Attempts to solve the problem of the Stephen’s Church clock chime appear to have got nowhere.
Locals have been divided between those who find the hourly bell at night nuisance and those who consider it a welcome presence which predates a small number of complainants.
City of Edinburgh Council officials decided back in late August 2014 that the bell was indeed too loud (Breaking news, 2.9.14).
Since then, the chime has mostly been silenced while various suggestions about how to reach a compromise were considered. Fitting a lighter clapper was looked into, as was dressing it in a leather jacket, but none has been considered viable after closer scrutiny (Letters, 22.12.14).
Only the clock’s owner, Leslie Benzies, can decide what to do next, how and when.
In a letter seen by the Spurtle, a City of Edinburgh Council official recently informed one resident:
The Noise Team only have powers to resolve noise complaints and the noise complaint is resolved as there is currently no noise from the clock chimes. However, we appreciate that a large proportion of the local community want to hear the clock chimes and therefore we are doing what we can to try and progress this matter to a conclusion.
So, for now, the resounding silence seems set to continue. We’ll let you know if and when we hear anything.