One elderly resident had to be carried up five flights of stairs on her neighbour’s back, and another had his flat flooded because the drains were blocked
Elderly people in a Hornchurch tower block have been left humiliated by ‘constant’ lift failures that have left them ‘trapped in their own homes’. Residents across the Abbs Cross Gardens estate near Hornchurch High Street are calling on housing association Hastoe to urgently fix issues caused by years of neglect.
Although issues with drainage and anti-social behaviour have long frustrated residents, a recent surge in lift breakdowns has led many to lose patience with the housing provider. Rita Davies, 88, nearly passed out over the weekend while she was stuck in the lift in Victor Court for 20 minutes.
“The doors weren’t opening even though it had reached the ground floor,” she told MyLondon. “Then suddenly it went back up to the sixth floor, where a man went to get in. I said it wouldn’t open at the bottom, so we instead went to the first floor, where it thankfully opened.
“Normally, I could do the steps fine, but I needed him to help me down because I’d been stuck in there for so long and was so hot and tired. It was terrible, and I was left shaking afterwards.”
Nearby resident Siobhan Thomas recalled a similar incident where another elderly lady was stranded on the ground floor because the lift broke down while she was out.
“A man had to put her on his back and carry her up five flights of stairs while my partner carried her walker,” Siobhan recalled, “She was in a really bad way and barely able to breathe afterwards.
“I bumped into her neighbour yesterday, who said she doesn’t go out now, so she’s basically trapped in her own home. She hasn’t been able to go out and get shopping. She hasn’t been able to go out and get medication. We’re lucky; we can manage it, but other people can’t.
“I used to think they [Hastoe] were really reliable, but now I’m incredibly angry that people are left to live like this. There doesn’t seem to be any urgency to fix it, either. It’s not fair they let people live like that.”
Retired fireman Brian Greenaway, 78, feels equally trapped in his 10th-floor flat by the unpredictable lift he feels ‘could break at any moment’.
“I was trapped in my flat at the weekend. It worked briefly on Saturday and my wife said ‘don’t go down because you might not be able to get back up’. I’m stuck here, I can’t walk very well, and I have chronic heart disease.”
Brian claims this is just the latest of many recent examples of “total incompetence” from Hastoe. He also said the ‘once beautiful’ grounds’ around the estate are no longer kept up to standard, while litter and parking have got out of control.
His neighbour, Bryan Archer, 55, has seen his flat flood twice in the past year due to pigeon nests on the building’s roof that block the drains. The worst incident was in January, which forced him to stay in a hotel for two weeks and go without heating for a month because the water destroyed the fuse box.
“There’s been all of this damage because they’ve just neglected the issue, and there’s no guarantee that it won’t happen again,” he said. “It’s really frustrating and makes me a bit angry.
“My carpets were destroyed, and I had a lot of other stuff written off. My insurance claim has also left me £700 out of pocket. I’m now worried when I’m out of the flat, and it starts raining, that I’ll come back and see it’s flooded again. It’s a horrible feeling.”
Despite people pointing the blame at Hastoe for a perceived decline in standards on the estate, John Rodgers claims that much of it is due to newer residents who do not take responsibility for their actions. He said only people aged above 50 could previously live on the estate until rule changes allowed younger people and families to move in.
“Hastoe has always been quite good,” he told MyLondon. “Whenever anything has gone wrong, they’re quick to fix things. The lifts never broke at all for 15 years when only older people were living here. Now you get younger people, and when they move in, they block the lift doors, which burns out the motor. But what can you do, put security on the door?
“People need to take responsibility for themselves. This morning, there’s a group of blokes fixing up the block over there, and you see that all the time, so Hastoe is doing things. If there weren’t, then we wouldn’t see them at all on the estate.
“I understand some people have had their issues and have every right to complain, but that’s on them to do.”
Responding to questions raised by MyLondon, Hastoe claims it fully understands residents’ concerns and is working to resolve the ongoing issues.
“We are aware of issues with the two lifts at Victor Court, and we are sorry for the inconvenience and concern this has caused,” a spokesperson said. “We can confirm that one of the lifts is now working, with the other due for repair in the next fortnight. We are working closely with our contractors to ensure they source the parts so that both lifts are operational as soon as possible.
“To help manage the number of pigeons on the estate, we have cleared the existing nests and introduced a falconer, who works with trained birds of prey to safely and humanely discourage pigeons from gathering and nesting in the area. This helps to reduce problems such as bird droppings, noise and damage to buildings.
“We regularly inspect the estate and are committed to maintaining a safe and pleasant environment for residents. We will be running a drop-in session for residents on 9 September and would encourage them to come and talk to us then. In the meantime, they should continue reporting any concerns, so we can investigate and respond as quickly as possible.”
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