The development of tall buildings in Manchester can raise TV reception interference concerns. Such concerns are more likely to be raised when a building development is significantly taller than those surrounding it. In this article we visit Manchester where we briefly highlight nine tall buildings that are significantly taller than those surrounding them.
Why these nine building developments in Manchester stand out?
There is no standard definition of what is a tall building. Nevertheless, when the relative height of a building significantly exceeds those surrounding it then it is usually described as tall. These nine tall buildings in Manchester are more than 60 metres or 200 feet or 17 floors in height. They all are significantly taller when compared to buildings surrounding them. Seven are built and two are under construction. These are:
- Built: No. 1 Great Marlborough Street, Beetham Tower, Manchester Civil Justice Centre, C.I.S. Solar Tower, One Angel Square and City Tower.
- Under construction: One Greengate Tower 1 and 2.
These nine tall buildings can be viewed in 3D in figure 1 below.
Figure 1: Nine noticeable tall buildings in Manchester
Some useful data about these buildings has been summarised in table 1 below [1].
| No | Building Name | Height (m) | Height (ft.) | Floors | Completed | Use |
| 1 | Beetham Tower | 169.1 | 555 | 50 | 2006 | Residential / hotel |
| 2 | C.I.S. Solar Tower | 118.0 | 387 | 25 | 1962 | Office |
| 3 | City Tower | 107.0 | 351 | 30 | 1967 | Office |
| 4 | No. 1 Great Marlborough Street | 106.1 | 348 | 37 | 2012 | Residential |
| 5 | No. 1 Deansgate | 61.6 | 202 | 17 | 2002 | Residential |
| 6 | Manchester Civil Justice Centre | 81.0 | 266 | 17 | 2007 | Government |
| 7 | One Angel Square | 67.5 | 221 | 14 | 2013 | Office |
| 8 | One Greengate Tower 1 | 100.0 | 328 | 31 | Under construction | Residential / commercial |
| 9 | One Greengate Tower 2 | 67.0 | 220 | 21 | Under construction | Residential / commercial |
Table 1: Nine tall buildings in Manchester
How have we approached TV Reception concerns from building developments in Manchester?
Previously, for building developments in Manchester we have undertaken the following steps:
- Identify which TV transmitter signals could be affected by your building development (usually Winter Hill transmitter).
- Review of relevant guidance: The UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) has published relevant guidance which we have previously discussed.
- Undertake necessary desk based modelling to identify where effects can occur and what is the severity.
- Undertake a baseline survey to measure the TV signal strength and quality in the affected area prior to the construction of the building development (pre-construction TV reception Survey).
- Gather the results and evaluate.
- Complaints received. Investigate complaints; usually in the form of a post-construction TV reception survey at affected locations. Look for appropriate technical mitigation to resolve issues.
Conclusion
The existence or construction of one or more tall buildings in an area does not necessary mean that TV reception will be affected. However, TV reception interference concerns are more likely to be raised when a building development is significantly taller than those around it.
Have you had any experience of TV Reception being degraded as a result of a tall building? Let us know by commenting below.
Reference
[1] The Skyscraper Center (Last accessed 02/03/2015).
