The Tallest Telecom Tower in the U.K. Gets a Mate During Restoration

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Construction began Monday on the Emley Moor transmitting station, the tallest freestanding structure in the United Kingdom, with a height of 1,084 feet. This four year project, including a second mast, is needed as critical construction is carried out on the original landmark tower, erected in 1956, reported The Huddersfield Daily Examiner.

The tower was originally constructed to transmit television broadcasts and has been updated over the years to keep pace with advancements in communications technology. To put the height of the tower in perspective, the transmission station at the top of the concrete structure (900 feet up) requires a seven minute elevator ride.

British telecom company Arqiva owns the mast, which is known as the Arqiva Tower, and had to apply for a planning permit for ‘replacement of television broadcast antennas and associated development on the existing mast,’ according to The Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Before changes are made to the original mast, the second, temporary mast must be built at a height of 1,040 feet and used to transmit signals while the original structure is being updated.  

A representative from Arqiva told the Daily Examiner, “The existing tower provides digital TV and radio to over 1.9m households (around 4.5m people). It also carries other telecommunications services including mobile phone signal. The changes that need to be made are to the TV broadcast antennas, so these services need to be transferred over to the temporary mast once it is built before work can commence on the antennas on the existing tower.”

According to Arqiva, much of the work can only be completed during the summer months and will take approximately four years to complete; with plans for the site to be cleared and reinstated by the end of 2021.

June 21, 2017     

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