Bells set to soon be ringing again from church in Mytholmroyd after row saw them controversially stopped

St Michael’s Church in Mytholmroyd has been at the centre of a row over their bells, which were controversially stopped from ringing after complaints about the noise.

Calderdale Council received complaints from local residents about the noise of the church clock chime overnight, and the substantial impact it was having on their quality of life.

The council then investigated the complaints, looking into whether the noise was causing a substantial or unreasonable impact on the quality of life of those who had complained.

Coun Danielle Durrans, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, said: “We understand how much local people value heritage and the tradition of the church clock. However, the evidence from our investigation showed that the regularity and volume of the bell chiming, at the time of night when people are sleeping, was causing a substantial impact, so we had no option but to determine a statutory nuisance and serve an abatement notice requiring the chimes not to operate between 11pm and 7am.

“We have stayed in contact with Hebden Royd Town Council, Erringdon Benefice and the residents who reported the noise throughout our investigation. We have received no appeals against the abatement notice, and the decision to stop the chiming during the day as well as night-time was taken by Hebden Royd Town Council and Erringdon Benefice.”

The church bells ring out every 15 minutes, but the mechanism which operates the chimes meant they had to be stopped altogether.

That prompted a petition to be started online, which has attracted more than 1,500 signatures.

But it has now emerged that the bells will once again be ringing out during the day after funding was found to work around the problem.

Keith Butterick, Mayor of Hebden Royd, said: "This is a matter that has been going on for a number of years and culminated in the issuing of an abatement notice from Calderdale Council.

"The Town Council doesn't own the clock, but it does have the power to maintain and service the clock. Following a further complaint about the noise, it was agreed at a meeting of the full council to agree to spend up to £2,000 for work to silence the clock between 11pm and 7am.

"As soon as these works are completed the clock will resume chiming throughout the day."