Flats lift chaos for Blackburn pensioners (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Flats lift chaos for Blackburn pensioners

10:22pm Monday 12th May 2008 in

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PENSIONERS living in a 13-storey block of flats have been being trapped in their homes, or left out on the street, because the lifts keep breaking down.

Elderly and disabled residents caught outside the gated housing complex during the latest failure had to stay with relatives or friends overnight because they couldn't manage the stairs.

And residents stranded at home had to ask housing officers and family members to pick up shopping and to run errands.

One of the lifts, which serves even-numbered floors at Bowland House, on Primrose Bank, Larkhill, Blackburn, has been out of action for six weeks, since April 9.

The chaos was caused when the second lift, serving odd floors, broke down late on Sunday.

Owners Space New Living housing association said staff had been offering help to residents and that major refurbish work on both lifts to prevent the repeat breakdowns will begin later this week.

Residents say the lifts are unreliable and as one lift services even numbered floors, and the other is for odd floors, disabled residents often have to use the wrong lift and walk down a flight a stairs.

The flats are not classed as sheltered accommodation, but are used to house people over the age of 55 with 'general needs'.

Resident Margaret Halleron, 69, who lives on the seventh floor, has trouble with her knees and has breathing problems. She said she was out of the building when the lift stopped and had to spend the night at her daughter's house.

She said: "I'm one of the fittest people here but it's 98 steps and I can't manage that. I can sleep at my daughter's but not everyone has somewhere else to go.

"This is a lovely, safe place where everyone knows each other. The only thing that ruins it is the lifts."

Catherine Kelpin, 85, had to take a rest on the third floor of the stairwell on her way up to the 10th floor after going out to pay her rent. She said: "I have got asthma and bad knees so it is a struggle. Nothing's been put through my door, you only hear about what's happening through word of mouth."

On the thirteenth floor, Les Cartwright, 66 was separated from his wife Joan, 61, overnight, because she was out when the lift broke down. Joan who has had two knee replacements and is waiting for a hip replacement, stayed with her daughter while her husband stayed at the flat.

Mr Cartwright said: "We pay £70-odd a week and £10 of that is for services and maintenance for things like the lifts. I'm not a teenager anymore but I can just about manage the stairs. My wife has real trouble with them though."

His wife added: "They really need to think what would happen if someone needed an ambulance. You wouldn't get anyone out in time down those stairs."

Brenda Peacock, 56, from the tenth floor said: "I have a form of chronic bronchitis which affects my breathing, so it's a real problem. Sometimes you think you're going to get stuck in the lift and one time I actually was. It was only for a few minutes, but it was really frightening. You wonder is anybody going to come."

A spokesman for Age Concern said that the situation showed that often people living in housing association properties had little choice of the location of their home.

He said: "We would always say that if a person has a disability or mobility problems they should be in a ground-floor property, or certainly one that is relatively low."

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire Service said the risk of residents being trapped in a fire because of their poor mobility was an issue but not a major problem.

He said: "As long as a building has effective fire safety measures, like alarms and fire doors, then invariably the risk is lower.

"Fire fighters are fully equiped to rescue people who are trapped at height."

Simon Robinson, assistant director of housing services a Space New Living said the second lift was repaired within 15 hours.

He added: "We are very sorry that our residents have been inconvenienced in this way and we're working hard to get both lifts working smoothly.

"Major refurbish work on both lifts, to prevent any repeat breakdowns, will begin later this week. Staff at Bowland House will work closely with residents to keep them up to date with what to expect, and support anyone who needs extra help from us in the meantime."