A PERMANENT memorial to the victims of the Shoreham Airshow disaster may take two years to be completed, a councillor has admitted.

The construction of a proposed memorial walk to the 11 victims might have to come after the completion of the 30-month Adur Tidal Walls project, councillor Emma Evans, Adur's cabinet member for environment said.

An independent councillor said the absence of a permanent memorial in time for next week’s first anniversary was “regrettable” and disappointing.

Victims’ families said they had hoped to have a memorial in place by now.

Discussions have been held with families on a number of designs drawn up by artists, with relatives expected to give feedback ahead of next Monday's anniversary.

Adur District Council said the feedback would be used to develop ideas before being opened up to public consultation.

More than 50 ideas were submitted by the public to the Shoreham Remembers website.

A memorial walk potentially incorporating sculpture, benches and plaques is being considered, although a proposed circular route has been rejected because of its proximity to Shoreham Airport.

The council is in discussions with the Environment Agency as to how the memorial can be incorporated with the Adur Tidal Walls scheme which begins later this year.

Cllr Evans said: “We will never please everybody but we want to make sure that it is correct which is why it is taking some time.

“We are not going to push families and say you have to reply by a certain time, first and foremost our thoughts must be with the families and their wishes.

“What we don’t want is to install things and then have to take them away while work on the tidal wall is happening and then put them back.

“The scheme will take up to two years so we will have to decide whether to wait for the whole scheme to be finished or wait until that particular reach is done where the walk is planned."

Cllr Ben Stride, Shoreham Beach's independent councillor, said: “I do think it is a disappointment that it has been a year and no permanent memorial, both the relatives and community do need a point of focus for their grief.

“I think it is a case of different people wanting different things, getting a solution that pleases everybody when you have so many families involved does take time."

Steve Jones, father of victim Matt Jones, said: “It would have been nice [to have it finished by anniversary].

“But we can understand; we would rather it is a nice fitting memorial for all the eleven. It is better it is done properly than it is a rushed job.”

A West Sussex County Council spokeswoman said: “This will simply take as long as it takes because we know getting it right is the most important thing.”

An Adur council spokesman said: “We have been very clear all the way along that this needs to be the right memorial that befits the tragedy, and not one developed to meet a specific timeframe.”

TRIBUTES TO HONOUR 11 MEN WHO LOST THEIR LIVES

A NUMBER of events will be held in the upcoming days to remember the 11 men who lost their lives in the Shoreham Airshow disaster.

Saturday, August 20

The community will be coming together for a special church service.

At 11am, the multi-denominational service will be led by the Rev Anne Waizenecker and Shoreham Churches Together in St Mary de Haura, Shoreham.

There are large crowds expected at the church and loudspeakers will relay the service to those unable to find room inside. Eleven candles will be lit to remember the lives lost.

Saturday, August 20 to Monday, August 22

An archive project by West Sussex County Council records office showing images of the thousands of tributes left in the aftermath of the disaster will be on display at the Shoreham Centre.

Monday, August 22

The county will fall silent at 1.22pm in memory of the victims.

The county’s emergency services, Adur, Worthing and West Sussex council staff will all observe a minute’s silence at their offices with residents invited to join in.

Monday, August 22

West Sussex Bikers Motorcycle Club will take part in a memorial ride setting off from the B&Q car park at Lyons Farm at 8.15pm to Shoreham tollbridge.

Thursday, August 25

The Ride of Respect memorial run of bikers will gather in Halfords car park at Lyons Farm from 7pm before heading to Shoreham Airport to lay a wreath.

  • Do you know of a memorial event for Shoreham Airshow? Let us know by contacting neil.vowles@theargus.co.uk or call 01273 021383.