A “ZERO tolerance” policy has been introduced about the storage of mobility scooters in communal spaces in a Southend tower block.
People living in Queensway tower blocks run by South Essex Homes have been told they must store their mobility scooters in their flats rather than ground floor communal spaces.
Janine Armitage, 41, lives on the 13th floor of Malvern flats, said she is facing having to get rid of her scooter because the housing association will not provide a secure area for the number of residents who own scooters.
She said: “South Essex homes have now decided to take a zero tolerance policy against disabled people with mobility scooters like myself.
“They are citing that as a mobility scooter user I must either keep the scooter inside my flat – which is impossible given the size of my flat – or keep it elsewhere but have not provided any alternative places for people like myself to put our scooters. They are attempting to force me to give up on my independence and give my scooter back to the mobility shop.”
READ MORE: Pavement parkers in this part of Southend can't be fined - here's measures planned
Ms Armitage added: “They have already forced my neighbour who is also disabled to give up her scooter and caused her upset.
“We mobility scooter users are being treated as though we are not valued as members of society and tenants of South Essex homes. I have had my tenancy threatened as I am not willing to give up my mobility scooter and give in to their policy.”
A message to residents on South Essex Homes’ website said: “Residents should not purchase a scooter without seeking permission of South Essex Homes first.
A spokesperson for South Essex Homes said: “We have recently reviewed our mobility scooter policy to ensure we balance the need of residents to maintain their independence, against our responsibilities under health and safety legislation.
Get more great stories like this delivered to your inbox every day by signing up to our morning newsletter - don't miss out!
“We do not have any legal obligation to provide scooter storage facilities. However, we recognise the benefits and want to support the safe storage and charging of this equipment. Where there is no designated charging or storage area, mobility scooters must be stored outside the building, or within the demise of the tenancy, but not in internal communal areas as they present a fire risk and will restrict escape routes in the event of a fire.”
THE former home of Christchurch Borough Council could be fully converted into a hotel.
Eight new homes could be built on the site of a vacant car dealership, despite providing fewer than half the required parking spaces.
The number of households lodging in hotels has risen 1,740 per cent over the past two years, confirmed Westminster Council
PART of a council car park in at a prominent site in Poole could be sold off for a housing scheme with investment made in the rest of the site to ensure more spaces can be used.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove hopes it will encourage tenants to voice complaints first to landlords and then to the Housing Ombudsman if necessary, in an attempt to “shine a light” on rogue landlords. The push to tackle substandard housing comes after an outcry following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mould in his home. The Government has since put forward Awaab’s Law, which requires landlords to fix reported hazards in social housing, such as mould, in a “timely fashion” or rehouse tenants in safe accommodation.
(Bloomberg) -- The two-story brick house in Flushing, New York, is a million-dollar home, but perhaps not in the way the owner intended.Most Read from BloombergMeta Plans Thousands More Layoffs as Soon as This WeekBiden Eyes Tax Hike on Income Over $400,000 to Fund MedicarePowell Sees Higher Peak for Interest Rates, Says Fed Prepared to Speed Up If NeededUS Banks Are Finally Being Forced to Raise Rates on DepositsCitadel’s Griffin Sees Setup for US Recession After ‘Traumatic’ InflationJust off o
Jack Benham, 34, and Sian Hedges, 26, are accused of murdering the child on November 28 2020 in the village of Hernhill near Faversham, Kent.
‘I was looking for a tote of Christmas ornaments, and that’s when I discovered him,’ wife says
Joint funeral to be held for sisters Shaunie and Shavanna Thomson
‘They probably don’t want Harry and Meghan as their near neighbours,’ claims Jennie Bond
The sandy seaside spot has been described as a ‘hidden gem’ by a local councillor
Endeavour actor Roger Allam, who plays DI Fred Thursday in the TV show, has chosen to keep his marriage away from the spotlight, but he has made one very rare comment about his romance in the past. In fact, the Murder in Provence star, 69, and his wife Killing Eve star Rebecca Saire, 59, have never even revealed what year they tied the knot and neither of them appears to wear engagement or wedding rings. However, they are parents to sons William, 23, and Thomas, so they have been loved up for ov
Man Utd forward Wout Weghorst has been told that he has "no business" playing for such a big team following the club's 7-0 defeat against Liverpool.
Sergey Mikheyev told Russian state TV: ‘If we move at this speed, this will last for decades or some kind of decision might be made that will be hard to portray as a success, it’s obvious’
Only a few months ago the pair were media darlings in America. Now they have become the butt of the joke – with their popularity polling below Prince Andrew, writes Arwa Mahdawi
When I got together with my ex-husband nearly 20 years ago, the accepted dating ritual usually involved getting drunk and falling on top of each other. Now I am newly divorced, keen to see what’s out there and to have sex again, but I have no idea what’s expected of me, either in or out of the bedroom. I’m confused about what constitutes appropriate 2020s-style romantic and sexual behaviour, and I’m sure I’ll get it all wrong. How can I ensure I don’t embarrass myself?
From Lars von Trier to John Cameron Mitchell and almost every Vincent Gallo movie, here are the films that captured real sex scenes.
Mollie Mulheron, 24, was travelling in the Galapagos Islands when she first experienced symptoms
BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) -China needs the capability to shoot down low-earth-orbit Starlink satellites and defend tanks and helicopters against shoulder-fired Javelin missiles, according to Chinese military researchers who are studying Russia's struggles in Ukraine in planning for possible conflict with U.S.-led forces in Asia. A Reuters review of almost 100 articles in more than 20 defence journals reveals an effort across China's military-industrial complex to scrutinise the impact of U.S. weapons and technology that could be deployed against Chinese forces in a war over Taiwan. The Chinese-language journals, which also examine Ukrainian sabotage operations, reflect the work of hundreds of researchers across a network of People's Liberation Army (PLA)-linked universities, state-owned weapons manufacturers and military intelligence think-tanks.
My father knew what he was doing when he freshened up the family Ford Cortina in 1975. He was a trained painter and decorator and he transformed our car from a silvery blue to a solid azure. It looked fresh, as if it had rolled straight out of the shop. A couple of years later, he swapped it for a Morris Marina, in burgundy. Now that’s a colour you rarely see on the road these days – and wherever you stand on burgundy cars, they are more interesting than the grey cars that dominate our roads.