Replacement mast at Bilsdale is now structurally complete. Now the broadcasting equipment and antenna need to be added.
Arqiva, owner and operator of the mast, says it’s “on track” to complete the remaining finishing touches by the end of Spring 2023. The final piece of steel work has just been mounted, ending the structural phase of the project.
It’s good news for Freeview viewers in North Yorkshire, Teesside and parts of County Durham. Many had to endure a spell of no reception, and temporary masts have in some areas been unable to provide full signal strength.
At around 300 metres, the new mast is already one of the highest structures in the UK. Work is now beginning to add broadcast equipment. This includes the main television broadcast antennas which will be mounted to the top of the structure, as indicated in planning documents (see below).
▶ WATCH Arqiva video update of the newly completed steel mast.
The original mast was demolished after being severely damaged in a fire back in August 2021. Planning permission for the 300 metre replacement was granted in early 2022. In the meantime, some viewers in the region have been receiving services from the smaller temporary Bilsdale tower (pictured to the right of the new mast above).
At the end of March, Arqiva confirmed it still expected the new mast to be completed this spring, after it had gone quiet over the winter with no updates. Arqiva previously told the Prime Minister on a visit to the area in November that it was working on a spring deadline.
New mast to restore pre-August 2021 Freeview coverage
As the temporary structure is not tall enough to reach over the tops of all the hills, some areas are still reliant on other temporary masts in the region. For some viewers, these temporary structures have not been able to restore all services. Other viewers were switched to Freesat. Some were able to obtain an alternative signal from a different Freeview transmitter.
Only the full size mast is due to restore Freeview TV coverage to what it was before the fire.
In addition to Freeview, the new mast will also restore coverage of local radio stations on FM. DAB digital radio in the North York Moors will also return to its pre-fire coverage. The original Bilsdale mast was also used by mobile network operators to provide coverage in the immediate area.
In a report published last year, Ofcom was critical of Arqiva for not having adequate plans in place to deal with an emergency at Bilsdale. Its remote location meant it would always be difficult to restore services quickly.
Corporate comment
Adrian Twyning, Chief of Operations at Arqiva, said:
“The team continues to work tirelessly, including overnight in the equipment rooms, to restore the full-sized mast as quickly as possible. As many will have seen from recent pictures, the structure itself is very near its full height. Once complete, we need to install the antenna at the top and the feeders – which take the content up the tower to the antenna – then we will test the transmitters before go-live. We will continue to update as work progresses.
“The location of the site and the structure means that work is heavily dependent on the conditions. At around 300m, safety is paramount and for those reasons work cannot take place if it cannot be seen from the ground because of fog or low cloud, if ice is present or if the wind speed is too high. Under normal circumstances you wouldn’t choose to build a tall structure like this during the winter months, but we are committed to restoring services as soon as we can.
Marc Thornham
[Image: Arqiva]