Work has started on a temporary transmitter to replace the mast damaged by fire at Bilsdale.
Site owner Arqiva said a team of around 100 people began construction work at Bilsdale on Monday.
Materials have been transported into place and ground preparation has begun for the mast’s installation.
The company said the team was working to clear the site and put foundations in place for the ground-based transmission equipment.
Engineers say that once operational, the 80m temporary mast is expected to provide Freeview TV signals to an area covering over 90 per cent of households which were served by the existing Bilsdale mast, which was damaged by fire on August 10.
The clearance includes excavating heather after which the area will be re-seeded.
Stone used on site has also had to be specially selected to ensure the right levels of acidity for the surrounding environment.
Adrian Twyning, chief of operations at Arqiva, said the priority was now on working with organisations across the affected area including local councils, housing associations and charities to reach and support those who may remain without signal following the mast build, and to prioritise the most vulnerable people affected.
He said: “We are working 24/7 to restore services to as many people as possible across the North-East and North Yorkshire.
“This is complex work, involving multiple agencies and highly skilled teams.
“We are fully committed to the task at hand.”
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THIS IS GOOD NEWS AT LAST.
It’s took FIVE WEEKS for the Red Tape people to play with this job.
Now finally the workers can start working on the job of putting up the mast and will work 24/7 to try and get the mast working in only THREE WEEKS. These are the people we need in this country if we want to make it Great Britain again and cut down on the Red Tape.
But when can we, the remaining 10%, expects service?
I’d estimate that ’90 per cent of households’ are probably located within only 20% of Bilsdale mast’s coverage area and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if ‘over 90 per cent of households’ have got their signal back already; the remaining 10% could be waiting a very long time.
It is now 15 09 2021 at 7.00pm and I switched the television and we have lost all signals yet again!!! Whatever you are doing please put the channels back.
Might this be a good time to consider building another transmitter somewhere in the richmondshire area,there’s plenty of high ground
If one was built elsewhere it might not necessarily give the same coverage and thousands of people would have to have their aerials moved.
its hard to understand all the problems but one asks if it was a big city leeds manchester or london would they have waited , i know this argument goes on and on but lets hope what they say nis true , one will wait and see
As above from Steven switched TV on Wed evening 15/9 & all channels we have had past 2 weeks have now gone with no signal now being picked up at all, why are we losing channels again!!!
Annoyingly I retuned my neighbour’s TV last night as they had also lost what few channels they had & for the moment they can now receive all the normal Freeview channels including bbc hd channels (Hartlepool TS26 )