UPDATE: It has been confirmed by the council that the lift has been fixed as of 3.30pm Friday, July 17
An immobile resident is left feeling “isolated” after the lift in her council flat was vandalised, causing her to be stuck in her flat for days, an issue which is still yet to be resolved.
Joyce Babb, a 64-year-old who lives in a council flat on Glasgow Road in Clydebank, explained that the lift broke on Tuesday, July 14 in the afternoon. West Dunbartonshire Council said it has been vandalised.
Joyce, who has mobility issues and COPD, a chronic lung disease, is unable to use the stairs. Speaking to the Clydebank Post, she said: “I’ve never felt so isolated. I feel absolutely awful."
She explained that West Dunbartonshire Council informed her it would be fixed the same day that it broke, or by the latest Wednesday morning, but this did not happen.
Joyce’s husband is waiting for surgery on his knees, and he has Atrial fibrillation (AF), a heart condition, leaving him also unable to use the stairs.
Joyce added: “We’re stuck and we can’t do anything about it. On Friday (July 17), my husband and I need to be at the health centre.
“It’s only five minutes from the flat, but to get down the stairs and then back up without the lift is impossible.
“We’re three floors up and right now there’s no way to get us out. We’re stuck inside.”
It is understood that the council came out to inspect the lift on Tuesday after it broke, but hasn’t been back since. The issue stems from a vandalised panel inside the lift.
Joyce explained that it's been near impossible to get information from the council relating to the issue and when it will be fixed.
She uses a breathing machine to manage her condition, and she opened up about her struggles with depression, which has been impacted since the incident occurred.
She said: “I’m left staring at four walls all day.
“It’s getting bad again, and I would usually go outside and it would help, but I can’t do that without the lift.
“It’s horrible to think that it’s a free world, and we’re free to go out wherever we want, but right now we can’t.”
When the Clydebank Post visited, Joyce explained that her and her husband were offered the flat by the council because it had a lift and would therefore be accessible for both of them.
The block of flats was built six years ago, and it is home to multiple vulnerable residents, for whom the lift has become a lifeline for.
One of her neighbours, who uses an electric scooter and cannot climb the stairs, was out when the lift broke. When she returned, Joyce explained that she was stuck on the ground floor for six hours waiting to see if the lift would be fixed so she could return to her flat.
It is understood that the council has since put the resident in a hotel in Milton, Dumbarton, around six miles away from her flat.
A spokesperson for West Dunbartonshire Council said: "The lift is out of service due to vandalism.
"We are sorry for any inconvenience caused to residents.
"Replacement parts have been ordered and we expect the lift to be operational next week.
"We have contacted all residents directly to update and offer support."
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