Minister suggests chimes of Gothic masterpiece could be used on ITV and BBC while London tower is silenced for repairs

It is a building of such majesty that Hitler is said to have ordered the Luftwaffe to avoid it so it could be shipped to Germany and reassembled, brick-by-brick, in the Third Reich.

Having outlived the Führer, Rochdale’s splendid town hall is being put forward for a different honour – as a stand-in for Big Ben while its London clocktower undergoes renovation.

Jake Berry, minister for the northern powerhouse and MP for nearby Rossendale, has written to the BBC and ITV to suggest the bells of Rochdale town hall be used to tell the time on the networks while Big Ben is in surgery.

Berry has written to Tony Hall, the director general of the BBC, and Sir Peter Bazalgette, who chairs ITV, urging them to broadcast the Rochdale chimes “until Big Ben is back in full working order”.

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Rochdale’s bells already play the same tune as the Westminster tower’s, notes Berry, and so could slip seamlessly into the networks’ routines.

In the letter Berry writes of a recent visit to Rochdale where he stood in awe of the Grade I listed Gothic masterpiece, marvelling at its stained glass windows, credited as the finest modern examples of their kind.

“During my visit, I stood at the base of the tower and, as the clock struck 11 and the tower bells rang, I was struck by their similarity to those I hear so often in Westminster and on your programmes,” he wrote.

“I think, due to the building’s national importance as a heritage site, it would be a wonderful opportunity if you would consider using these bells temporarily in your broadcasts.

“In addition, it would bring tremendous joy to the immediate community – and the whole northern powerhouse – to provide these iconic chimes, even if just for a limited period,” he says in the letter, first reported by the Sunday Telegraph.



Many have enthusiastically supported the idea, including the BBC stalwart Gyles Brandreth. “Peal appeal! Totally back plan to have BBC broadcast the bongs from Rochdale town hall live while Big Ben’s bongs are silenced,” the Just a Minute regular tweeted.

Tony Lloyd, Rochdale’s MP, said: “Just as Big Ben is iconic around the world, Rochdale town hall is a source of enormous pride locally, despite being largely unknown to the rest of the country. If Rochdale were to stand in for Big Ben it could make the whole country proud of our great architectural history – and what’s more, put Rochdale on the back of every [HP] sauce bottle.”

Play Video 1:37 Listen to Big Ben's bongs sound for last time before they fall silent – video

Richard Farnell, a local Labour councillor who recently resigned as council leader, started a Twitter poll gauging support. His followers were asked to vote on whether they thought Rochdale’s bells would “sound reet gradely”. They could also answer “Northern time, what’s that?”, “It’ll set whippets yappin” or “It’ll wake oop soft south” (the winner at the time of going to press).

Despite local support, Rochdale is probably going to have to seek fame elsewhere. A BBC spokesman told the Sunday Telegraph: “While the idea of using Rochdale’s bells may have a ring to it, after considering various options we decided pre-recording Big Ben’s chimes offers the most reliable and resilient option whilst the Palace of Westminster carries out its repairs.”

Rochdale’s town hall is no longer used as council headquarters but instead is popular as a wedding venue and tourist attraction. In recent years it has served as a backdrop for numerous TV shows, including the BBC dramas Peaky Blinders and Our Zoo.