Residents stranded by flats lift breakdown

DOZENS of elderly residents in a Leeds sheltered housing block have been unable to leave the building because a new lift is repeatedly breaking down, leaving them stranded in their rooms or the foyer while engineers are called out.

Residents of Crescent Grange Flats in Holbeck have been left with “no quality of life” after the lift in their 19-storey building broke down shortly after being installed in July.

Aire Valley Homes Leeds, which owns the flats, has insisted it is doing what it can but residents, some as old as 94, have been forced to cancel medical appointments, trips to the shops and meetings with friends, because they are unable to use the stairs.

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Undertakers had to call an emergency engineer to fix the lift in order to remove the body of a resident who had passed away at home on the sixth floor, and nurses, care workers and even paramedics have been unable to visit patients.

One resident said: “The new lift came into use at the beginning of June, but there has been nothing but problems from there on in. The problems have become so frequent, they are now part of our lives. We can’t go out in the morning because we never know whether we can get back to our rooms. We have no quality of life. There are a lot of sick people in the building and this is a hardship for everyone concerned.”

A spokesman for Aire Valley Homes said: “We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused to residents in Crescent Grange flats.

“We understand there have been some recent problems with the lift since it came into service in July this year following a £600k replacement investment. I would like to assure residents that the equipment installed is of the highest quality, and we are monitoring the situation closely to ensure all issues are fully rectified and this is not a problem moving forward.”

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