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Frozen and locked out of her home
Town Hall is censured for taking nine months to fix door so disabled woman could get in
A DISABLED woman who was locked out for hours in the freezing cold at night because her front door was too heavy, has won her claim against the council.
Local government ombudsman Tony Redmond found Islington Council guilty of “maladministration causing injustice” after the woman, who has asked only to be referred to as Ms Mitchell, complained it took the council nine months to adapt the communal door in her Darun Court block in Tufnell Park.
Now, the council will have to pay Ms Mitchell £2,000 in compensation and, along with Homes for Islington who manage the borough’s housing stock, could have to review countless heavy doors installed across the borough.
But, a Town Hall spokesman was unable to tell the Tribune this week how many doors will have to be reviewed.
Ms Mitchell, 48, who suffers from the debilitating condition multiple sclerosis, first complained about the heavy communal door in June 2006 but it was not adapted to open electronically until February 2007.
Her other requests, to adapt her windows so that she can open them, and fix her own flat’s front door to open electronically, took even longer to be dealt with.
Even now, she said, the communal door is still not working.
Ms Mitchell, who said she was met with “ignorance and excuses” along the way, said: “I’m still having so many problems. My mobility and dexterity isn’t great and I suffer from severe fatigue.”
Ms Mitchell said the security door, installed because of fears of growing anti-social behaviour, had the effect of shutting her out along with vandals. She said: “Some days I’d be able to just about open it and others I would be stuck outside. A couple of times I was stuck out there for a couple of hours. It was freezing cold and getting dark.”
She called the council’s offer of £2,000 “insulting” but added: “I just hope this helps other disabled people.”
Ombudsman Mr Redmond criticised the council for: delaying unreasonably in providing Ms Mitchell with an electronic means of opening the main front door; failing to equip her with a means to open her windows as she could not grip the existing lever handles and use the key lock at the same time. He said Ms Mitchell was caused anxiety and stress, her health suffered and her safety was put at risk.
Following the investigation, the council agreed to apologise for the stress and inconvenience caused, pay compensation and review procedures.
Housing chief councillor Terry Stacy said: “I’m very sorry for the stress and inconvenience this resident has suffered. We are taking steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” |
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