Christian Peregin
Church clock bells must chime less loudly - court
Photo: Jason Borg
Anna Spiteri celebrated heartily last Friday after a court upheld her request for an injunction to have the noise level of Senglea's church clock reduced. But her rejoicing was over just a day later when the same dreaded sound resonated in her house at 11.15 a.m. and then continued throughout the day.
"For them the judgment means nothing... it is just a game," an angry Ms Spiteri told The Times, arguing that the parish church authorities were in contempt of court.
Citing the World Health Organisation regulations, the judge had ruled that the bells cannot be louder than 60 decibels, about a third less loud than the present levels.
When contacted, the archpriest Joe Grech said that his experts were trying to find ways of reducing the volume to the recommended 60 decibels, but Ms Spiteri insisted that the church is in contempt of court and that despite her efforts she is back to square one.
After a whole day of "trials" on Saturday, the bells seem to have gone on a break of sorts for the time being, not having been rung yesterday, but Ms Spiteri is suspicious of the situation.
"I'm sorry but these people (the church committee) have not proven themselves to be trustworthy. They have done this several times before, reducing it (the sound) and then increasing it again," she said.
Fr Grech stressed, however, that he intended complying with the judgment. The judgment was a fair compromise which turns out to be in everyone's favour, he said, pointing out that the church never wanted to disturb anyone.
He did emphasise, however, that the clock is there to be heard by the whole locality. "We are trying to see how to make it ring within these limits," he said.
But Ms Spiteri said that the parish priest and the representative from the Curia were not even present in court to hear the judgment, adding that for the clock to be heard by the whole locality it will have to go beyond the volume allowed by the court.
"We have been disturbed for eight years and we had to go to court because all our pleas fell on deaf ears. Now that the verdict is very clear, I do expect the archpriest and the Curia to behave in a responsible manner towards the community," Ms Spiteri said.
The aggrieved resident says she spent quite a sum on an expert report, which took the noise readings from her residence, which is very close to the church. The report concluded that the levels were too high and detrimental to the community's health.
The church, she charged, accepted this report in court but is ignoring its conclusions and choosing tradition over the community's health.
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Brian Spleenovich
Oct 2nd 2008, 11:48
When you choose to live near a train station, you prepare to hear trains. When you live near the sea, you expect to hear the waves. So when you live next to a church, you should expect to hear bells. It is a tradition of Malta to hear church bells every fifteen minutes, it is Malta's heritage sounded publically. You know, maybe they should abolish the Airport, but oh, you don't get people from Luqa complaining that planes are flying above them, do you? But why, I wonder? Perhaps it is because they have thought about where they live and have accepted it.
Anna Spiteri has been wasting her time.
MT Caruana
Sep 26th 2008, 23:25
@ Paul Vassallo
FYI .....I know a lot of people who live near the church, and not only are they not disturbed by the clock, but signed a petition to declare so !!!
The school ? Mr.Vassallo....don't be ridiculous ...enough is enough !!!
You amazed me with your last statement though ,about the Pater Noster !!! Like you I'M from Senglea ....and the bells ring every single day SHARP at 6:00am ....from ages ago !!! Well maybe these past 3 days you woke up earlier than usual.
Paul Vassallo
Sep 24th 2008, 14:03
I know many people in Senglea who were very disturbed by the continuous banging of the clock every 15 minutes, and do not want the clock back on. So keep it off! I am told that there are noise level limits for village cores and these should not be higher than 50dba! And there is a school near the church too...what about this noise impact on our children? Or we do not care about the health of our children any more?
What is the idea of these last 3 days to use the big bell to sound the pater noster at 6.00am...Is this some kind of new punishment for the 300 people that live round the Senglea church? It seems we, in Senglea are forever being imposed on by the few in the name of the church.
We are giving a very bad impression of the people of Senglea. As if all we want is to live in noise, and we bash those that care and actually do something for the well being of their families and their neighbours.
Rev Grech, forget the clock, change the church committee and show us how to pray quietly and leave others in peace.
Paul Vassallo
Sep 24th 2008, 10:57
by the way, what was the idea this last 3 mornings of using the big bell to ring the pater noster at 6.00a.m.? Is it to make sure that the people around the church wake up with a big jump...it is not a nice joke!
john fenech
Sep 23rd 2008, 17:49
Joe Morano thanks for the information, and it goes without saying that enforcement is not our forte! So it seems that vehicles are permitted to exceed the stipulated noise level for the clock bells, by double the noise level!
Directive 70/157/EEC introduces limits on the sound levels of noise for road vehicle Limit values for eight types of passenger and goods vehicles range from 74 dB(A) to 80 dB(A).
Mr J.G. Portelli the second noise directive require that precaution action is taken at the first level 80dB (A) and mandatory intervention at the second level 85dB(A).
EU noise directives: 2002/49/EC. & 2003/10/EC
The first is for the assessment and management of environmental noise. This Directive is aimed at controlling noise perceived by people in built-up areas, in public parks in quiet areas in open country, near schools, hospitals and other noise-sensitive buildings and areas.
The second is to protect the employee from the noise hazard at the place of work, this have been amended after in 2006; so that the upper & lower exposure limits have been reduced by 5dB(A) over an 8 hour period; to 85 & 80 dB(A
MT Caruana
Sep 23rd 2008, 16:09
@Charles Camilleri
Thanks..I agree 100% with you..
MT Caruana
Sep 23rd 2008, 11:21
@Paul Vassallo.
“ Do not put the clock back on!.....and stop ignoring the well being of your community.”
Community!!! Which Community??? I guess you got it all wrong here…..it’s only Miss. Spiteri complaining about the clock noise….and this issue was dragged to court by her!
“How do people think or pray in such loud noise?” !!!! This must be a sick joke…..!!!
john falzon
Sep 23rd 2008, 06:44
It would be interesting to know what the noise levels emitted from the maltashipyards are. To say the least it can be very disturbing especially at night.
Edward Zammit
Sep 23rd 2008, 00:35
@ Charles Sammut
Were is it stated in the constitution that Islam is our official religion?
joe morana
Sep 22nd 2008, 22:11
I congratulate Ms Anna Spiteri for winning her court case for an injunction to have the noise levels of Senglea Church clock reduced to 60 decibels Her perseverance prevailed against all odds.Noise pollution is indeed a health hazard
@John Fenech: Local Motor Vehicl;e reguloations exhaust level limits are as follows
16 [S.L.65.15 MOTOR VEHICLE ROADWORTHINESS TEST
C. Exhaust sound level testing
Class I Vehicles - shall be tested to an exhaust sound level rating not
exceeding 119 dB (A) when the engine revolutions are at three-fourths of the
maximum rated speed.
Class II Vehicles and Class III Vehicles - shall be tested to a sound level as
listed below for various engines when revolutions are at three-fourths of the
maximum rated speed:
- all petrol engines at 100 dBA;
- all diesel engines less than 150KW (200bhp) at 101 dBA;
- all diesel engines equal to or in excess of 150KW (200bhp) at 105 dBA.
I have serious doubts that these levels are actually being enforced by the Police Authorities and/or the Malta Transport Authority.
John Camilleri
Sep 22nd 2008, 22:07
Let us shut up the Church! Starting from the chimesof the clocks! Wouldn't we be better without it? First go the chimes , then go the values. Wouldn't we better without them?
Joseph George Portelli
Sep 22nd 2008, 22:03
The Church and the Bell Chimes were there well before Mis Spiteri moved in. She chose to move or stay. Church Bell is a Maltese tradition and and a christian right. Same as a Mosque calling its faithfull (i doubt it if anyone would rule so hard against a muslim faith).
On the question of noises higher than the 1st action levels, which has currently been reduced from 85 to 80 db(A) and not 60 db(A), the ruddy police siren and the ambulance siren are the equivalent of 10x higher, so will the Maltese Court be applying the noise decision to these too? Note every 3 db(A) rise is equivalent to double measure. So what about motorbikes or the boy racer exhausts? Is this a joke? Since when should Catholic Church Bells be no louder than a converstion level. This is didcrimination as to start off with its lower than the EU first action level at work. The authorities in Malta play politics and the Church is always an easy target.
Edward James
Sep 22nd 2008, 21:54
@Charles Camilleri "There is an official conspiracy to destroy all our customs and traditions."
Charles, lets not get too hysterical shall we? Plenty of things threaten traditional ways and this is not one of then. Having a church bell toll more quietly so that families can live decent lives, is not going to destroy anyone's customs or traditions. Most church bells in Malta toll a lot more quietly and have done so for hundreds or thousands of years. This is a relatively new bell.
And Charles, aren't you forgetting the most important tradition of all? What about Christian tradition that preaches the importance of the family? What about Christian tradition that preaches respect for the law? What about the words of St. Paul, who said "Beware the traditions of men". The traditions of men tend to become old, stale and self-serving.
Religious traditions can end up being held in higher regard than the very values which the tradition is supposed to reinforce.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm pro-Church and I despair of incidents like this which give ammunition to those who believe that the church is out of touch, indifferent and self-serving.
Edward James
Sep 22nd 2008, 21:27
Fr Grech, you don't 'intend' to comply with a court judgement. You 'comply' with a court judgement. Immediately.
Where is the archbishop?
Ronnie Gauci
Sep 22nd 2008, 20:47
Perhaps in a couple of years when all our traditions and customs will be destroyed and a muazzin's shouts will replace the bell chimes then we'll see where people like Ms Spiteri & Caruana Galizia will protest. In the last years thousands of foreigners are threatening our Maltese/Christian culture and in many places we had to accept and adapt to theirs whilst putting aside ours like in this case.
I live in Senglea, very close to Ms Spiteri and I'm a type of person that sleeps throughout the day as I work on a shift and I state that these bells never caused me any disturbance as for the vast majority of Sengleans. I have also to inform everybody that this clock used to be switched off on a daily basis at 11pm to be swittched on again at 6am.
l Galea
Sep 22nd 2008, 20:45
"By the way 60dB (A) is the noise level of a normal conversation! While 90dB (A) is heavy traffic and 110dB (A) is for a rock concert! Hey I am comparing noise and equal citizen’s rights not defending noise pollution."
Paul Vassallo
Sep 22nd 2008, 19:17
If the judge ruled that that they should be reduced to 60dB (A), and this is the noise level of a normal conversation, perhaps the judge was trying to give an important message to the church in Senglea. Enough is enough! Do not put the clock back on!.....and stop ignoring the well being of your community.
That this issue had to come to court says alot about the attitude of the church. The church preaches Christian values but does not see the need to practise them. How do people think or pray in such loud noise? We need a church that equates spirituality with silence not with continous loud noise.
v.vella
Sep 22nd 2008, 16:33
Did this case have to end up in court and on the papers? Isn't it obvious that the solution was to reduce the sound of the clock?!!!!! did we need a magistrate to tell us that?
only in malta!
Michael Camilleri
Sep 22nd 2008, 16:32
To the church - switch off .... we don't need church bells to know what time it is ... it's about time you start showing some respect towards others ....
James De Giorgio
Sep 22nd 2008, 15:55
What about those kindly residents in Rabat who can't sleep because of the Gianpula booming music till four o'clock in the morning???
Charles Camilleri
Sep 22nd 2008, 15:33
There is an official conspiracy to destroy all our customs and traditions. Other countries do their best to preserve their traditions while we are systematically destroying ours. These modern individuals should other place to live in.
Eric Soames
Sep 22nd 2008, 15:12
Finally, a post that discusses decibels with sense. John Fenech put it in a nutshell. A dB reading is meaningless without accompanying data; most important of which is the distance from the noise source.
Edward Zammit
Sep 22nd 2008, 14:33
A simple solution for the Rev. Joe Grech just coat the hammer rockers of the church clock with hard rubber, the chimes will still be audible but the noise shall be at least muffled if not reduced !
Charles Sammut
Sep 22nd 2008, 13:41
In Malta mosques are not allowed to broadcast the muezzin's call to prayer. This only happens 5 times a day unlike church clock chimes which ring out 96 times daily!
So much for equality of religions in Malta.
Edward Pavia
Sep 22nd 2008, 13:08
I thought that ´contempt of court´ was a criminal offence, and should apply to everybody including the Church. I have to admit, I do miss the chimes of the church bells of my beloved Senglea aswell as those to other parishes I lived in whilst I was growing up in Malta all them years ago, however I am in full sympathy with miss Spiteri over this matter. These days we don´t need church bells to tell us the time or for the devout to be called to church. The noise from bells can be very daunting, especially if you had to live in close proximity to them. I love traditions but I also believe that people´s feelings and human rights should be respected too. I believe that a sensible compromise can be found here.
Daphne Caruana Galizia
Sep 22nd 2008, 12:42
Isn't it ironic? The parish priest is being uncharitable to his neighbours for the glory of God. Surely in 2008 every household in the community has a clock, a watch or a mobile phone and doesn't need the church to tell it the time every 15 minutes throughout the day and much of the night. They should just switch those chimes off altogether.
john fenech
Sep 22nd 2008, 11:21
Hey since we had a judicial ruling on noise pollution, how about all the other noise originating from Mobile discos, home surround TV & stereo, Band, Football & Bocci clubs, Bars & night clubs, discos, gas horns, and the worst offender the town/Village feast! The noise from some of these localities usual is carried well into the night.
Could it be argued that the church bells, the clock’s included, is to assist the Faithful in their duty! If so than this ruling will be discriminating against those living outside the proposed noise range! Since the general rule of the thumb is, noise level drops by about 6dB (A) for every doubling of the distance from source. Noise propagation depends on other factors such as geometric spreading, atmospheric effects, and surface effects.
By the way 60dB (A) is the noise level of a normal conversation! While 90dB (A) is heavy traffic and 110dB (A) is for a rock concert! Hey I am comparing noise and equal citizen’s rights not defending noise pollution.