Agenda item

Policy for Bench Dedications and Sponsorships at Hampstead Heath

Report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath regarding the draft policy for bench dedications and sponsorships at Hampstead Heath and the following points were made.

 

  • The Projects & Management Support Officer advised Members that the draft policy followed the recommendations put forward in a report in March 2017 setting out a clear framework for the management of benches at Hampstead Heath.

 

·         It was highlighted that it was special to have a memorial bench and that there was currently a ten-year waiting list to get one. Members were also advised that the City Corporation had no plans to extend the number of benches but would consider re-positioning of benches in the Heath.  

 

·         In response to a query over whether sponsorship of benches was limited, the Projects & Management Support Officer advised that benches could be sponsored for ten years at which time they would be replaced (if damaged) or offered to another person on the waiting list if the current sponsor did not reply to the notice from the City Corporation. She added that this approach had been very effective in the pilot to date.

 

·         A Member queried what the percentage of people wishing to renew existing bench sponsorship was. Members were advised that this would become evident once the renewal cycle has been successfully working for at least a year.

 

·         It was noted that there were clear spots within the Heath where a bench would be useful and likewise spots where benches were poorly situated. Members were advised that each bench was tagged and the record of its location updated annually which allowed for benches to be tracked and historical data for past sponsors stored centrally. 

 

·         Members discussed the emotional element connected to getting a memorial bench and felt that it was important to keep people on the waiting list informed on what the waiting timescales would be. The Projects & Management Support Officer advised that the team were piloting annual updates of the timescale to deal with this sensitive element. The Superintendent added that great progress on rationalising and updating the waiting list of people had been made. 

 

·         It was noted that if the sponsor did not wish to renew their sponsorship of the bench, the inscripted slats on the bench could be given to the sponsor.

 

·         Members discussed the possibility of sponsoring memorial trees, the timber beams at the Pergola, or bricks with dedications at the Heath. 

 

·         In response to a query, the Projects & Management Support Officer noted that the number of potential sponsors on the waiting list had been set at 50 for the time being as this was a manageable number to administrate effectively. The total number at which the waiting list would be capped would be kept under review however.

 

Supporting documents: