Bilsdale TV mast: Poor weather delays replacement transmitter work

Work to replace the fire-damaged Bilsdale transmitter has been halted because of poor weather.

A new 262ft (80m)-high mast was due to be operational on 5 October but work has been called off because of high winds and rain, operator Arqiva said.

Chief of operations Adrian Twyning said it was too dangerous for his 100-strong team to fly helicopters or climb heights in 20mph winds.

He said the new mast would be live sometime between 13 and 19 October.

Even when work is complete about 23,000 homes in rural coastal and inland areas would still not have signal but other measures would be put in place, the firm said.

Mr Twyning said there had been more than 200 helicopter flights to lift large concrete blocks and manoeuvre the metal structure in place at a quarry near the fire-damaged tower.

"The final installation work, checks and tests require good visibility and line of sight from the ground, while rain and winds above 20mph make it dangerous for workers to climb to heights and to lift equipment into place.

"Power lines and feeder cables to the antenna must be installed, and equipment has to be kept dry as it is fitted together to ensure safety," he said.

"Unfortunately, the one thing we cannot control is the weather. I want to apologise to those people who were really hoping for their services to be restored after a long wait this week.

"We had worked hard for that too, and this is immensely frustrating."

Following the fire on 10 August, three replacement masts were installed - at Eston Nab, Sutton Bank and Arncliffe - although they had "relatively low power" and provided channels between BBC One and Channel 5 to 85% of affected homes, Arqiva said.

Once the new mast goes live, it will serve 95% of homes with 70 Freeview channels, with 100% coverage only resumed when a new permanent mast is installed on the site of the Bilsdale transmitter which "is going to take some time" the firm said.

Of the 23,000 homes still without signal until then, about half have cable, satellite or internet-based TV.

The others will be given FreeSat boxes and dishes or provided with internet TV.

The cause of the fire will not be known until the old mast is dismantled.

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].