Furious Gosport residents '˜are left in the dark' over flat repairs

RESIDENTS have called for immediate action to solve repeated delays to repairs at their homes.
Resident Martin Foster at Ark Royal House, Blanchard Avenue, Gosport      Picture: Chris MoorhouseResident Martin Foster at Ark Royal House, Blanchard Avenue, Gosport      Picture: Chris Moorhouse
Resident Martin Foster at Ark Royal House, Blanchard Avenue, Gosport Picture: Chris Moorhouse

People living in Ark Royal House in Blanchard Avenue, Gosport, have banded together after repairs to their building continued to be put on hold by the housing companies.

Residents believe that the broken lift, which has been breaking down frequently since October, is a danger to their elderly neighbours, since it forces them to take the stairs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They also say they have been kept in the dark about the state of the repairs by the housing companies.

Martin Foster, a 26-year-old teacher, is one of the residents in Ark Royal House.

He said: ‘All of the communal areas are in total disarray, and we aren’t being told anything about what will be done to fix them.

‘There are holes in the walls, with wires and piping exposed, which is cause for concern.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘The lift is certainly one of the main issues – when it first broke down in October, we were given a deadline by Vivid Homes and Taylor Wimpey for the repair.

‘After this deadline passed, the lift was still out of order, and has been on and off ever since.

‘We have an elderly couple who live on the ninth floor. They are having to take the stairs every day and I think that is rather dangerous.’

Mr Foster says that the housing companies involved have not kept residents in the loop with the state of the repairs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: ‘We all feel as though we are being left in the dark.

‘There is a long list of repairs that need to be made and we’re hearing nothing from the housing company.

‘It’s a disgrace and real kick in the teeth for us all; we are the ones living with it and dealing with the problems on a daily basis.’

Vivid Homes says that it will work in collaboration with fellow housing company Taylor Wimpey to address the issues in the building.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mike Shepherd, director at Vivid Homes, said: ‘We sincerely apologise to the residents of Ark Royal House who are affected by continuing problems with the lift.

‘We’re continuing to liaise with Taylor Wimpey who are responsible for the lift and will keep residents informed regarding the repairs.

‘We fully appreciate the impact on residents when the lift is out of action and have again put in place extra help to try to minimise inconvenience.’