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Moray couple slam conditions at housing complex

Stuart and Sheila Robertson at their new home in the sheltered housing. Picture by Colin Rennie
Stuart and Sheila Robertson at their new home in the sheltered housing. Picture by Colin Rennie

A couple have criticised conditions at a Moray sheltered housing complex where doorways are not wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs.

Stuart Robertson and his wife Shona moved to Tomnabat Court in Tomintoul three months ago, and have encountered a series of problems since their arrival.

Mrs Robertson, 51, has been wheelchair-bound since a fall four years ago and is epileptic, while 67-year-old Mr Robertson is in a frail state following major heart surgery.

Tomnabat Court consists of 14 cottages clustered around a courtyard and Mrs Robertson has to pass through a communal building to reach the car park from her home.

However, its doorway is too narrow for the chair and, despite being under doctor’s orders to avoid strain, her husband sometimes has to carry his wife through.

The couple say the wheelchair ramp outside their home is so steep that Mrs Robertson cannot scale it unaided.

Castlehill, which runs Tomnabat Court, say chiefs at its Aberdeen base were only made aware of the problems this week and were now looking at ways of addressing them.

However, Mr Robertson insists on-site management at the complex were told about their issues four weeks ago.

He said: “Seven years ago I had a triple heart bypass so I’m struggling to push my wife as it is, without this.

“Shona’s condition is worsening, and to have a sheltered housing complex so unfriendly towards wheelchair users is shocking.”

He added: “The ramp we have to access our home is far steeper than it should be.

“My wife simply can’t be expected to get up it and I shouldn’t be pushing her with my condition.”

Mr Robertson underwent a triple heart bypass in 2008, and his wife was his carer until she suffered a fall which left her unconscious for 35 minutes in 2011.

The trauma caused Mrs Robertson to lose most of the senses on her left side, and half of those on her right.

And as a result of worsening epilepsy, she wears a helmet to prevent her from banging her head during fits.

A Castlehill spokesman said a maintenance officer would visit the Robertsons on Monday to assess the difficulties with the doorway and ramp.

He added: “He will see if any adaptations can be made to make it easier for Mrs Robertson to negotiate the doorway at the complex.”