Library's only lift broken for FIVE months after dispute over who pays to fix it
05.09.2023 - 18:41
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The only lift at a library in east Manchester has been broken for five months, shutting off elderly and disabled people from services on the upper floor. The broken lift at Beswick Library is finally due to be repaired tomorrow (August 6).
But this is not the first time a contractor has been called out to fix it. A fault was first reported on April 11, but engineers said the lift was running normally.
Two weeks later, engineers attended again after passengers were trapped in the lift the previous night. Quotes for the repairs were sourced in May, but a dispute over who will pay for the work has caused delays to the lift being fixed.
Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.
Meanwhile, people who cannot use the stairs have not been able to access the meeting rooms, the children's reading and play area and the library's only toilet located on the upper floor. According to Ancoats and Beswick councillor Alan Good, this means a local over-50s group has been unable to meet for months.
He said: "It's simply not right that disabled and elderly residents in Beswick have been excluded from library services and from using the toilet because of delayed lift repairs. It should not take five months to repair a lift.
"Manchester City Council was aware of the fault back in April. Despite raising this with managers myself months ago, it took escalating to the chief lawyer on the council for it to be progressed.
"The issue isn't getting it fixed anymore, it's ensuring this never happens again. There must now be an investigation into why council departments failed to act quickly on their equalities responsibilities."
Beswick Library is run by Manchester council, but the building is