Oxford Point lifts broken after flooding and snapped ropes

The elevators in the 16-storey private student accommodation Oxford Point, Oxford Rd, Bournemouth, have been confirmed to have been left broken in circumstances described as a "perfect storm".

A spokesperson for lift firm Schindler told the Echo that a lift that had its shaft flooded has been out of order for five months, while the only other lift in the building broke over a month ago. 

The spokesperson said: "The pit was flooded some time ago which obviously caused the lift to fail. We have to wait until the pit is emptied to then assess the damage of the elevator. 

"I spoke to our guys together with the customer and they agreed to start the analysis and repairs as soon as the pit was dried."

People living in the building, which has nearly 500 residents, have complained of deteriorating conditions.

Students have raised concerns over dirty conditions and a risk to their mental wellbeing and health, alongside concerns if a fire was to begin. 

Parent of a student in the building, John Taylor, 58, said: "My daughter has said to us that she is not doing the amount of journeys that she would do to go and wash her clothes and get food while also being stuck in a high rise flat. They're choosing to stay in their rooms and I do worry about that."

Work to fix the lifts will begin on Monday and parts are said to have been now shipped by Schindler.

The lift company called the situation an "unfortunate set of circumstances" and said it sympathises with residents. 

The spokesperson said: "From a Schindler perspective, clearly we want our lifts to always work so that they can use them. 

"We're sorry for residents because they're the ones that suffer. It's just a perfect storm."

MP for Bournemouth West Conor Burns said he was disappointed repairs have not happened quicker and has looked to those responsible to "keep pushing until this happens."

The Echo contacted NOW, owners of the building, but it refused to comment.