Carse of Gowrie residents are fighting to prevent the bells of Errol Parish Church from being silenced.
They have rung out across the community, night and day, for almost two centuries, providing a sense of place to its people.
Now a single complaint made to environmental health officers about the “disturbance” they cause on summer evenings could be enough to see them stilled.
A petition has been launched in an effort to save the bells and a huge number of villagers have taken to social media in an effort to convince Perth and Kinross Council the complaint is without foundation.
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UPDATE: The complaint has now been withdrawn. See Friday’s Courier for more
The campaign follows a plea from the Reverend John Macgregor for locals to show their support for the bells.
He has been told by council officers that he should take the complaint “seriously” and that it could lead to the bells — electronically controlled — being switched off at night.
Reverend Macdonald said: “I have been contacted by the environmental health department of Perth and Kinross Council.
“They told me there was an official complaint, made through the new Conservative councillor, stating that they (the complainer) wanted to have the Errol Church bells switched off.
“I have tried to argue that the bells have been ringing for decades without complaint.
“They have said that we must take the complaints seriously and stated that the complainers wanted the bells switched off at night, in the summer, as they had their windows open and the bells disturbed them.”
Reverend Macgregor asked for opinions from the community in the wake of the complaint and urged those who support the ringing of the bells to make their views known to the council.
Within hours, more than 150 supporters had posted on the community’s social media pages and a letter-writing campaign was being organised. A petition swiftly followed. A huge number have already added their names and opinions to its online page.
Its creator writes: “We believe the sound of the bells is an integral part of the atmosphere of the village, as worthy of conservation as any other aspect of this conservation area.
“Further, we believe when buying a house, one should be willing to take responsibility for one’s decision.
“This would include, for example, the impact of the property’s proximity to such amenities as a busy road, a playground, or a church with chiming bells.
“The bells are part of Errol, always have been, and it would not be the same without them. They are part of the church so please leave them.”
Village residents posted a host of messages in support of the Errol Parish Church bells. They include.
– “I’ve lived in Errol for 16 years and sleep with the windows open every summer. I’ve never felt disturbed by the bells and if I do wake in the night the bells are somehow relaxing. Keep them part of the village.”
– “Love the bells. They let me know I’m home.”
– “The bells are part of the village’s identity. Together with the noise of birdsong, passing villagers chatting away and kids playing, I find these sounds a source of comfort and peace, Leave the bells alone.”
Many locals suggested the complainer must be new to the village and would need time to adapt.
One said: “This person just needs to give it time. You very soon get used to the chimes, even with your windows open during the summer. Before long you are sleeping through the night, oblivious to the bells.”
Perth and Kinross Council stressed that it had yet to take a decision on whether action is needed and described the resident contact as “an inquiry” rather than a formal complaint.
A spokeswoman nonetheless confirmed that environmental health officers were looking into the matter.
She said: “We can confirm that we have received an enquiry about the Errol church clock bell chiming overnight.
“Our environmental health team made contact with the church to gather some information to allow us to respond to this enquiry.
“We appreciate that for many people living in Errol the clock chimes are an important part of village life, and we want to reassure all residents that the church has not been asked to switch them off or make any changes to the clock chimes.”
For more on the Save Errol Church Bells petition, visit www.change.org.
