{"id":26359,"date":"2025-07-27T03:11:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T03:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/26359\/"},"modified":"2025-07-27T03:11:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T03:11:11","slug":"something-could-have-been-done-about-this-years-ago-but-were-having-to-sort-it-ourselves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/26359\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Something could have been done about this years ago but we&#8217;re having to sort it ourselves&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;It\u2019s got to the point where we as residents are coming together to sort it&#8221;<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_Residents-at-Mill-View-Tower-Dingle-Photo-by-Colin-Lane.jpg\" alt=\"Residents at Mill View Tower, Dingle. Photo by Colin Lane\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Residents at Mill View Tower, Dingle. Photo by Colin Lane(Image: Colin Lane\/Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The dream of living in a tower looking out onto the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/river-mersey\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">River Mersey<\/a> and <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/liverpool-city-centre\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Liverpool city centre<\/a> has turned into a nightmare for dozens of people left without vital lifts in a block tarnished by vandalism and disorder. Mill View Tower in Dingle has provided housing in L8 since the 1960s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The 16-storey block, consisting of 64 flats, is a visual depiction of building design dating back six decades. Its concrete structure casts a long shadow over the skyline towards Liverpool city centre with views from the top floor looking out over to the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/wirral\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wirral<\/a> and North Wales in the distance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"ECHO Link opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ECHO <\/a>revealed earlier this month how lifts in the building have been out of order for so long, those living in the flats had taken it upon themselves to raise the money needed to get them fixed. Now, residents have spoken of their anger, fear and frustration at the state their tower has been left in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Concerns were raised about conditions inside the block almost a decade ago according to <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/liverpool-council\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Liverpool Council<\/a>, with temperatures inside considered to potentially be a risk to tenants\u2019 health. This led to a letting agent being convicted on 13 separate licensing charges in 2017.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">It is understood around \u00a310,000 of unbudgeted costs has been incurred for call outs and repairs in the first half of this year alone at Mill View. The two lifts inside the building have been out of action for four and seven months respectively, with each serving the odd and even floors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">When the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"ECHO Link opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ECHO <\/a>visited Mill View, power to the lifts was shut off entirely. Kieran Jackson has lived at Mill View for a decade with his wife and daughter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">He said: \u201cSomething could have been done about this years ago but nothing has. It\u2019s got to the point where we as residents are coming together to sort it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">George Cross has already <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/news\/liverpool-news\/long-broken-lifts-leave-man-32043995\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"written to Link opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">written to <\/a>Clear Building Management, which has managed the building on behalf of leaseholder-controlled L8 Inc RTM Company since 2020, urging them to take action. He said: \u201cThey either need to say it&#8217;s permanent or fix it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1753585870_388_0_Residents-at-Mill-View-Tower-Dingle-Photo-by-Colin-Lane.jpg\" alt=\"Mill View Tower, Dingle. Photo by Colin Lane\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Mill View Tower, Dingle. Photo by Colin Lane(Image: Colin Lane\/Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cYou just don\u2019t lose the use of the lift, it\u2019s the ability to go anywhere, it\u2019s your freedom. A trip to the newsagent over the road takes half an hour, the graffiti has been here the last four years I\u2019ve been here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cThat&#8217;s cosmetic, it has nothing to do with it not working. There\u2019s no end in sight, it feels like forever.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cIt\u2019s hard to keep going. You lose friends because people don\u2019t want to come here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">CBM has managed the building on behalf of leaseholder-controlled L8 Inc RTM Company since 2020. In a statement earlier this month, a spokesperson told the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"ECHO Link opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ECHO <\/a>there have been \u201cnumerous incidents of lift failure recently, primarily caused by deliberate vandalism, the most recent involved forcing the doors of the only working lift and causing significant damage to the floor lock.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Abdullah Mohammad moved into Mill View in 2019. He said: \u201cIt\u2019s not up to us to chase them on this, they say there\u2019s CCTV up there allegedly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Kieran revealed he had received an email in April 2022 detailing how the cameras would be upgraded but was yet to see any progress on site. He added: \u201cThese aren\u2019t new issues here, they\u2019ve been here for years and years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cThere are people with things outside their flats because they can\u2019t get out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Carolina Martinez also made Mill View her home six years ago. She spoke of her horror at becoming trapped in the faulty lift with her children Valentina, 11, and Mateo, nine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">She said: \u201cIt got stuck three times, on one occasion for an hour. We felt like we couldn\u2019t breathe, we had to smash the glass in the door to get air in, the children were crying.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cI can\u2019t move so well because I have arthritis. I don\u2019t feel safe in there, I feel panic every time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1753585871_53_0_Residents-at-Mill-View-Tower-Dingle-Photo-by-Colin-Lane.jpg\" alt=\"Residents at Mill View Tower, Dingle. Photo by Colin Lane\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Carolina Martinez with her son Mateo and daughter Valentina(Image: Colin Lane\/Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">During the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"ECHO&#039;sLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ECHO&#8217;s<\/a> visit to Mill View, the stairwell was covered in graffiti on each floor, with visible burn marks to the walls. Cases containing water taps in the event of a fire were smashed on almost every level, while residents pointed out the door lock to the front of the building was also broken.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Abdullah explained how one of his neighbours with a disabled teenage son has to hoist him over his shoulder to take him down multiple flights of stairs when he wants to get out of the building. He added: \u201cIt feels like a lottery, is it going to be there and if it is, will it work?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Another said: \u201cYou\u2019re risking your life, you know it\u2019s going to break, you just don\u2019t know when.\u201d George said: &#8220;The dream became a nightmare.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"ECHO Link opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ECHO <\/a>approached Clear Building Management ahead of this story being published but no comment was received. In a statement issued this month, the company acknowledged it faced \u201congoing challenges\u201d to repair the lifts. A spokesperson said: \u201cWe fully understand how distressing and frustrating this situation is for residents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cHaving both lifts out of service in a high-rise building is not acceptable, and we are doing everything we can to support the RTM board in finding a sustainable and timely solution.\u201d The lifts were last refurbished in 2012 and the Clear Building Management spokesperson said despite regular servicing, repairs, and statutory inspections, recent assessments by specialist engineers the lifts can no longer be safely operated without full refurbishment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The statement added: \u201cClear Building Management and the RTM board are now actively exploring funding options to enable the necessary lift refurbishment. A formal Section 20 consultation will be launched in line with the Landlord and Tenant Act to ensure full transparency and resident involvement in the process. We are committed to restoring lift service as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">\u201cOur focus is on delivering a long-term solution that improves reliability and safety for everyone living at Mill View.\u201d The company said a key challenge has been the financial strain caused by several leaseholders &#8211; many of whom are overseas investors &#8211; falling into long-term arrears on service charge payments, partly due to court backlogs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Clear Building Management said while residents continue to pay rent, the building\u2019s maintenance fund has been \u201csignificantly impacted.\u201d The spokesperson said legal efforts to recover these debts have been delayed by backlogs in the court system, particularly following the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/coronavirus\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Covid-19<\/a> pandemic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"&#8220;It\u2019s got to the point where we as residents are coming together to sort it&#8221;Residents at Mill View&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26360,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[16431,59,57,58,4658,50,2206,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-26359","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-kingdom","8":"tag-dingle","9":"tag-gb","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-greatbritain","12":"tag-housing","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-real-lives","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom","17":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26359\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}