A disabled woman says the removal of a rubbish chute in her building discriminates against people with disabilities. 

Liz Douglas, who lives in the Brookbank Estate, a nine-storey block of 36 flats in Turkey Street, Bullsmoor, managed by Enfield Council.

In June, the council boarded up every floor's chute door and instead added new bins to the building’s car park.

Liz said a trip to dispose of her rubbish used to be just a few steps to the landing, but now she has to wait for the single lift, go outside and walk across the car park.

She says the old bin at the bottom of the chute is still there, adding to confusion.

Liz lives on the first floor but suffers from vertigo, has limited walking capacity, and relies on the lift.

She said: “A few days ago, I really wasn’t well. The caretaker was outside and he let me drop my rubbish out of the window, caught it and put it in the [new] bin for me.”

This was the first time she’d been able to dispose of her rubbish since the rubbish chute removal.

Liz heard the chute was removed because of “fire risk” concerns. The council has not yet confirmed this.

She said: “Enfield Council are closing down the bin chute because of a fire risk? I’ve been here 40 years, there’s never been a fire risk in the rubbish chute.”

Liz believes the real reason was because the council didn’t want to spend money clearing the chute each time it got blocked.

Instead she said the council needs to deter people from blocking the chute.

She said: “I can’t be the only person who is affected. A stay-at-home mother, with babies, she’s going to have to take her baby out with her every time, unless she waits until she has to go out. It’s not just elderly people and disabled people who have a problem.”

Liz explained that her disability got so bad that she was sometimes unable to make it out to the landing to empty rubbish, let alone outside, and has no-one around her to help.

She doubted the engagement process, where letters were sent out and a Zoom meeting set up, considered “disabled or elderly” residents. 

Enfield Council was approached for comment.