A campaign for accessibility improvements at a housing block has succeeded after protests at the town hall.
According to community union Acorn, people living in Exbury House in Hackney had long complained about broken lifts and doors, and the block still lacked step-free access.
After what they describe as years of neglect from the council, union members at the block of flats in Brenthouse Road decided they had reached their breaking point and organised a campaign for better treatment.
On 17 June, residents and ACORN members from across the borough marched to the town hall to hand their demands to the mayor, but were refused entry.
In September, ACORN Hackney returned to the town hall to disrupt a council meeting.
As a result of the summer campaign, the council has informed the Frampton Park Residents Association - which represents the estate on which Exbury House is situated - that it intends to bring forward a number of improvements.
After Hackney Council demolished a half-constructed ramp it had begun work on earlier this year, it has committed to submitting planning permission for a new ramp, which it has assured residents will be waved through, and to begin replacing lifts in the block next year, with a new maintenance service to support this.
A spokesperson for ACORN Hackney said: “This victory for the union and its members in Exbury House shows what can be achieved when ordinary people in Hackney work together.
“The council might like to pretend otherwise, but residents know the neglect they have been subject to for years and that this would not have happened if not for their hard work in support of the campaign."
Cllr Clayeon McKenzie, who is responsible for housing services and resident participation at Hackney Council, said: “We are fully aware of the issues raised by the residents on the Frampton Park estate and are working hard to remedy their concerns.
“We continue to engage with our residents and the Frampton Park Tenants and Residents Association to keep them informed on the progress made on the plan of work we have set out. There are still some issues that we are seeking to get sorted as quickly as possible, including a ramp to help with access into Exbury House.
“We are also in the process of carrying out a rolling programme to survey the condition of all of the council’s homes over the next three years. The surveys will include a full internal and external inspection to see what work needs to be done on the blocks.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here