Published: Thursday, 3rd July, 2008 12:00
'I'd rather be living in Iraq'
By Lorraine Tinney
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SHAMEFUL treatment: Donald, pictured with John in their Belville Street home, is furious at the journey he has to make four times every day.
Pic by: George Munro
A DISTRAUGHT elderly couple are being forced to push their wheelchair-using son through an obstacle course every day because of demolition work.
Donald Dunn, 78, and his seventy-year-old wife, Henrietta, who live on the 13th floor of Kelso Court in Greenock, have to make a marathon detour just to get their severely-disabled son to a day centre because Belville Street and an access road have been closed.
Landlord River Clyde Homes closed the road to allow contractors to start knocking down the tower blocks nearby.
But this means Donald now has to push his twelve-and-a-half stone son John, 48, who has cerebral palsy, for an extra mile — battling against speed bumps, hairpin bends and kerbs — just to get to the bus stop.
Donald told the Tele: “It’s making life intolerable. I have to make four trips a day.
“John weighs twelve-and-a-half stone and I’m worn out. Going up that hill kills me.
“Other times I’m worried I might fall coming round the bend — what would happen to John then?”
“It’s disgusting the way we’ve been treated. Life is hard enough without this, and it’s also distressing John.
“We came back from a wee break down south on Tuesday and we couldn’t get into the house. No one told us they were closing the road. We had to walk away down to Selkirk Court and along.
“I’d rather live in Iraq than stay here. Those responsible should hang their heads in shame.”
John, 48, who can’t walk or talk, attends the MacPherson Centre in Gourock every day and this gives his mum and dad a much-needed break.
Donald added: “It gives us the chance to have a wee shot at the bingo in the morning.”
Henrietta, who has been in and out of hospital due to a heart condition, said: “I’m having heart palpitations and this situation has a lot to do with it. The dust is everywhere. I just want to run away.”
A spokesperson for River Clyde Homes told the Tele: “Prior to the demolition works commencing, all affected tenants were written to advising them the road would be closed and temporary access to Belville Street would be made available. As a matter of health and safety, the temporary access route has now been closed as works progress.
“The disruption is regrettable, but the safety of the public is paramount in the decision to close the road and, subsequently, the temporary access route. The road will be closed until around the end of August, when the demolition works are due to be completed.
“Kelso Court itself is scheduled to be demolished some time in the next financial year. However, this will be dependeant on finding suitable accommodation for the remaining tenants.”
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