People in Birkenhead have been surprised by the sudden loss of quarter hour Westminster chimes from the famous Birkenhead Town Hall clock after over 100 years of telling the local time.
Philip Barton, Chairman of the Friends of Hamilton Square Conservation Area, investigated and says,
‘In August 2024 Wirral Borough Council received a single complaint from a resident of Hamilton Square about the volume and frequency of the full Westminster chimes of the Birkenhead Town Hall clock. An investigation found that the sound qualified as a statutory noise nuisance. After discussing the results with other council departments, it was decided that the quarter-hour chimes would be switched off but that the hourly chimes would continue.
There was no legal duty in this case for the council to consult the public and so it came as a surprise to residents that the chimes had been switched off.”
If you are not happy with Wirral Council’s decision, you can join the growing number, and sign the petition set up by local resident Josephine Wood here.