Woman Left Housebound After Builder's Payments Delayed

An elderly woman has been left housebound after a dispute between her builder and the Housing Executive, the Lurgan Mail has reported.

Veronica McCann, 75, suffers from Parkinsons and uses a wheelchair.

She was left with a four-foot drop outside her back door when a builder who was constructing a ramp for her ran into difficulties but could not get assurance from the Housing Executive that they would pay the extra costs for building materials and time.

The builder, Brian Lowe, found a few weeks into the project that he would have to move a sewer at the Derrytrasna house.

Although he called several times, he said the Housing Executive would not release the interim payments needed.

Mr Lowe, who specialises in disability work, said there had been a number of problems with payments from the executive lately and this had caused a serious cash flow problem and leading him to a £42,000 overdraft.

He said he was unable to pay for materials as well as workers and was forced to stop the job and other jobs in Lurgan until the interim payments came through.

But this left Mrs McCann housebound and frightened.

She said: "When I lie awake in the middle of the night, I hear sounds. If there was a fire how do I get out?"

Mrs McCann's family called in SDLP councillor Declan McAlinden who contacted the executive and made public calls on them to change the way they deal with small buildings. He has been given assurances that interim payments will be made to Mr Lowe.

The work on Mrs McCann's house should be finished within three to four weeks.

(NE)