Disabled resident trapped for 5 weeks by broken lift

Pete Donnelly, 40, a wheelchair user living on the second floor of Elmwood Court in Battersea, experienced what he described as 'house arrest' after the building's only lift broke down on September 29. The prolonged outage, managed by housing association Peabody, lasted for more than five weeks, preventing Mr Donnelly from leaving his home.

Mr Donnelly told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the situation had been 'incredibly difficult' and had taken a toll on his physical and mental health. He reported missing medical appointments and social engagements due to his confinement. He also noted that the lift had experienced previous issues, but this was the longest period it had been out of service.

Poor communication and slow progress

The leaseholder stated that communication from Peabody regarding the repair timeline had been poor and that he had not received an update on his personal emergency evacuation plan. 'I've been stuck in my flat,' Mr Donnelly said. 'I've been in constant contact with Peabody... and it's just been really, really poor communication, inaccurate communication and such slow progress.'

He added that the extended period without a working lift felt like being 'stuck at home for essentially no reason'. Mr Donnelly suggested that the repair was taking longer than it might if it affected more residents, highlighting a perceived lack of priority from the housing association.

Compensation and repair

Peabody has offered Mr Donnelly £200 in compensation for the disruption. A spokesperson for Peabody expressed regret for the extended period residents were without a working lift, acknowledging how 'difficult and frustrating' it had been. The spokesperson stated that specialist engineers and parts were required, which led to delays beyond their expectations.

The housing association confirmed that the lift is now operational. They also stated that their local team had been in regular contact with Mr Donnelly and other residents to offer support, including temporary accommodation to help him attend appointments. The spokesperson added that they recognised the significant impact the outage had on Mr Donnelly.

Considering relocation

The prolonged lift failure has led Mr Donnelly to consider moving out of London. He expressed concerns about the declining service and the risk of similar lengthy breakdowns in the future. 'I can’t risk being trapped in my own home,' he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 'The lift has been out of order for five weeks - that’s something you just can’t risk - so their inability to fix this is forcing me to move out of London.'