Latest news with #MyraHunter
The Independent
23-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Residents at over-55s block of flats left ‘trapped' after lift broken for nine weeks
A pensioner living in a block of flats for over-55s has said she was left 'trapped' and 'isolated' after the building's lift was broken for nine weeks. Myra Hunter, aged 73, said many of her fellow residents at Citadel Court in Plymouth are in their 80s and 90s and were unable to use the stairs after the lift broke in February. Describing the lift as a 'vital part of living in the block', Ms Hunter – who lives on the fourth floor – told the BBC it was 'not acceptable' that it had been broken for so long. Sanctuary Housing, which runs the block of 38 flats, apologised for the disruption in a statement, and blamed the delay in fixing the lift on difficulties sourcing the specialist parts required. The lift was fixed on 23 April, said a spokesperson for Sanctuary, a housing association which provides accommodation and care for around a quarter of a million people in across England and Scotland, according to its website. Describing the situation in recent months as worse than the Covid lockdown, Ms Hunter said: 'To stay in because you can't get down the stairs from your apartment, it's really not good.' Warning that one of her neighbours had been left unable to visit his wife who lives in care, Ms Hunter added: 'When you come here at 55, you don't anticipate being disabled. But, as age catches up with you, you need that lift.' Ms Hunter said she and her seven-year-old granddaughter also got stuck in the lift for around 10 minutes in February after it broke down before being freed by a manager at the building, which was built in 1987. The resident told the BBC she felt nervous about using the lift because of a 'constant worry' that it might break down. A spokesperson for Sanctuary said: 'The lift at Citadel Court was restored on Wednesday 23 April. 'The availability of the specialist parts required meant it took longer than expected to complete the repairs and we are sorry for the disruption and inconvenience this has caused residents.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Broken lift in flats 'traps' some for nine weeks
A woman living in a block of flats in Devon said she and a number of other residents were unable to leave their block for nine weeks due to a damaged lift. Myra Hunter, 73 said she felt "trapped" and "isolated" in her fourth-floor flat at Citadel Court in Plymouth. She said the lift, which broke in February, was a "vital part of living in the block" and she felt the fact they were left without one for so long was "not acceptable" and made her feel "vulnerable". Sanctuary Housing, which runs the over-55s housing block, which was built in 1987 and has 38 flats, apologised for the disruption and confirmed repairs works had been completed after delays in getting parts. Ms Hunter said that many residents were in their 80s and 90s and could not manage stairs anymore, adding that one neighbour could not visit his wife who lived in care. She said: "When you come here at 55, you don't anticipate being disabled. But, as age catches up with you, you need that lift." She added that the situation was worse than when they were forced to stay in during the Covid-19 lockdown. "To stay in because you can't get down the stairs from your apartment, it's really not good," she said. Ms Hunter said her and her seven-year-old granddaughter had got stuck in the lift for about 10 minutes in February after it broke, but "thankfully, a manager was on site to release them". She added that, on another occasion, one resident got stuck and firefighters had to be called to get them out. She said she felt nervous about getting into the lift because of the "constant worry" that it might break down. Ms Hunter said the information given to the residents by Sanctuary was "very sporadic" and "contradictory" and left her feeling that "nobody cared." "We need to know what's going on," she said. "We all own the flats, we need openness and honesty." Sanctuary said it was "sorry for the disruption and the inconvenience it caused residents". It said: "Delays with the availability of the specialist parts required meant it took longer than expected to complete the repairs." Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Woman, 78, left without toilet for two months Pensioners 'prisoners' in flats after lift breaks down Wheelchair user 'trapped in flat' after lift breaks Sanctuary Housing
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Broken lift in flats 'traps' some for nine weeks
A woman living in a block of flats in Devon said she and a number of other residents were unable to leave their block for nine weeks due to a damaged lift. Myra Hunter, 73 said she felt "trapped" and "isolated" in her fourth-floor flat at Citadel Court in Plymouth. She said the lift, which broke in February, was a "vital part of living in the block" and she felt the fact they were left without one for so long was "not acceptable" and made her feel "vulnerable". Sanctuary Housing, which runs the over-55s housing block, which was built in 1987 and has 38 flats, apologised for the disruption and confirmed repairs works had been completed after delays in getting parts. Ms Hunter said that many residents were in their 80s and 90s and could not manage stairs anymore, adding that one neighbour could not visit his wife who lived in care. She said: "When you come here at 55, you don't anticipate being disabled. But, as age catches up with you, you need that lift." She added that the situation was worse than when they were forced to stay in during the Covid-19 lockdown. "To stay in because you can't get down the stairs from your apartment, it's really not good," she said. Ms Hunter said her and her seven-year-old granddaughter had got stuck in the lift for about 10 minutes in February after it broke, but "thankfully, a manager was on site to release them". She added that, on another occasion, one resident got stuck and firefighters had to be called to get them out. She said she felt nervous about getting into the lift because of the "constant worry" that it might break down. Ms Hunter said the information given to the residents by Sanctuary was "very sporadic" and "contradictory" and left her feeling that "nobody cared." "We need to know what's going on," she said. "We all own the flats, we need openness and honesty." Sanctuary said it was "sorry for the disruption and the inconvenience it caused residents". It said: "Delays with the availability of the specialist parts required meant it took longer than expected to complete the repairs." Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Woman, 78, left without toilet for two months Pensioners 'prisoners' in flats after lift breaks down Wheelchair user 'trapped in flat' after lift breaks Sanctuary Housing
BBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Broken lift in Plymouth flats 'traps' some for nine weeks
A woman living in a block of flats in Devon said she and a number of other residents were unable to leave their block for nine weeks due to a damaged lift. Myra Hunter, 73 said she felt "trapped" and "isolated" in her fourth-floor flat at Citadel Court in Plymouth. She said the lift, which broke in February, was a "vital part of living in the block" and she felt the fact they were left without one for so long was "not acceptable" and made her feel "vulnerable".Sanctuary Housing, which runs the over-55s housing block, which was built in 1987 and has 38 flats, apologised for the disruption and confirmed repairs works had been completed after delays in getting parts. Ms Hunter said that many residents were in their 80s and 90s and could not manage stairs anymore, adding that one neighbour could not visit his wife who lived in care. She said: "When you come here at 55, you don't anticipate being disabled. But, as age catches up with you, you need that lift." She added that the situation was worse than when they were forced to stay in during the Covid-19 lockdown."To stay in because you can't get down the stairs from your apartment, it's really not good," she said. Ms Hunter said her and her seven-year-old granddaughter had got stuck in the lift for about 10 minutes in February after it broke, but "thankfully, a manager was on site to release them". She added that, on another occasion, one resident got stuck and firefighters had to be called to get them out. She said she felt nervous about getting into the lift because of the "constant worry" that it might break down. 'Openness and honesty' Ms Hunter said the information given to the residents by Sanctuary was "very sporadic" and "contradictory" and left her feeling that "nobody cared." "We need to know what's going on," she said. "We all own the flats, we need openness and honesty."Sanctuary said it was "sorry for the disruption and the inconvenience it caused residents". It said: "Delays with the availability of the specialist parts required meant it took longer than expected to complete the repairs."
