introduced restrictions on benches in July 2015 and problems have been reported in Tyne and Wear and West Yorkshire.
In Bradford, the policy restricts the number of benches which can be installed at certain locations, to retain their natural appearance.
A spokesman for Bradford Council said: ‘Following a public consultation, the council introduced a district-wide policy relating to the installation of new memorials, and the management of unauthorised memorials at council-owned countryside, parks and woodland sites.
‘New memorial benches are permitted in some areas subject to consultation with relevant people, such as ‘friends of’ organisations at some of our local parks.
‘This policy received a great deal of public support during the consultation and we believe that it is working well.’
In Scotland South Lanarkshire council previously banned commemorative benches from its parks and open spaces after complaints that they were too depressing.