Sutton Common
Sutton Common BT Tower
Sutton Common BT Tower is located in Cheshire
Sutton Common BT Tower
Sutton Common BT Tower (Cheshire)
LocationMacclesfield, Cheshire
Coordinates53°12′22″N 2°06′03″W / 53.206129°N 2.100728°W / 53.206129; -2.100728
Grid referenceSJ9327467710
Built1960s

Sutton Common BT Tower is a 72-metre (238-foot) radio tower built of reinforced concrete at Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Sutton Common was originally conceived as part of the 1950s 'Backbone' chain designed to provide the UK and NATO with survivable communications during nuclear war.[1]

The tower stands near the summit of Croker Hill on the western edge of the Peak District national park. Sutton relays signals to Heaton Park in the north and Pye Green to the south. For survivability during a nuclear war, the Backbone towers are some of the few communication towers in the United Kingdom built of reinforced concrete.

A wind farm was proposed on land adjacent to the transmitter but was objected to for various reasons, including the possible effects of turbine blades on the fixed link.[2]

Channels available from this site

Analogue radio

Frequency kW [3] Service
96.4 MHz 0.250 Greatest Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire
106.9 MHz 0.300 Silk Radio

Digital radio

Frequency Block kW Operator
220.352 MHz 12C 0.5 Manchester
229.072 MHz 12D 0.5 Stoke & Stafford

See also

References

  1. ↑ Backbone radio link and radio standby to line links for safeguarding vital communications. GPO paper for the Official Committee on Civil Defence, July 1956. The National Archives (UK) CAB 134/1207
  2. ↑ "Planning Application Details". Cheshire East Council. 5 September 2012. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  3. ↑ Radio Listeners Guide 2010
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