Residents at Chipping Norton retirement complex unable to leave their homes for a month after lift breaks
Some residents at a Chipping Norton retirement complex were left unable to leave their homes for an entire month after the complex’s lift broke.
The Norton Green Court independent living complex contains 31 flats and is home to residents above the age of 60.
When the complex’s lift broke down last month (February 6), it left some of the residents who have mobility issues unable to leave their homes.
The frustrated residents raised the issue with the home’s property management company, FirstPort, but say the company was “unhelpful and evasive” when asked when the lift would be repaired.
The residents also complained that their requests for meetings with the home’s manager had been ignored and that communication from management was “severely lacking”.
This led them to arrange a meeting with local MP Sean Woodcock, who spoke with them about the lift and other previous issues at the home, which included a faulty radiator over the winter and long waits for new washing machines.
Sean Woodcock MP said: “I was shocked to hear that some residents of Norton Green Court have been unable to leave their homes since early February, thanks to this broken lift.
“More generally, constituents have spoken to me about issues they have faced with this company time and time again, and it is time for something to change.
“I will continue to engage with residents who have faced issues and hold FirstPort to account. I encourage residents of my constituency to contact my office if they are having trouble.”
Mr Woodcock says it is not the first time he has been contacted by FirstPort residents regarding issues around poor service, lack of communication and faulty facilities.
Last week (Friday, March 6), it was confirmed by FirstPort’s management that the lift had been repaired, one month after it broke down.
A spokesperson for FirstPort said: “We are pleased to update that, following the replacement of a key component, the lift was fully repaired last week.
“Whilst the contractor attended on the same day the fault was reported, further analysis was required, which confirmed that a key part had failed and needed to be replaced. As this part was not readily available, it had to be ordered before the repair could be completed.
“We understand that periods without lift access can be challenging for residents, particularly in a retirement community, so our development manager has been providing extra support where required, along with regular updates on the status of the repairs.”
In response, Mr Woodcock welcomed the news but said that it was unacceptable for the residents to have to wait an entire month for the lift to be fixed.
He said: “I am glad to hear that residents at Norton Green Court will now be able to access their homes more easily after having a broken lift for a month.
“To wait a month for this to be resolved is absolutely unacceptable, and I completely understand the frustration of residents who have faced poor communication and service from management company FirstPort.
“I will continue to work on issues with the company and hold them to account for poor service, lack of communication, rising service costs and faulty facilities. I would urge anyone facing issues to get in touch with my office."