Sutton Common BT Tower

Sutton Common
	Sutton Common BT Tower
	Sutton Common BT Tower (Cheshire)
Location	Macclesfield, Cheshire
Coordinates	53°12′22″N 2°06′03″W / 53.206129°N 2.100728°W / 53.206129; -2.100728
Grid reference	SJ9327467710
Built	1960s

Sutton Common BT Tower is a 72-metre (238-foot)^{[citation needed]} 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

References

^ 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
^ "Planning Application Details". Cheshire East Council. 5 September 2012. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
^ Radio Listeners Guide 2010