Buxton pensioners ‘trapped’ in their homes after faulty garage door denies access to mobility scooters

The garage door at Buxton’s Hartington Gardens had been broken for more than three weeks, leaving 12 residents at the sheltered accommodation block unable to access their vital transport aids.

It was after a resident contacted the Advertiser that repairs to the door were carried out earlier this week.

John Wild, who has lived in the council-run accommodation for more than a decade, said he had only left his home when he arranged for a taxi to take him to and from the chemist to collect his prescriptions. He claimed the situation left him feeling as though he “had no freedom”.

The 72-year-old said: “I have lung cancer and walking problems, I can’t just go for a walk. The roads are far too steep for me so I need my scooter to get around.

“But since the garage door broke, leaving all of our scooters in there, I felt trapped like I couldn’t go anywhere.”

John said the door to the garage, which has charging points for 16 mobility scooters, was installed less than two years ago.

A spokesperson for High Peak Borough Council confirmed the door was now fixed, adding: “This repair did take longer than we would have liked and we have addressed these issues with our contractor. We’d like to thank residents for their patience.”