The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Noise complaint sets off alarm bells in village
Residents launch petition to fight threat to silence church bells
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.
The campaign follows a plea from the Rev 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.
Rev Macgregor 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.”
Rev 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.”
Many locals suggested the complainer must be new to the village and would need time to adapt.
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.
For details on the Save Errol Church Bells petition, visit change.org.