To assist disabled
Wheelchair residents struggling with kerbs
AN affordable housing provider has been urged to make improvements for the disabled after a number of accidents.
But residents are frustrated as they live in an area which was designed specifically for people with extra needs.
Residents in and near Lawson Gardens, Byker, Newcastle, say their homes are ideal for wheelchairs but the surrounding environment is not.
Elizabeth Stewart, who has a wasting disease and uses a wheelchair, said she had fallen out of her wheelchair while trying to negotiate pavements.
She said another woman has fallen out of her wheelchair two times.
Elizabeth, 62, claims a shortage of dropped kerbs and a lack of disabled parking is to blame.
She said: “The bungalows inside are fine but there is no quality of life outside.
“There is a dropped kerb but it is at the bottom of a hill so I have to struggle up to reach my door.
“One lady came out of her wheelchair two times and I have fallen out myself when I got stuck in mud.
“They built a shrubbery, which sounds nice, but it means I have to go the long way to get around.
“And there are no dedicated parking spaces close enough.
“We all dread going out in case we can’t get parked when we come back.
“We are fighting for answers and getting nowhere – we are hitting a brick wall each time.”
Elizabeth said she often has to wait hours for a nearby parking space to become available after coming home from shopping or doctor’s appointments.
Neighbour Maureen Gardiner, 56, said she had fallen twice.
“The wheels hit the gutter when I was trying to get on the pavement and I fell,” she said. “I did not need to go to hospital but I did get some scrapes.
“It would be nice to get more drop kerbs but I don’t think it will happen.”
Lawson Gardens is a new development of six two-bedroom bungalows which is part of the wider new community of The Grove in Byker.
The bungalows are owned by Leazes Homes, an affordable housing provider, and are located near Lawson House.
The 36-unit apartment development provides high-quality accommodation for those with additional support needs.
Bill Midgley, chair of Leazes Homes, said: “The majority of Mrs Stewart’s complaints are related to the roads and pathways outside of her home, but these have been designed to meet modern space and access standards.
“The public pathways in The Grove are of a standard width and are suitable for wheelchair users.
“There are dropped kerbs from the car park to the pedestrian walkway, and so it is not necessary, as Mrs Stewart has claimed, to walk through a flower bed to access the properties.”
What does he say about dedicated parking?
“We avoid allocating individual bays to homes within a communal parking arrangement as this is an inefficient use of the space,” he said.
“Additional parking would typically mean that we would have to reduce the number of properties on the land available to us.
“We continue to encourage Mrs Stewart to use the disabled parking bays outside Lawson House, which are within easy reach of her home.
“Our officers continue to offer regular support to Mrs Stewart, although we were unaware of her recent accident.
“If she considers that her circumstances have changed, housing officers working on behalf of Leazes Homes can provide any support she needs to register to find and bid for an alternative property.”
Elizabeth has been told she has been moved up a housing band which might mean she could bid for a more suitable property.
Mr Midgley said: “All of Leazes’ accommodation at The Grove has been carefully designed to meet a range of care needs and provide a supportive environment, while at the same time encouraging independent living.
“High quality accommodation for those with additional support needs is extremely important, particularly as we have an ageing population here in Newcastle.”