Memorial Benches

The provision of Memorial Benches within Kettering Borough Council cemeteries and crematoria is no longer permitted.  Any new benches will be removed without notice.

Memorial benches sold through Kettering Borough Council are no longer available.  Existing benches that were purchased through Kettering Borough Council are the responsibility of the owner.  This includes all maintenance, repairs and cleaning.

Kettering Borough Council has a responsibility to do regular visual inspections of the benches to ensure health and safety within its sites.  If a bench has fallen into disrepair and is a health and safety hazard Kettering Borough Council has the right to remove the bench from the public domain.  Kettering Borough Council will attempt to contact the owner via the post using the address details on record at the Crematorium.

Unauthorised Benches

Unauthorised benches brought to cemeteries or crematoria cannot be guaranteed to comply with health and safety standards.  They also do not conform with the Council's right to "lay out and embellish a cemetery in such manner as they think fit" (Local Authorities Cemetery Order 1977).  For those reasons the Council will remove any unauthorised benches within its sites without warning.  As the benches are unauthorised the Council has no way of knowing the owner of the bench, therefore no contact can be attempted.

Existing Benches

Kettering Borough Council will provide adequate seating within its cemetery and crematorium sites for visitors to sit on should they wish to. These benches are placed at the Cemetery and Crematoria Managers discretion and are not to be relocated by the general public.

The responsibility for the checking, maintenance and repair of these benches lies with Kettering Borough Council.  These benches are repaired on rotation between all of the cemeteries and crematorium.  The order of this is decided upon by frequency of visitors to the site and the state of repair of the benches themselves.

New Benches

Kettering Borough Council will provide adequate seating within its cemetery and crematorium sites for visitors to sit on should they wish to.  These benches are placed at the Cemetery and Crematoria Managers discretion and are not to be relocated by the general public.

All new benches should be made of either:

• Cast iron legs and Hardwood slats - for ease of repair by Kettering Borough Council carpenters.
• Recycled plastic (i.e. London Rd Cemetery) - for environmental reasons.

The responsibility for the checking, maintenance and repair of these benches lies with Kettering Borough Council.  These benches are repaired on rotation bewteen all of the cemeteries and the crematorium.  The order of this is decided upon be frequency of visitors to the site and state of repair of the benches themselves.