New TV and radio mast to be built on North Yorkshire Moors - after the previous one damaged by fire

A new 300 metre TV and radio mast will be built on the North Yorkshire Moors - after the previous one was damaged by fire.

The firm set to build it was announced at the site, in Bilsdale, this morning. The original transmitter had to be demolished and replaced with a temporary one.

The fire damage initially left around 500,000 homes without a signal in parts of Teesside, County Durham and North Yorkshire. A small number of homes remain affected.

It's not yet known when exactly work will start but it will begin this year.

It's being built by a North Yorkshire firm, Severfield plc. Their previous projects include The Shard, the 2021 Olympic Stadium and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.

Paul Donovan, the Chief Executive of Arqiva said: "The permanent replacement mast will eventually see full TV and radio services restored to homes across the region.

"The build is both an enormous investment and one of the most challenging engineering projects in the UK this year.

"The new mast will reach almost the height of The Shard in London, making it one of the country's tallest structures.

"It is extremely important that the North Yorkshire economy benefits from the construction of the new Bilsdale Mast."

Their Managing Director Rob Evans said: "Our involvement in the Bilsdale Mast project is of significant importance to us, as it will be of great benefit to the local community around our head office site in Thirsk, restoring television and radio services to the area."