New clock will help town keep on time

The timepiece is due to be installed thanks to a former town councillor’s generosity to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee.

Ken Scutt has agreed to pay up to £2,500 towards the installation of the clock on the southern side of the town hall’s clock tower.

It will be the first clock in the town to be visible from the seafront.

The town council has submitted a planning application to Arun District Council, which also owns the building, to enable the clock face to be put in.

Mr Scutt said: “I’m pleased that work is progressing on the new clock.”

The clock will match the existing north-facing clock which was installed to mark the millennium.

It will be 4ft in diameter and installed by Smith of Derby. The only work required is to cut a hole in the clock tower to enable the proposed clock face to sit in the turret.

This is only expected to take a day.

No internal alterations are needed because the new clock will be controlled by the same unit as the existing one.

The town council has also submitted a listed planning consent to enable the installation to go ahead.

This is necessary because of the status of the town hall, built in 1929, as a grade two listed building.