A LONG-RUNNING legal battle over a church tower’s night-time chimes has finally reached an end after an out-of-court settlement was agreed.

All Saints Church in Station Road, Wrington, is thought to have started sounding its clock chimes about a century ago.

But the church was forced to silence them in April after complaints from residents who had moved into the village when the church was not chiming due to maintenance work.

North Somerset Council served the church a noise abatement notice, telling it to silence its chimes between 11pm and 7am or face prosecution, a move which caused anger among residents.

Difficulties in silencing it for certain hours meant the chimes were turned off.

But they did begin sounding again in the day thanks to the discovery of a digital method of ringing them.

The authority revealed this week that an agreement has been reached with Wrington Parochial Church Council (PCC) allowing the chimes to sound once an hour, instead of every 15 minutes, between 11pm and 7am.

A statement it released said: “North Somerset Council and Wrington PCC are very pleased to announce that the case relating to the chiming of the church clock at night, which originated with a noise nuisance complaint, has now been amicably resolved.

“The process of resolution was conducted carefully and diplomatically by both sides. They are very pleased that a solution has now been found.

“As a result the hourly bell will continue to ring the hour during the night, and the quarter hour Westminster clock chimes will not sound after the 10.45pm chime until 7am.

“The bell and clock chimes will continue to sound as normal at all other times.

“Both parties wish to thank all those involved for their co-operation in bringing this matter to a conclusion.”