Shropshire Star

Town's clock bells to be silenced - for the sake of a good night's sleep

Newtown's landmark clock's bells will be silenced between midnight and 6am after complaints about the noise.

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The clock, which stands on The Cross, has been the subject of controversy over complaints from local bed and breakfast businesses, and visitors to the town, due to the volume of its chimes.

Now Newtown Town Council has approved a measure that will see the chimes restricted in a bid to resolve the issue.

At its latest meeting councillors voted to back the plan, which will see three affected businesses providing the money to pay for a device that will mechanically block the chimes.

The issue was highlighted on the website TripAdvisor, where one guest had described their stay in the town as "terrible".

They wrote: "Avoid if you are a light sleeper! Stayed here for business – booked two nights but only stayed one – had to check out early unfortunately due to the unbearable noise from the town clock that rings every 15 minutes 24 hours a day."

Newtown's town clock

Newtown Mayor Councillor David Selby said the move had been taken in line with the council's bid to encourage tourists to visit the town, and return in future.

A public poll carried out by Councillor Selby had ended in a 50-50 dead heat.

He said: "What we have decided as a town council is we are ambitious about making the town a town for business and if we are serious about that, if a business has a particular problem we can resolve – in this case the clock striking loudly when people sleep – then it is right for us to try and resolve that."

He said the plan would go ahead provided the businesses affected pay for the cost of putting the equipment in place.

He added: "I honestly feel that most people won't miss it because they do not hear it at that time, but the people who will benefit are the people staying in the town.

"I encourage visitors to come to the town, come and try our great bed and breakfast businesses, and see what else is in the town – because they can still enjoy the clock chimes during the day!"