The clock chimes at Newchurch Parish Church in Culcheth are still the talk of the village, after the familiar quarterly bells at the Bent Lane church were turned off in August following a noise complaint to Warrington Borough Council.
Yes, the clock had only recently been repaired, which makes the whole thing feel a bit like finally fixing the kettle only to be told nobody is allowed tea. The chimes, long part of the village soundscape, have become a point of proper local frustration.
Reverend Martin Cox, rector at the church, had previously said discussions were underway to find a solution everyone could live with, though he warned it would take time. Fair enough, really. These things rarely move at the speed of common sense, especially once council processes get their sensible shoes on.
Now Neil Johnson, independent borough councillor for Culcheth, Glazebury, and Croft, has given an update. He said there is widespread local support for the clock continuing to chime, and that many residents are frustrated that what appears to be a single complaint has stopped the quarterly chimes.
Cllr Johnson said: I know that there is widespread support locally for the clock continuing to chime, and there has been a great deal of frustration at the news that a single complaint appears to have stopped the familiar sound of the quarterly chimes in our village.
He added that he supports the cause and is doing everything he can to resolve the situation. He has been in contact for several weeks with Warrington Borough Council and representatives from the church, including the bell captain.
The main sticking point seems to be the request to turn off the quarterly chimes. The church has already agreed the clock will not sound overnight, which is a perfectly reasonable compromise. Nobody needs to be jolted awake at 3am by ecclesiastical timekeeping, however charming it may be at 3pm.
But according to Cllr Johnson, the request to switch off the quarterly chimes is understood to have come from the council, not the original complainant. That detail has gone down about as smoothly as a pothole on a school run.
Cllr Johnson said the church has requested a meeting involving himself, council officers, and the original complainant, who would also be welcome. His view is that getting everyone around the table is the best way to reach an agreement. Honestly, that sounds dangerously sensible, so let us hope it catches on.
The church is also working on a petition to show local support for the chimes continuing. Cllr Johnson said he understands it is being set up, and that the more signatures gathered, the stronger the message from residents who care about this bit of village life.
There are also quotes being gathered for possible modifications to the bells, while the vicar is seeking further advice. In other words, the church is not just standing there ringing its hands, pun very much intended.
Importantly, the current situation does not affect the ringing of the church bells for weddings, services, and other events. So the bells have not vanished from Culcheth entirely, they have just been caught in the uniquely British purgatory of noise complaints, council correspondence, and everyone trying not to fall out over something that has chimed for years.
For balance, it is fair to say noise can genuinely affect people, especially at night, and nobody should be dismissed out of hand for raising a concern. But daytime quarterly chimes are also part of the character of Culcheth, and if one complaint can silence a village landmark without a better community conversation, then something has gone a bit sideways.
The original report was by Nathan Okell, with the article carrying the usual publishing furniture mentioning USA Today and The Herald. But locally, the issue is simple enough: Newchurch Parish Church wants a workable compromise, many residents want the chimes back, and Warrington Borough Council now has the unenviable job of making a decision that does not make everyone mutter into their brews.