The installation of contactless payment devices along the City Walls to encourage people to make a voluntary contribution towards their annual £600,000 upkeep has been delayed – because the system was not deemed fit for purpose.
The agencies behind the three-month trial – Marketing Cheshire, Big Heritage and Cheshire West and Chester Council – announced in August that special terminals would shortly be dotted along the historic landmark.
But the devices have yet to appear, which organisers have explained is so they can ensure they find the right technology for the project.
A spokesperson for Marketing Cheshire told the Chronicle: "This is a pilot scheme, and so ensuring that we use the right technology to enable contactless payments to be made as easily and accessibly as possible for visitors wishing to donate is key to ensuring its success.
"After a thorough testing we decided that the system we had planned to install in August wasn't fit for purpose, and so we are currently investigating other contactless systems that will better meet the needs of the project.”
Mixed feelings
Opinion was divided when news of the scheme broke last month, with critics raising security concerns while others declared it a 'great idea' using the same principle as the donations boxes often spotted in museums.
When they are eventually installed, the devices will be located at the amphitheatre, King Charles Tower and Newgate Tower.
