Time is set to stand still as final preparations are carried out for essential repairs to City Hall’s clock tower which will see the timepiece's hands set to 12 while the work is done.
The repairs, expected to take around 14 weeks, will begin on Monday (6 March) and involve scaffolding going around the tower.
A crane will be brought in to remove the long vertical pieces of metal that sit on each corner of the clock tower – called ‘finials’ – so they can be taken away, cleaned, repaired and reinstalled. Details of when the crane is due on site are yet to be confirmed.
At an appropriate stage in the repairs programme the clock will be stopped and the hands set to 12 to make it easier for work to be carried out around the moving objects.
A hoist will be put in place to take workers and equipment up the scaffold. While the scaffold is in place, a full survey will also be carried out so that any repointing work can be done.
Mike Stonard, cabinet member for resources and business liaison, said: “City Hall’s clock tower is such an iconic feature of Norwich’s landscape so we need to make sure we preserve it for future generations to enjoy.
“The work involves planned maintenance of hard-to-reach parts of the clock tower and requires a skilled workforce to deliver it.
“I look forward to seeing the finished result and gazing up at the tower clock when it’s back in full working order.”
A budget of up to £200,000 has been identified within the council’s capital programme for the work.
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