The National Lift Tower in Northampton could become a permanent abseiling centre if plans to change the use of the 127 metre tall building are approved next week.

More than 1,000 people have bravely made the descent down the lift tower in St James since 2011, after its current owner, retail consultant Peter Sullivan, was granted temporary permission to use the site for period charity abseiling events.

An application for permanent permission is due to go before the borough council planning committee on Tuesday and is likely to be granted on the condition that abseils only take place at weekends and are limited to 24 per calendar year.

An officer’s report states: “The development is considered acceptable as it would not have significant detrimental impact on amenity of surrounding neighbours, highway safety and parking, and would not have an unacceptable impact on the character and setting of the Grade II listed building.”

However neighbours have expressed concerns at parking around the site on abseil days, which regularly has all the visitor parking bays around the tower used up.

St James resident Robert New also wrote in his objection to the plan: “No reliable data has been provided to quantify who is parking away from 
the estate and walking up here.”