Improving access in a residential building in Preston

Improving access in a residential building in Preston

For the residents of Almelo House, a 2-storey residential block of flats in Preston, having an unreliable lift could result in serious problems for the residents with mobility issues. The housing association, Community Gateway Association, decided to remove the old Schindler hydraulic lift and install a new Stannah traction passenger lift.

For Community Gateway, the lift replacement was a daunting challenge. Not only was it the first time they had ever undertaken such a project, but it was further complicated by the challenges posed by a global pandemic.

The not-for-profit housing association needed to ensure that its vulnerable residents, some of whom would be naturally inquisitive about the work being undertaken, would not be exposed to any unnecessary risk. It was therefore imperative that government COVID-19 guidelines were followed to the letter for the entire duration of the project. It would also be necessary for Community Gateway to accommodate resident’s accessibility needs while the lift was out of service.

Almelo House offers a range of accommodation specifically designed for individuals over 50 years of age who are still able to manage their own home but require some additional support from the CGA Outreach and Support Services Team.

The independent living accommodation offers residents and their families peace of mind as the property offers a 24-hour response service as well as a range of community and social activities for residents.

With the help and guidance of Stannah’s experts from the North West England and North Wales service branch, Community Gateway selected a traction MRL from the Stannah Xtralift range as a complete package to solve the problem they faced.

All Stannah’s service branches offer complete turnkey lift replacement services such as these, undertaking all work from the removal of the old lift to installing the new one.

This is especially challenging when the old lift is based on a different technology to the new one, such as in this case where the old lift was hydraulic.

MRL (Motor Roomless) traction lifts are one of the fastest and most efficient types of lift technologies. With minimal space required, both inside and outside the shaft, this type of lift is ideal for most building applications, and can offer significant space savings when replacing hydraulic lifts, as was the case in this instance.

The Stannah range of MRL traction lifts is highly flexible, meaning they can be designed to fit into an existing lift shaft of just about any size.

The 8-person, 630kg capacity traction MRL lift is wall mounted with a gearless variable voltage drive and meets the current harmonised EN81-20/50 standard.

The lift also features modern controls with pushes set to such height to suit wheelchair users, and micro-movement tactile push buttons for all floors and emergency alarm that illuminate and provide audible acceptance when operated.

A digital lift car position and direction of travel indicators were fitted within the car operating panel, as well as an audible speech annunciator to indicate the current level and movement of doors – a big improvement from the old lift’s control panel, which offered none of these features.

An emergency ring-pull alarm was also installed in case a passenger had fallen down and required emergency assistance.

Before the old lift was taken out of commission, two Stannah stairlifts were installed to ensure that all residents who wished to go either upstairs or downstairs would be able to do so while the lift was out of service.

Hoardings were put up around the lift entrances and work began to remove the old Schindler hydraulic lift including control panel and hydraulic tank from pump room, hydraulic cylinder and lift car, guides, brackets landing entrances and all associated wiring from lift shaft. The existing pit, which had become flooded, was also drained and waterproofed.

After the official handover on the 15th December 2020, residents now enjoy the convenience and reliability of their new lift with all its user-friendly modern features.

The lift is spacious enough to accommodate various types of mobility and medical equipment, so there are no concerns regarding accessibility.

Along with improved reliability and added safety features, the Stannah MRL traction lift has the added benefit of lower running costs, as it is more efficient and easier to maintain compared to its predecessor.

With a standard one year warranty with all new lift installations, the housing association and residents alike can rest assured that as a service provider, Stannah backs up their good workmanship by being true to their word on quality.

For Community Gateway, choosing Stannah as a partner for the lift replacement project was a good overall experience.

Tom Wharton, Asset Programme Manager at Community Gateway thanked the Stannah team for the work they did on the project: “There have been four site inspections completed by myself and surveyors, all scoring positively,” said Wharton. “This doesn’t include our health and safety team undertaking their own inspections.

Jim Park, Technical Supervisor at Community Gateway, said: “What a great bunch of guys you had doing this installation; they were very helpful, with clean work areas, and were very polite, both with myself and the residents. The installation was a complex project, but they kept moving forward. They deserve a pat on the back!

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Stannah Lifts

Stannah Lifts

In 1867 Joseph Stannah began engineering lifts and cranes for London’s dock yards. Five generations on, this family owned, British business still uses its engineering expertise to keep people and goods moving. Today the business sells passenger lifts,...
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