The hands, the mechanism, the pendulum and the tower that are collectively nicknamed Big Ben may be put out of commission unless urgent repairs are carried out soon. The Great Clock caused a flurry of concern in August when it chimed after an uncharacteristic six-second delay due to a mechanical issue. Although Big Ben had been requiring tune ups here and there in the past, the Great Clock's behaviour in this case caused alarm bells to go off. Described earlier in Time magazine as the occasional tantrums of a 156-year old clock, Big Ben's odd lags are ordinarily set right by replacing the old coins in the pendulum to adjust its swinging rate.
August's incident, which caused interruptions in BBC 4 radio's regular live broadcast of its ringing, has been temporarily corrected so that Big Ben chimes again to within a second's accuracy. However, as the BBC reports, concern over the structure remains serious as the possibility of failure of the clock mechanism is still quite tangible and may need require up to a year of repair. Big Ben's problems extend to the Elizabeth Tower's masonry which now have cracks and is in need of upgrades to align with regulations on health and safety. Tourism and international reputation also factor into these concerns.
Although all these are reflected in a Commons Finance Committee report, an agreement is yet to be reached on the repair schedules, coverage, and costs. Deliberations by the committees of both Houses on consideration of the study is ongoing. The prevention of mechanism failure alone would require a budget of £4.9m. Big Ben's full refurbishment would cost £29m. Plans of adding a visitor centre along with installation of a lift that goes all the way to the top of the Elizabeth tower would see the total cost increase to £40m.
Big Ben is the nickname given to the iconic combination of the Great Clock, the Clock Tower (recently renamed to the Elizabeth Tower), and the Great Bell in London, UK.
