| Greenwich Council have caved into pressure from local campaigners to pay for repairs to the town clock on St John the Baptist’s church site at the top of Eltham High Street. In response to a question from Eltham Page Conservative candidate Spencer Drury at the October Council meeting, Councillor Majid Rahman stated that in light of the representations made £4,600 would be allocated to maintaining the clock. However, no commitment to the long run maintenance of the clock was provided. The answer to Spencer’s question reversed the Council’s previous position as stated in September 2025 when Labour-run Greenwich Council indicated that it would not maintain the clock at it was “the responsibility of the church”. This was in contrast to the full refurbishment of the Woolwich Town Hall which is underway and includes its clock. The Eltham town clock was installed as a result of public contributions and the Council was hoping to make the church to pay for its repairs before the Remembrance Day ceremony where the clock features prominently. The Council’s refusal to pay for the maintenance of the clock was in direct contrast to a commitment given in a letter to SE9 Magazine in 2015, when the then Leader of Greenwich Council Cllr Denise Hyland wrote: “I absolutely accept that the clock is a facility for the people of Eltham, rather than a church clock” Cllr Hyland went on to say: “the Council will repair the clock and will also ensure that funding is identified for its ongoing maintenance for the foreseeable future.” You can see the SE9 article and Cllr Hyland’s letter below. |
Unfortunately for Greenwich Council the ‘foreseeable future’ isn’t as long as you might think… You can see the question Spencer asked here (number 12) where he requested the Council change its position.
Spencer said, “I am overjoyed that Greenwich Council has changed it’s mind and decided to pay for the maintenance of the Eltham High Street clock. It is not only a victory for Eltham residents but also proves the importance of organised, active Conservative voices in the south of the borough. I feel it is important to note that this is a one off payment so the future of the clock is not secure. If elected, Phil Russell and I are committed to using the ward budget to help the church maintain the clock if the Council will not pay for it.”
The question asked by Spencer and the reply is shown below:
Question from Spencer Drury, SE9, to Councillor Majid Rahman, Cabinet Member for Planning, Estate Renewal & Development
As an Eltham resident I celebrate the fact that the clock on St John’s Church at the end of the High Street has been repaired and is now working again in time for the Act of Remembrance in November. I congratulate the congregation of St John’s Church for funding this repair after the the Council refused to do so, something which was confirmed by the Cabinet Member in his answer to Cllr Pat Greenwell at the end of September when he stated that the Council would no longer maintain the clock on St John’s
Church due to the financial mess that now exists in the Royal Borough of
Greenwich.
Is the Cabinet Member aware that the clock was originally installed as a result of public subscriptions and the church itself was not involved in this process? As a result it has always been viewed as a Town Clock rather than a church one. The situation was acknowledged by the then (and occasionally current) Leader of the Council Cllr Denise Hyland in October 2015 when she wrote to SE9 magazine making a commitment to the clock, stating that the Council would ‘ensure that funding for its ongoing maintenance for the forseeable future.’ Given Cllr Hyland’s clear commitment to the Eltham clock and its status as a Town Clock, would the Cabinet Member reverse his decision not to fund its repair as this is a
substantial drain on the finances of St John’s Church?
Reply –
I thank Spencer Drury for their question.
The date given in 1949 predates the existence of Greenwich Borough Council. We do not have a service level agreement with the Church. It is my understanding that in 2015 there was an allocation set aside of £10,000 as a good will gesture to maintain the clock for the foreseeable future. Since then, the council has spent the £10k that was assigned for maintenance therefore that funding has now been depleted. Given the representations made, together with the upcoming Remembrance Day, I have arranged for the maintenance of the clock, adjusting the time and installing an automated silencing device to be undertaken at the expense of the Council. This is an additional one-off expenditure of circa £4,600 which
I trust demonstrates my commitment to help. Greenwich Neighbourhood Growth Fund (GNGF) is an opportunity to apply for funding to fund the maintenance of the clock.
As we all know, council finances are under considerable strain with a forecast budget gap of £45m. We therefore need to be financially responsible, and all expenditure needs to be carefully considered and focussed on core services for residents. I would like to thank to congregation and church for their support and commitment in ensuring the clock remains operational.