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Perth sheltered housing residents stranded as lift breaks down AGAIN

The lift at the Dewar Court sheltered housing block broke down days after its last repair, leaving elderly and disabled residents stuck.

Eddie McHardy standing next to broken down lift at Dewar Court sheltered housing block in Perth
Eddie McHardy fears for elderly and disabled tenants at Dewar Court, Perth. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Elderly and disabled residents are stuck on the upper floors of a Perth sheltered housing complex after the lift broke down for the second time in a matter of weeks.

Bosses at Cairn housing association say they are treating the breakdown at Dewar Court as a priority.

But they admit the age of the lift is making it difficult to source parts.

And they can’t say when the repairs will be completed.

Resident Eddie McHardy, 73, says he fears for his neighbours in the three-storey block.

“There are people in their 90s on the top floor,” he said.

“Some of them are disabled. They’re stuck there. They can’t get downstairs, they can’t go anywhere.

Eddie McHardy and Dewar Court neighbour Jimmy Weir standing next to broken lift with out of order sign on sliding doors
Eddie McHardy and Dewar Court neighbour Jimmy Weir. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

“The girls in the office helped someone down the stairs today,” he added.

“But what would happen if someone tripped and fell?”

Mr McHardy said the Dewar Court lift was only repaired a few days ago.

It had previously been out of action for two weeks.

He went out for the day on Saturday, and returned to find it out of order again.

He said he was frustrated at the lack of information coming from Cairn.

And he said residents were losing confidence in the lift – and asking when it would be replaced, rather than repaired.

Signs advising lift is out of service and engineer has been notified
The sign greeting residents and visitors at Dewar Court, Perth. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

“Most folk will have relatives or someone who can bring them shopping, but that might just be once a week,” he said.

“What are they supposed to do the rest of the time? And how long are we supposed to put up with this?”

‘This is not an immediate solution, and is costly’

Cairn describes Dewar Court, Perth, as ideal “for those aged 60 and over (or 55 and over for those with a medical condition) who still wish to live independently in their own home”.

A spokeswoman said the firm takes tenants’ safety and access very seriously.

But she said there had been a delay in sourcing parts following both breakdowns.

Dewar Court exterior, showing three storeys of flats
The Dewar Court sheltered housing block in Perth. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

“The issue that arose at the past weekend is completely unrelated to the previous issue, and unfortunately requires a complex repair and testing before it can be reinstated,” she added.

“This is in progress as a priority repair which will be carried out as soon as the parts are acquired.”

The spokeswoman said Cairn was looking at the long-term viability of the Dewar Court lift.

“Due to the age of the lift, the parts have been harder to source, and we are working with our contractor to ensure anticipated parts can be readily available,” she said.

“Ultimately, due to the age of the lift, we are also investigating full replacement of the equipment. However this is not an immediate solution and is a costly one, so requires extensive planning.”

Dewar Court sign with Cairn branding
Dewar Court is aimed at older and disabled people in Perth who want to live independently. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

And she said Cairn is working to restore access at Dewar Court as quickly as possible.

“Unfortunately, we do not have a more definitive answer regarding when the repair will take place,” she said.

“However, it is a priority repair and we are doing everything we can to ensure tenants are inconvenienced for as little time as possible.

“The contractors are out this morning to complete a beam test and we should get a more definitive timescale later on today.”

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