• SYLVIE King will be 90 in August. She’s not as mobile as she was, but she loves to get out and about, so she decided a mobility scooter was what she needed.

But where she lives in Orde Hall Street there is nowhere she could safely keep one, so we asked Camden if she could use one of the empty brick sheds on the Tybalds estate, opposite Sylvie’s home.

That was in March 2016. It took a long time, but by October 2017 the council had said yes, she could have one and gave her the key.

So she bought a scooter and had it put into the shed. She couldn’t use it because there is a small step up into the shed which is too steep for the scooter.

Then the council changed their minds and said Sylvie couldn’t use the shed because it was to be demolished.

It took us about three months to get them to change back to their original decision, but they did, and by early February this year they gave us a promise the ramp would be installed without delay.

But it hasn’t been, and five months later, Sylvie still can’t use her scooter, all for the want of a little bit of concrete to make it possible for her to get the scooter up over a 10cm doorstep.

We’ve been supported through­out by Cllr Julian Fulbrook and by the Tybalds Close TRA. We’ve had promises from the relevant cabinet members and from a wide range of council officers. But nothing happens, the buck never stops.

Sylvie has been on our com­mit­tee for very many years, and has contributed to the com­munity in very many ways. She deserves much better treatment than this.

MICHAEL POUNTNEY
Chair, Rugby & Harpur
Residents’ Association, WC1