Issue 147

Stairway to hell

23rd October 2006

A broken lift in Caswell Halls of residence has been out of order since the start of term.

An incident last Wednesday prevented the emergency services from doing their job effectively and consequently a girl was left in agony. Kaleigh, a first year student living on the top floor of the Caswell building, dislocated her knee on the stairwell and had to be carried down ten flights of narrow stairs by two paramedics and four of her friends whilst on a stretcher chair. "We received no help with our shopping or rubbish and the lift has been broken since the beginning of term. If the lift was not broken then this accident would not have happened, so we are really pissed off. If my friends had not been there when I hurt myself, I would not have been able to get down the stairs. Now that I'm on crutches I'm literally exhausted by the time I get up to my room."

On the first day of term help was offered to the tenants when they arrived, so that they did not have to carry all their possessions up the stairwell themselves. But since then they have received no help with their shopping. The cleaners have now refused to take the rubbish down, which has darkened the mood of the 80 affected students still further. An asthma sufferer on the top floor told the Waterfront, "We keep on being fobbed off. We were told that the lift would be fixed within three days when we arrived. Then we were told it would be fixed within a week, two weeks ago. This was not in our contract; we have to pay a lot of money to live in these flats. We're not getting what we're paying for, so we're going to apply for a rent reduction."

Another student, Philippa Meek, in her third year and living on the fourth floor of Caswell, said "I'm a third year student and I have a lot of books. Help was offered on the first day, but I wasn't here then and I had to get my stuff up a few days later. It took me between an hour and a half to two hours to get my things up to my room. Anyone living here with disabled friends would not be able to have them around for a visit."

Leslie Bowen, the Student Accommodation Officer told the Waterfront that, "The lift has been broken since mid-August. A new part was found for the lift but it did not work. Gwailia housing had to contact an engineer from Singapore. If anyone wants to request compensation or a reduction in rent they would have to put it to me in writing." On Wednesday 18 October, the student spokesperson for Gwailia housing, Warren Lloyd, said, "We have only known what the problem is for 10 days. If all goes well the lift should be fixed by the end of the week and it should not take this long again if another lift breaks."

Another top floor student in Caswell, has complained that nobody has come to offer the affected students reassurance. The only time the students have learned about any new developments is when they have had to ask porters and the accommodation office.

Pete Swan