In March 2016 plans were submitted to Kirklees Council (Huddersfield) for the construction of a temporary mast to be built to the south of the present concrete tower. Purpose of the temporary mast is to allow services to continue while the antenna and part the antenna supporting structure at the top of the tower is replaced.
Living within 5 miles of the site I will try and make regular visits to the site to take pictures and update this page.
Danbar drilling rig working in an area to the east of the present tower.
Balfour Beatty contractor have made a road to the eastern side of the tower.
Large amounts of earth moved from north of tower.
Gravel down on access road.
Viewing area layby at the site entrance is blocked for all vehicles except those for the contractor. Parking is very limited around the area as several individuals found out while I was at the site.
Very busy July and August for myself working on a large project which has me doing extended hours at work, so unable to visit Emley. Thankfully most of the effort at Emley has been ground based site preparation such as finishing off the site access, fencing with gates to the construction site.
Following pictures taken west of the tower near a Yorkshire Water covered reservoir.
The planning application for the temporary mast has the stay wires running towards the south side of the reservoir. Pictures show a gravel road which runs to a location behind the tower, where the temporary mast will be located.
Very little can be seen from the roadside of the construction site, but there are signs of activity with various construction machines on site.
Todays pictures are taken in poor light.
Near by wood has been fenced off and the private lane going to the nearby farm now has a electric gate.
Ground hole drilling rig (Earth Auger). Used to drill deep holes to which Concrete Reinforcing Bars will be placed and then the holes filled with concrete. These are the Concrete Piles to which act as the foundation for the structure and stay blocks.
The layby and viewing area now has gates at both sides to control access.
Picture taken from near the covered reservoir facing east, behind the tower.
Very busy December for myself, so unable to attend Emley. Unfortunately the local 'fox hunt' was in progress when I arrived to take these pictures and had to quickly move on from the large number of vehicles, horses and dogs.
The picture shows mainly Concrete Reinforcing Bars covered over by traffic cones in preparation for the mast stay block construction.
Below is a link to a Youtube video which shows drone video coverage filmed in November 2016. The video clearly shows the vast area the temporary mast will cover to the south of the present tower.
I have no connection to the Drone video on Youtube.
Typical January day with poor light.
Mast stay blocks in construction.
This time I was equipped with my Nikon D90 with a 500mm telephoto lens, but the light was very poor and very overcast.
More mast sections have arrived and seem to be dotted around the site.
I also understand there is a antenna inside the tower stood waiting which might be for the new mast.
I was expecting a different type of mast made up of tubular legs as with the masts at Holme Moss and Sutton Coldfield.
Each section is numbered, this one is 36.
View is of the southern side of the Emley site. Sadly pictures let down by poor light.
Next time I visit. I will try and get a better picture from this view and hopefully in better lighting conditions. It does appear as if the mast base is now in position - Middle Right just below the building with the white fascia boards is the central location for the mast.
The sections of mast have been moved and the site prepared for what could be the mast build.
Pictures of southern side of the site are taken from under 2 miles away using a handheld 500mm telephoto lens.
Cropped image at the maximum resolution of the Nikon D90 can give with the handheld 500mm telephoto lens.
Appears that the mast base is now in position.
YouTube footage from a drone of the Emley Moor site in November 2017. MB21 has no connection to the pilot of the drone.