DISHARMONY has broken out between handbell ringers and the committee of a village institute where their wooden practice hut has been located for 63 years.

In a turn of events worthy of Radio 4 drama The Archers, the 108-year-old Silverdale Handbell Ringers claim they are being ‘pushed out’ by Silverdale Village Institute’s committee.

They say a rent increase of ‘over 700 percent’ is excessive and they believe that concerns raised about the simple hut’s state of repair and electricity supply are unfounded.

The institute committee has robustly denied using ‘bullying tactics’ or trying to force the handbell ringers off its land. Describing the rent increase as ‘fair’, the committee says it is responsible for keeping everything ‘safe and legal’ for institute users, and it has ‘bent over backwards’ to accommodate the village musicians.

Michael Bolton, chairman of Silverdale Handbell Ringers, said the institute committee had tried to say the hut was a fire risk. It had also reported the hut’s four to five metre-high electricity supply cable as being too low. “I said: 'How come it’s been all right for the last 50 years?” said Mr Bolton, a handbell ringer for 45 years.

“The institute committee or some members want us off the land and are using bullying tactics,” he told the Gazette.

Mr Bolton said the rent rise from £70 to £520 was ‘excessive’ as the hut was only used for 26 weeks a year. “We agree there should be a slight increase. We’ve even offered to make the hut look a bit better. There’s no problem at all with it being safe. It’s well maintained; it just doesn’t look pretty.”

Silverdale Village Institute chairman Tim Stothert said the handbell group had been paying £1.34 rent a week, which he described as ‘ridiculously cheap’ compared to £5 an hour for the toddler group, for example. “All we are trying to do is get the economics right,” he told the Gazette.

Mr Stothert said the hut looked like it was ‘dropping to pieces’ and the committee had ‘genuine health and safety concerns about it’, including the fact it only had one exit/entrance. He said the hut’s electricity supply cable was one metre below the legal height and the power company said that must be rectified.

“As chairman of the institute I have the responsibility to make sure everything is safe and legal for all users,” stated Mr Stothert.

“We’ve offered them space in the hall to practise with their bells. They’ve been offered space in the Parish Room for space to store their bells. We are not bullying them. All we are doing is asking for a fair rental. They have other options.”

Handbell ringer Mr Bolton said that neither venue offered adequate storage space. He said the group had contacted its solicitors.