Current status of the Project
The Giraffe High-Rise Housing Project was suspended on 14 July 2024 following the conclusion of the Dewsbury Experiment.
The suspension is described by the Department as ‘temporary and reflective,’ rather than ‘permanent or defeatist.’
Reason for suspension
The Project Steering Group identified the following concerns:
- multi-storey car parks, while structurally suitable, present ‘perimeter control challenges’ that the Project was not designed to address
- the Dewsbury Experiment demonstrated that giraffes are capable of operating standard parking infrastructure, which was ‘not anticipated in the original risk assessment’
- the Project budget has been ‘redirected’ following what the Department describes as ‘an unexpectedly expensive fiscal quarter, primarily involving barrier modifications and a Tesco voucher’
- Kirklees Council has requested a ‘cooling-off period’
Alternative approaches under investigation
The Department is investigating the following alternatives to multi-storey car parks:
Converted mobile phone masts
Mobile phone masts offer significant vertical space and are already distributed across urban and rural areas. However, early consultations with giraffe representatives have been ‘inconclusive’ as the giraffes ‘refused to commit to an opinion, which the Department found suspicious.’
Ofcom has confirmed that giraffe occupancy of a mobile phone mast would not affect signal quality ‘in any material way,’ but has requested that the Department ‘stop asking.’
Purpose-built giraffe towers
Architectural plans exist for a 6-storey giraffe housing unit in Nuneaton, which the planning department has approved because ‘at this point, why not.’
The proposed tower includes:
- ground-floor access with a 2-metre-wide entrance
- open-plan living across all floors with inter-floor visibility through internal voids
- a rooftop observation platform described in the planning application as ‘the main amenity’
- no ticket barriers
The Hadrian Institute has been consulted on the structural specifications. Their report concludes that the tower is ‘technically feasible, architecturally unusual, and entirely in keeping with the Nuneaton townscape, which has seen stranger things.’
Retrofitted church spires
The Department has submitted a preliminary enquiry to the Church of England regarding the possibility of converting disused church spires into giraffe accommodation. The Church of England has not formally responded but is ‘aware of the proposal.’
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Leicester described the concept as ‘theologically complex but not impossible,’ which the Department has taken as ‘broadly positive.’
Industrial chimney conversions
The Department is investigating whether disused industrial chimneys could be adapted for giraffe use. The Department considers this ‘creative but structurally ambitious.’
The Health and Safety Executive has advised that a giraffe in a chimney would constitute ‘a confined space concern on an unprecedented scale.’
Proposed pilot locations
The following locations have been identified for potential future pilots, subject to the outcome of the current review:
| Location | Proposed structure | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Nuneaton | Purpose-built giraffe tower | Planning approved |
| Kettering | Converted multi-storey car park | Under assessment |
| Rotherham | Converted multi-storey car park | Under assessment |
| Bridgend | Disused industrial chimney | Preliminary enquiry only |
| Lincolnshire | Existing facility (Clive’s current residence) | Operational |
Next steps
The Department intends to:
- complete the review of multi-storey car park perimeter security by Q2 2025
- commission a feasibility study for the Nuneaton giraffe tower, to be carried out by the Hadrian Institute
- resume consultations with giraffe representatives, ‘if they are willing to commit to an opinion’
- engage with the Church of England ‘at an appropriate time and in an appropriate tone’
- write to D.W. of Rotherham to thank him for his service during the Dewsbury Experiment and confirm that no further involvement is required