A VILLAGE is being asked to club together if it wants to save a 100-year-old clock.
People living in Easter Compton have been told that if they want to save a clock in a former church hall they will have to stump up the cash themselves.
Almondsbury Parish Council bought the Davis Institute, along with an adjacent car park in Easter Compton, from the Church of England, 15 months ago.
The council paid £115,000 for the church hall and car park on Blackhorse Hill, to secure car parking for the village.
Now more than a year later councillors have decided that once the property market recovers the Davis Institute will be put up for sale but the council will keep the car park.
Cllr Sheila Cook, chairman of Almondsbury Parish Council, said: "There will be some considerable costs involved in bringing it into use again.
"The council could retain it on the books as an asset or put it on the open market, which I think is a more suitable option. The only reason we bought the Davis Institute was to secure the car park for the village."
However, concerns have now been raised over the future of a clock, which sits in the Davis Institute.
"There are continued concerns about the clock.
"To me Easter Compton doesn't seem to have a lot of items of heritage but it does have this clock which might be worth saving," said Cllr Cook.
Almondsbury Parish Council has now decided that when it eventually sells the Davis Institute it will be up to the people of Easter Compton to save the clock.
The parish council recently got a quote for £7,490 for relocating the clock to the village hall.
Cllr Diane Wilson, vice-chairman for Almondsbury Parish Council, said: "It is a beautiful clock but to take it out is a huge project and if we are going to save the mechanism as well that is an even bigger job.
"But I say the council shouldn't spent any more money. I think we have spent enough money of the Davis Institute.
"Unless the people of Easter Compton can raise the amount themselves to save the clock I don't think we should."
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