Durham Police loses bid to dispose of defunct radio mast

The Grade II-listed concrete radio mast was built in 1968

A police force has lost its bid to dispose of a redundant radio mast which it said would cost more than £1m to re-erect and maintain.

The 160ft-tall (49m), Grade-II listed structure was dismantled when Durham Constabulary moved from its old headquarters at Aykley Heads in 2017.

The force had argued the money would be better spent on recruiting officers.

Durham County's planning councillors rejected the force's plea to get rid of the mast, saying it was "iconic".

The concrete tripod mast was built in 1968 having been designed by the same firm which engineered Sydney Opera House, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A condition of Durham Constabulary's relocation was that the mast was re-erected at the site of its former headquarters, which is now a housing development.

However, the force said that would cost £496,000, with a further £421,900 to maintain and £56,600 for security fencing.

Building a warehouse to store the mast would cost a further £750,000 up front plus £30,000 to £70,000 a year in running costs, while burial would cost an estimated £460,000.

The tower is currently lying on the ground protected by tarpaulins

Instead, demolition at a cost of about £223,800 was considered as a final option by Durham Police.

Gary Ridley, chief finance officer for Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner, told the council planning meeting the mast's "historical significance" was accepted but it offered "no practical, commercial, sentimental or operational value".

He said the costs of maintaining it would put the force in a "very difficult position" and keeping it would mean a "real likelihood" of having to suspend the recruitment of police community support officers (PCSOs) for up to two years.

'Knocking down Durham Cathedral'

Councillors argued it was once a key part of Durham's skyline and money received for the sale of the former headquarters should have been saved to cover the mast's cost.

The force said the money had been spent on officer recruitment and services.

"This is like someone knocking down Durham Cathedral," councillor Liz Brown said, adding: "This is an iconic listed structure, until 2012 it was on the skyline. I think the police are being disingenuous by saying: 'oh we can't afford it now'.

"The money should have been earmarked to do this."

It is not yet known if the force will appeal against the council's refusal to demolish the mast.

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said it would "work through the implications of this decision in terms of service delivery and the broader impact on the public".