Big Ben To Be Fitted With LED Lights As Part Of Refurbishment

The country’s most famous clock is set to undergo a grand refurbishment, and as part of the project, it will be fitted with state-of-the-art LED lighting panels.

Big Ben will be updated after 157 years of nearly continuous service to ensure the famous clock tower does not fail to work.

The urgent repair is expected to cost £29 million and will last three years. While the clock will not stop for the entire duration of the renovation, a spokesman said it will be halted for several months.

“During this period, there will be no chimes,” he stated, adding: “Striking and tolling will be maintained for important events.”

In addition to maintenance work on the Elizabeth Tower – which houses the mechanism – 28 lightbulbs behind each clock face will be swapped for LED bulbs.

The reason behind this is because LED lights are far more energy-efficient, helping keep costs of running the device low, as well as being more environmentally friendly.

These bulbs will also be able to change colour, enabling clock faces to light up in different shades for special celebrations.

Work on the project is set to begin in January next year, and will also include installing a lift, making health and safety improvements, and addressing the decay of the building, as a result of the old age of the neo-Gothic building.

While the programme of renovation comes at a large expense, historian Dan Cruickshank told the Express last year that the building, which has “huge architectural, historical and symbolic importance” must be made secure and updated “no matter what the cost”.