A SPENDING programme of lift refurbishments has been announced by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
The authority has so far modernised 15 lifts and over the next year, it says it will modernise another 55, mainly on housing estates.
It says the vast majority of lifts in social housing blocks, including the older ones, remain reliable but it has identified a number where age and obsolescence is causing them to be increasingly unreliable, meaning they break down more frequently than they should.
Last year, we reported how elderly couple Nirmal and Bipin Mathur were stuck for hours twice in two days in a freezing lift at a block on the Aspen Gardens Estate in Hammersmith.
Deputy council leader Greg Smith said: “We all know how unpleasant it can be to get stuck in a lift and while such instances are incredibly rare in our housing blocks, we want to act now before our lifts decide to pack up for good.
“Replacing lifts is relatively time consuming and complex but we are determined to ensure that all our residents have access to modern, clean, safe and fully functioning lifts. We realise that the repair work can be reasonably disruptive to residents but we ask them to bear with us as we look to complete the work as quickly and efficiently and possible.”
The programme will also see all lifts installed with alarms which will inform lift maintenance centres immediately if there is a problem.
