We're living in a death trap...

TOWER BLOCK RESIDENTS' FURY AS LIVING CONDITIONS GO FROM BAD TO WORSE

- By ELLIOT JESSETT

RESIDENTS of two tower blocks say a series of failures has left them living in a "death trap".

Leaseholders and tenants of Beech Rise and Willow Rise, in Kirkby, have become increasingly worried about the safety of their 14-storey buildings.

The management company which operates the two buildings intends to terminate its contract, saying that the situation with the blocks has become "untenable".

Residents are concerned about several issues in the blocks including broken walls, extensive water damage and malfunctioning lifts.

Furthermore, a number of residents in Willow Rise are effectively homeless after the electricity was turned off in their flats due to a water leak which continues to damage large parts of the building including the fire alarm systems.

Each flat is owned by a leaseholder who may choose to live there, rent it out or leave it vacant.

The leaseholders elect a board who then contract a management company to take care of health and safety issues, general maintenance and service charges.

Dempster Management Services Limited (DMS) took on this contract after reaching an agreement with the board, Parklands Management Company Ltd, in 2023.

The ECHO first reported on problems at the blocks last year.

Tenants said they were worried about the lifts, the leaks and the limited possibility of selling up and getting out.

More than seven months later, the ECHO returned after being contacted by several residents who said those issues had not been resolved.

They said the most pressing concerns remain the cut-off electricity for some residents at Willow Rise, the unresolved leaks and the broken-down lifts at both Beech Rise and Willow Rise.

The latest person forced out of his home by the electrical problem is Peter Barry-Ross, 48, who returned from holiday on March 8 to discover the power had been cut off in his flat.