Town Hall chimes will soon sound every 15 minutes again

The bells will be ringing out again across Birkenhead town centre from next week – albeit slightly quieter than before…

Earlier this year, in response to a complaint from a resident on Hamilton Square about the noise level of the chimes from Birkenhead Town Hall, council officers took the decision to reduce the frequency of the ringing while they conducted tests.

Supported by specialists, officers carried out sound testing both on-site and in the complainant’s property and then explored ways in which any issue might be alleviated.

The team found that it was possible to mechanically-adjust the force at which the hammers strike the bells and in doing so reduced the decibel level of the sound. 

Sound meter readings at various locations in Hamilton Square confirmed the reduction in decibel levels recorded and a further assessment concluded that the noise nuisance had been abated.

As a result, the chimes will be reinstated to the original frequency of every 15 minutes from Monday 3rd March from the temporary situation where they sounded only on the hour. The chimes do not ring between 11pm and 7am.