Senglea clock causes 'psychological distress'

Forget the sound of construction works or the loud bangs from fireworks. Even the ticking, or rather, the "banging", of a church clock can pose a threat to health and quality of life, it seems.

The "noise pollution and health hazards" of the Senglea church clock have led an irate resident to commission experts from the University's faculty of engineering to carry out noise readings from her terrace.

They found that, every 15 minutes, the sound intrusions are 35 decibels more than the acceptable 55 established by World Health Organisation guidelines.

At 90 decibels, the clock should be considered "exceedingly harmful" and not allowed to "bang", Anna Spiteri, who runs a research company in environmental management, said.

The June 8 readings, for example, taken between 8.46 p.m. and just past midnight, show that the so-called chimes stop at 11 p.m. when peace and quiet reign.

Otherwise, the bells are heard every 15 minutes from 6 a.m., causing anyone in the vicinity to jump up 68 times a day. "Why would anyone want to know that 15 minutes have passed anyway? Every 15 minutes is Chinese torture at any volume," she said, demanding the clock be stopped.

Ms Spiteri, whose home and office flank the church, said she was unable to enjoy her home, and her doctor had certified that the clock was causing her psychological distress, as well as affecting her work and family life.

But it was not merely her state of mind that was driving her to fight it; Ms Spiteri said she was being led by science, not emotion, since it had been proved that loud noise led to aggression.

When the clock was struck by lightning last October and stopped functioning for five months, residents were quieter and appeared calmer, she said.

Her efforts to have a more peaceful Pope Benedict XV Square appears to have fallen on deaf ears - all in the name of culture, she maintained. "But the clock - a millennium gift - has only been around for eight years!"

Referring to the draft National Environmental Health Action Plan, drawn up by the Health Ministry in 2006, Ms Spiteri claimed its objectives were to reduce exposure to noise pollution, particularly for children.

The church in Senglea is located next to the Dom Mauro Inguanez primary school, she pointed out, adding that in the UK researchers have linked loud noise to illness and educational problems in students, impairing their ability to read and perform memory tests. When Ms Spiteri asked whether the 2006 document was still a draft, she was told it was being revised, which has left her in limbo.

She also said that the Environment Ministry had to start the process of transposing the EU Environmental Noise Directive, prior to which it was supposed to draw up noise maps in towns and villages by June 2007.

A noise map establishes the average noise level, so anything above that would not be allowed, she explained.

The Aarhus Convention is part of the directive, meaning the public would have to be informed of the health hazards imposed on them.

"In other words, you would not be able to distribute a petition without explaining the impact on health, which is what happened when the Senglea church committee got residents to sign (a document saying) that the clocks and bells were part of our culture."

Ms Spiteri has even turned to the Curia, which, she said, sympathised with her and put her in touch with its environmental commission.

"What are the responsible authorities doing about it, apart from dismissing the ever-increasing medical research on noise pollution, as well as local and EU laws?"

Despite her woes, however, Ms Spiteri and her family seem to be alone in their battle against the clock. Other complaining residents could be counted on one hand, she said.