Banbury pensioners' door entry system still not fixed - management says it is going to replace it altogether
Residents of sheltered housing apartments in Banbury who cannot make full use of their door entry system have been told it is going to be replaced.
Engineers told pensioners living in Dormer Court in August that the system was outdated and could not be fixed. The Banbury Guardian featured resident Bernard Wincott, 90, who was having to lower a key down to visitors to let themselves in.
Spare parts were eventually found and the residents were able finally to let guests in from their upstairs flats. Now the management company, Stonewater, says they accept the system is not repairable and will replace it. And they have accepted that their communication with residents of the apartment block could have been better.
Mr Wincott’s son, Chris, said further repairs had been left with ‘the experts’ disappearing, never to be seen again.
"An engineer managed to repair Dad's system so that he could reply to the bell and open the external door from his flat. They repaired the other flats with the same problem but could not get the system to work fully. It would not allow communication with the Scheme Manager or show the visual display on the screens,” he said.
“Different companies have been sent to attempt a repair, culminating in ‘the experts’ arriving this week to resolve the issue. They were on site for one day, failed to repair the system and have not returned.
"Tenants have attempted to speak to Stonewater but can get no information. The Scheme Manager says that they cannot find out what is happening either.
“We are plugging away, but Stonewater seem to adopt the policy of ignoring or delaying until you go away,” said Mr Wincott.
“I am trying to get my complaint up to a Level 2 complaint so that I can then go to the Ombudsman. At the moment Stonewater will not acknowledge that it is Level 2 which is a requirement before I can escalate it.”
Stonewater has said it has assessed the situation and is going to replace the door entry system altogether.
Stonewater spokesman David Lockerman said: "Our specialist contractors have worked on the door entry system at Dormer Court and have been able to make the system functional, although some features were not able to be reinstalled.
“We appreciate this isn’t ideal and as the system at Dormer Court is an older system, ordering replacement parts is not possible. We recognise the system is no longer fit for purpose and have therefore decided to replace the door entry system at Dormer Court in early 2026. We have already placed the order for the new system and will be in touch with customers to give them further information on the timeframe in due course.
“We recognise our communication could have been better and we’re committed to improving this going forward. We will also ask a member of our team to get in touch with Mr Wincott and his family to discuss our complaints process and the next steps they can take.”