© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
Residents living in one of the East Midlands’ tallest tower blocks say they feel "trapped" by chronic lift failures that have left vulnerable tenants unable to leave their homes for hours – or even days – at a time.
The Victoria Centre flats in Nottingham, a 26-storey social housing complex above a busy city shopping centre, experienced more than 100 lift breakdowns in the space of 12 months. According to data obtained via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, there were 109 lift failures between March 2024 and February 2025, with 23 of those lasting more than 12 hours.
Nottingham City Council owns and manages the building and says it is working to ensure the lifts are “as reliable as possible”. However, residents argue that repeated disruptions – particularly in the tallest block – are severely affecting their quality of life.
Liam McClelland, who lives on the 21st floor, said the failures disproportionately impact tenants with limited mobility, including elderly residents and those with disabilities.
“When the lifts go down, people aren’t just inconvenienced — they’re trapped,” he said. “You plan your day around the uncertainty of whether you’ll be able to get home.”
The six lifts in the complex are used heavily, reportedly making around 600 journeys per day each. They are serviced monthly, but residents report long-standing issues. When the main lifts are out of service, residents in the tallest tower must walk down to the 10th floor and navigate a corridor to another block — a route many elderly or disabled tenants simply cannot manage.
Oscar Smith, 72, also lives on the 21st floor and said he regularly cancels plans due to the lift situation. “When two lifts are out, you're stuck,” he said. “I just keep popping my head out to see if one’s working.”
Julia McBride, 81, who lives on the 24th floor, described the situation as a persistent worry. “It’s always the same,” she said. “The council apologises, then things go back to how they were.”
Another resident, Anthony Creedon, who uses a walking stick due to arthritis, said delays and overcrowding often leave him waiting up to 20 minutes for a lift. “You can complain, but people feel nothing changes.”
In response, Nottingham City Council highlighted that the lifts were operational more than 95% of the time during the period in question. Two of the lifts — serving the highest floors — were the most frequently reported for breakdowns, with 33 and 37 callouts respectively over the year.
The council spent just under £20,000 on repairs in that period and pointed out that not all breakdowns were due to mechanical faults — some resulted from misuse, such as doors being held open or vandalism. The council said it proactively monitors the lifts remotely and aims to respond to trapped passenger reports within 45 minutes.
A spokesperson added: “We are committed to supporting residents, particularly those with additional needs, and ensuring lift services are restored as quickly as possible.”
This situation highlights the critical importance of lift reliability in high-rise residential settings and the challenges that managing agents, local authorities, and landlords face in maintaining essential infrastructure. For residents, particularly in social or leasehold housing, broken lifts are not just an inconvenience — they raise serious questions around accessibility, health, and safety.
As building managers and councils prepare for increasing demand for high-rise living and an ageing population, prioritising robust lift systems, preventative maintenance, and resident communication is more vital than ever.