Memorial bench on Audlem canal costs £2,500

Placing a memorial bench on Audlem canal will cost at least £2,500 say the Canal & River Trust.

A reader of AudlemOnline recently asked for advice on how to have a memorial bench placed by the side of the canal in memory of a relative who had recently passed away.

The deceased loved the canal and the family thought a bench would be a fitting tribute to someone who enjoyed many canalside walks in the Audlem and Coxbank area.

Audlem Online made some enquiries and was told that the Canal & River Trust, which operates the canal system, now has a national policy on members of the public donating benches on canalside pathways.

Trust Support Care Administrator Steph Woodhead told us: "The cost of placing a bench on the canal at present is £2,500."

The price, which may seem pretty steep to some, does include a risk assessment and a site survey as well as a plaque. It also comes with five years maintenance of the bench.

Prices of quality three-seater teak benches online vary from £300 – £500, although a six-seater can cost up to £1,000 and there is the cost of a concrete plinth to consider.

The Canal & River Trust website says that, in the case of benches, consideration has to be made about the number that already exist in a particular area and the likelihood of vandalism at a particular site.

In the case of a plaque, the Trust may be restricted by heritage and planning considerations and they have to take account of the likely future maintenance costs of any memorial site.

Details of how to apply for a canalside bench and the application process can be found on the Canal & River Trust website at http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/get-involved/make-a-donation-in-memory, contact the Care Support Team at SupporterCare@canalrivertrust.org.uk or download their policy on canalside benches at http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/1193.doc

The Canal & River Trust is a charitable trust set up in July 2012 to look after the waterways of England and Wales along with the transfer of ownership from the previous government-owned operator, British Waterways.

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