This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The bell on a historic village clock may no longer toll after villagers claimed its newly restored 24-hour chime was too noisy.

The clock, a prominent centrepiece in the moorland village of Delph in Greater Manchester, has been keeping time for the past 119 years.

But custodians of the Millgate Arts Centre on which the clock sits could be hit with a noise abatement order if the hourly chimes are found to be too loud.

Oldham council confirmed a complaint had been received about the volume of the bell.

Ian Shepherd, the chair of the arts centre, has been inundated with responses on social media after raising the alarm about the intervention by environmental health officers.

“Most are of the opinion it is like sheep and owls; it’s part and parcel of living in a community like we do,” Shepherd told the Saddleworth Independent. “Most want to hear it chiming all night,” he added. “However, there has been a complaint to the council who could deem it to be a statutory nuisance.

“If certain levels of decibels are exceeded, legally they cannot ignore it. I am aware churches have been forced to silence their bells under a noise abatement order because they have been considered too noisy.”

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Under one possible compromise, the chimes could be restricted to daylight hours.

The clock first rang out in 1899. But last month it had to be repaired by Cumbrian clock experts after a hammer mechanism got stuck. Locals wanted it to chime in time for Whit Friday as it traditionally starts off the celebrations in the morning.

Edna from Edna’s Cosy Café told the newspaper: “I actually don’t mind it, I don’t hear it a lot because of people talking. I can only hear it when I sit outside.”

Claire Holland from Redmonds Solicitors, whose new office is directly opposite the arts centre, said: “Everybody is really upset that someone’s complained. You can’t get much nearer than me and it doesn’t bother me.

“From a business point of view clients have asked where has the bell come from and say it’s really nice. It’s like bringing a traditional thing back into the village.

“It’s not an issue at all, I just think it’s a really nice addition to the village and I am glad that they have restored it.”

Jayne Dixon, who posted a comment about the clock on Facebook, said: “My boss used to wind the original clock up twice a week in the early 60s. Nice to have it working again.”

Audrey Barrass said: “I lived on Millgate for 18 years and heard the clock every night. It was lovely. Accept what should always be in Delph or live somewhere else.”

Another local, Jake Green, added: “I lived at Millgate for the best part of 30 years. The bell can’t have been more than 10 metres from my bedroom and it never bothered me.”

An Oldham council spokesperson said: “We are looking into things and are considering all the options before any decision will be made.”