Beccles Bell Tower flagpole determined unsafe at inspection

East Suffolk Council said a routine inspection of the flagpole on top of the tower in Beccles found it to be unsafe.

As a result of the inspection, the council has advised Beccles Town Council that no flag should be run up the pole under any circumstances.

A new flagpole will be installed in the spring to replace it on the tower, which is owned by East Suffolk Council.

The flagpole at the Bell Tower at half mast in the wake of Her Majesty's death in September 2022 (Image: Bruno Brown)

The inspection determined that the flagpole was old, its overall condition was poor, and it was considered it needed to be replaced together with a set of new guy wires.

It also noted that there was surface damage at the base of the flagpole which made it a health hazard too.

A view along the river Waveney to St Michael's church and the Bell Tower (pictured in the horizon), Beccles. (Image: Nick Butcher)

East Suffolk Council spokeswoman said: “An inspection was carried out in December by a specialist company and identified damage to the flagpole currently mounted on the roof of Beccles Bell Tower.

“As the current flagpole is showing signs of surface damage and is quite old, it has been decided to remove it and install a new pole, along with new guy wires.

“For safety, we have advised that flags are not flown until the new pole is installed.

“Work to remove the existing flagpole has been delayed on several occasions due to high winds, however, this work is now scheduled for next week. Work to install the new flagpole will begin in the spring.”

The tower stands nearly a hundred feet high and is estimated to weigh 3,000 tons.  

The former Beccles Borough Council took ownership of the tower from the church in 1972.

When the borough council was abolished in 1974, some of the assets were retained by the new Beccles Town Council.

The Bell Town and flagpole at St Michael's Church. Picture taken in 2002 by Nick Butcher (Image: Nick Butcher)

But most assets, including the tower, were transferred to Waveney District Council.

This then became East Suffolk when it merged with Suffolk Coastal District Council in 2018.

Within the tower are ten bells which are considered to be some of the finest peals in East Anglia.

The Bell Tower at St Michael's Church, Beccles by Peter Nixon (Image: Peter Nixon)