Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
‘Let us in’ say OAPS locked out of hall
Residents at a retirement housing community in Coatbridge are asking to be allowed back into their complex’s community hall for the first time since the initial coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
Neighbours at the 40 homes on St James Way in Kirkshaws want to be able to resume using the shared space for social activities after 16 months of closure.
Council officials say that they will be running pilot events in the coming weeks with a view to reopening common rooms at its complexes across North Lanarkshire – and note that the communal facilities fall under the Covid-19 restrictions applying to hospitality venues.
Janet Lennon, who is treasurer of the residents’ group at the Kirkshaws development, told the Advertiser: “The hall was used every day for activities, everything from parties and events to visits from the hairdresser and chiropodist.
“It’s been closed since the first lockdown and we feel we’re getting nowhere in trying to speak to the council about when we could be allowed in.
“The hall is important in getting people out of their houses and we just feel locked out.”
Stephen Llewellyn, who is the council’s head of housing solutions, said: “We do understand the frustrations of our retirement housing residents who have been unable to access common room areas since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
“The common areas have
been closed in line with Scottish Government and public health advice to protect people from the potential spread of Covid-19. The health and safety of our residents is always our absolute priority.
“As restrictions change, we are doing all we can to safely reopen common rooms at each of
our 34 complexes.
“Common rooms within retirement complexes are managed in line with Scottish Government guidelines for hospitality venues, and therefore we must take into account restrictions including adhering to capacity guidance, social distancing, ventilation,
sanitisation and staffing levels.
“We will be carrying out a number of pilot events in the coming weeks to assess a safe and sustainable reopening across all complexes, and will keep residents fully informed of developments as we adapt to the guidance provided by the Scottish Government.”