Housing complex benefits from Prestige access

Harmony Lodge is a sheltered housing complex in Ealing run by Ealing Council. Its passenger lift needed refurbishing but, as this was a three month project, the council also needed an alternative access solution as many of the lodge’s residents are elderly and have mobility problems.

London lift company PDERS prides itself on satisfying the customer’s complete requirements and provide a wide range of lift solutions to suit almost all building requirements. As well as carrying out the extensive refurbishment of the passenger lift at Harmony Lodge, PDERS also solved the alternative access problem by providing a platform lift via its sister company movemanSKG.

Built in 1983, Harmony Lodge caters for the over 60s and employs a warden in case any of its residents need assistance. In addition to 35 independent, self-serving flats, it also has a communal lounge, laundry and a garden.

The building has two storeys, with flats on both the ground and first floors. movemanSKG installed its Prestige platform lift in the communal area. A 2-stop unit, it allows residents to access the building’s upper level comfortably, smoothly and independently and was the most cost effective option.

Ken Jobes, Project Manager at Ealing Council, commented: “Disabled access is essential at Harmony Lodge, so we were looking for a first class product. However, we also wanted value for money. We invited competitive tenders for the project and accepted quotes from three lift companies and chose PDERS/movemanSKG”

A challenge movemanSKG faced was Harmony Lodge’s sloping roof, which limited head room. However, by utilising the available space efficiently movemanSKG minimised this issue. The finished unit travels 2.6m between the two floors and is surface mounted, which removed the need for digging into the floor.

movemanSKG’s Prestige is of a flexible design that is ideal for virtually any disabled access application. It lifts 400kg up to as high as 13m and has a large platform that comfortably accommodates a wheelchair user. Prestige runs quietly and comes in a wide range of colours and finishes and can be customised with various accessories.