A meeting of the Stockbridge and Inverleith Community Council (S&ICC) last week became heated during discussion of the ‘noise nuisance’ posed by the St Stephen’s Church clock bell at night (Breaking news, 15.10.14).
We have been seeking detailed accounts from all sides of that meeting, but so far have received only this one, from Clive Johnson-Cooper, a member of the Circus Lane Residents Association. He is firmly in favour of leaving the clock alone.
We are aware that there is a variety of opinions on this matter, and we are happy to publish them. In particular, if anyone else who attended the S&ICC meeting saw it differently and would like to chime in, please do.
Mr Johnson-Cooper says the key issues raised were as follows:
Quality of Council data
Apparently, one of the attendees had obtained details through the Freedom of Information Act showing that the readings were taken with the windows open 4 inches. The chairman of the S&ICC thought that this was acceptable as we should not expect the complainant's house to be ‘hermetically sealed’.
There were repeated requests by local residents for S&ICC to put pressure on City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) to review these readings before progressing any further. The concern being, that the CEC was putting so much emphasis on just one reading which, due to tolerances of equipment and the method used to take the reading, may possibly prove to have been inaccurate. This was particularly important given that the reading was only 1db above the guidelines.
It was suggested that CEC had made a massive misjudgement and had not gauged the strength of public feeling regarding the church in taking such action.I am currently trying to get a copy of the data.
S&ICC being passive and not passing back any feedback to CEC
The committee were reminded of their objectives (as per their website): ‘The Stockbridge and Inverleith Community Council (Edinburgh), exists to ascertain, co-ordinate and express the views of the Stockbridge & Inverleith Community to Local Government and Public Authorities’.
The chairman's response (Stephen Brennan) was that he did not see why anyone would want the bells to chime at night anyway and he reiterated that the noise complaint is the same as a noise issue coming from a fast-food outlet. This view was not shared by the members of the public there. The public attendees were all in agreement that the CEC should reconsider what is to many a knee-jerk misguided response.
See also Letters (21.10.14).
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@theSpurtle dB measurements taken with window ajar relates to WHO guidelines http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/43316/E92845.pdf … - good that CEC is doing this properly.
@theSpurtle I propose 2 a.m. rendition of Ode to Joy to show distinction made between different noises is spurious. I will be mezzo-soprano.
@NewTownFlaneur I will set up a hot dog stand outside for after the performance. @theSpurtle
@NTCleanStreets @NewTownFlaneur @theSpurtle Count me in! Fresh from a flashmob where the audience thought we were a German choir!! :-o
@theSpurtle I don't want to see the bell end. Hold on, that doesn't read right... #savethebell
@theSpurtle Very near neighbour to bells for 25 years. Now church privately owned, should set bells to loudest and silence the whingers!