Frequently asked questions

The tower property, including the entire roundabout, is private land and parking restrictions are in place. If you are visiting the tower for business, you are welcome to park. Please speak to a member of staff if you are unsure.

Schools are welcome to visit and sit at the base of the tower, but because it is a working building we can no longer allow visitors inside.

Unfortunately not. The tower is an industrial working building and is not open to the public.

Yes. We welcome media projects at the building. Please call us to discuss your requirements.

Due to the volume of requests and the costs involved, we no longer light the tower for charity. We continue to consider paid commercial projects.

The National Lift Tower focuses on full-scale research and product development for plumbing, drainage, waste and ventilation systems used in high-rise and super-high-rise buildings. We test new ideas from the drawing board, products already in development, and ways to improve existing products.

Yes. The tower is home to the world's tallest high-rise drainage research facility, built around a 75-metre soil stack. It supports full-scale plumbing product development, hydraulic drainage research, DWV testing and technical demonstrations.

DWV means drain, waste and vent. These systems remove wastewater while managing the movement of air and pressure within the plumbing network. The tower provides a full-scale vertical environment for investigating their behaviour in tall buildings.

The facility uses Siemens PLC automation, computer-controlled flush flows, controlled valves, pressure transducers, ultrasonic water-level sensors and bespoke monitoring software to support repeatable test conditions and clear results.

Potentially. The tower can be considered for communications projects that may benefit from meaningful elevation, long vertical separation or enclosed-shaft conditions. These are potential applications rather than a record of completed communications tests, and every proposal requires an individual technical, access, safety, licensing and operational assessment.

No. The National Lift Tower offers a distinctive physical environment for project-specific feasibility discussions; it does not claim to be an accredited RF, EMC, antenna or telecommunications laboratory. Customers would normally define and supply their equipment, measurement method, technical personnel and required spectrum permissions.

Please describe the product and research question, proposed frequencies and power where relevant, equipment size and weight, preferred elevation or separation, mounting, power and data needs, measurement equipment, personnel, licensing requirements and timescales. This information allows an initial feasibility discussion and does not constitute project approval.