Edinburgh mum 'trapped with kids on 14th floor of council flat with broken lift'

A single mum living in a Moredun high rise claims to be ‘trapped’ in her Edinburgh Council flat with her two children due to a faulty lift in her block.

Linnea Halliday, 21, lives in Marytree House on the 14th floor of the block, and recently had five-month-old Eevie via c-section.

The fed up mum, who also has her son Ollie, three, in the flat, says that she moved into the property before she knew she was pregnant with her second child.

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Since then she has complained about the lift that takes her to her floor continuously breaking down and being out of use for long periods of time - which she says is the current state of play.

After having a c-section, Linnea was forced to use the lift that services the odd floor levels and travelled to the 15th floor where she felt it would be easier to walk down a level.

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But when making her way down to her flat from the floor above, she missed a step and badly damaged her stomach which led to swelling around her stitching.

Linnea is now five months on from having her child and is continuing to deal with the pain but says that she can often go seven days at a time without being able to leave the flat.

She says it is extremely difficult to carry her baby, toddler, pram and trike up a flight of stairs and down the lift in order to get out of the block which has led to the family becoming predominantly housebound.

“When I was moving in the lift was on and off but it worked mostly when we were getting stuff up to the flat,” she said. “I did not know I was pregnant at the time and if I did, I probably would not have taken a flat so high up.

“Last year the lift was broken for most of the summer and whenever the council came to fix it, it just seems to break down again. It would be a lot better if they just came and sorted it properly rather than essentially sticking a plaster over the problem.

“Five months ago after coming back from the hospital I ended up having to take the lift that services the odd levels in the block as I thought it would be easier to walk down one set of steps. Sadly I missed a step and fell, badly injuring my stomach which led to swelling and me being in pain whenever I moved or ate something.

“At the moment I physically cannot get out of the house as I have to carry the baby either up or down the stairs and I’m so worried I might fall again and I’d never forgive myself if that happened. I also have to take the buggy as well as my son’s bike which is all too difficult.

“I feel like we are basically trapped in the house as it can take 20 minutes to get out. Last week I had to phone my friend to come from the other side of Edinburgh to help me.

“It makes me feel very upset as the kids need fresh air and to be outside but it is difficult because the lift is always breaking down.”

Linnea claims that the council and concierge always promise that the lift will be fixed but they can often go months without their lift properly functioning.

Alongside this, she says that the council have continuously failed to fix issues in her home promptly, with broken windows, baths and showers being a constant nuisance.

She also says that she has been made to feel unsafe, as on one occasion she has a strange man trying to force entry into her home.

“I’ve had issues with a broken window and my bath being clogged as well as the shower not working properly,” she added. “They take forever to fix things and a lot of the time it is not done properly.

“It feels like they just let you into these flats and leave you. I feel like they don’t care and we are abandoned in a way.

“I’m not happy in the flat. There is so much antisocial behaviour and I’ve had people trying to break into my house.

“There was a guy trying to break in when I just had my kid. When I phoned the concierge they said they'd phone the police but nothing happened.

“He was kicking my door and saying let me in but when I spoke to the concierge they just told me it was fine as the man was lost. Another mum three flats up had the exact same thing happen.

“My life is a riot in here.”

Linnea revealed that a sign had been erected which informed residents that the lift would be out of action until August due to the council having to order new parts that have to be manufactured.

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Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Councillor Jane Meagher, said: “I’m very sorry to hear about Miss Halliday’s concerns. Unfortunately, the lift serving the even floors in Marytree House is in need of repair. Officers have ordered the part needed to fix it and hope to have it back up and running as soon as possible.

“We don’t have any outstanding repairs for Miss Halliday’s home, but I would encourage her to report repair issues to allow any necessary work to be carried out. However, we are investigating a complaint of anti-social behaviour and will take any appropriate action to resolve issues. While our Concierge service will always do what they can to help residents, it is Miss Halliday’s responsibility to contact the Police or other emergency services if she needs their assistance.”