Council resumes memorial options in North Ayrshire

North Ayrshire Council has set out a range of new options for people to memorialise their loved ones after the placing of memorial plaques on benches was halted throughout the locality in September 2019.

 

The local authority, while recognising the importance of memorials and the comfort it can provide, had to cease taking applications for memorial plaques owing to an increase in demand and running out of benches onto which the plaques can be affixed.

 

Now, North Ayrshire Council has agreed on a proposal that will provide a range of options for people – including memorial benches, plaques, trees, metallic trees and rocks.

 

The option to purchase a bench with a memorial plaque could remain, however, the bench will be placed in a location identified by the council and agreed with the applicant, including parks and open spaces, rather than already-congested coastal areas.

 

Other rules will also apply, including that North Ayrshire Council will be responsible for all installation work. If the bench is to be placed on grass, it will usually be fitted to a concrete base. Memorial plaques will need to be made of brass, stainless steel or aluminium and will be a maximum agreed size.

 

Any inscription on plaques will also require approval by the council before fitting. The engraved plaque will be fitted to the bench by local authority staff but the actual costs will be paid by those requesting the bench and/or plaque.

 

In addition to benches the council has also proposed dedicating a tree as a living, growing memorial to a loved one and a poignant way of remembering them. Areas have been set aside that will be suitable for this purpose and the council has agreed to provide living memorial trees free of charge to residents.

 

The only cost would be the purchase and installation of a plaque, which will be funded from the tree planting strategy investment fund budget until it is fully committed.

 

Another option is a metallic memorial tree which will have anodised gold-effect aluminium ‘leaves’ which can be engraved with a loved one’s details affixed to its branches. These trees can be placed in high-amenity areas and would offer a unique opportunity to remember family members and loved ones.

 

The metallic trees can provide up to 640 memorials in one location and create a focal point for visitors and a single point of focus for families.

 

According to the report agreed by North Ayrshire councillors, memorial rocks and stones, which can be placed on a beach or thrown into the sea, potentially being washed up for others to find, are also seen as a suitable memorial.

 

North Ayrshire Council are also planning on creating a digital page of remembrance which will allow people from all over the world the chance to log in and view memorials at any time.

 

Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy, said: “We absolutely welcome and support anybody looking for a tangible way to remember a loved one. We are not looking to stop that process but simply finding a way of making it more effective, manageable and long-lasting.

 

“We think that we have found that balance and hope our communities recognise that and continue to find solace in the range of memorial options available.”

 

 

 

An example of a metallic memorial tree and the individual leaves which will be available for memorials in North Ayrshire. No_B36memorial01_23_memorial_tree_plaques