New ramps are helping Vale Council tenants

A new ramp system has been successfully trialled at three Vale of Glamorgan Council elderly person properties.

The work has been undertaken as part of ongoing improvements to the council’s housing stock, and the ramps provide level access for wheelchair users. When no longer needed, the ramps can be ‘fully recycled’ and reused at other appropriate properties.

Douglas Smith and his wife, who will be the main beneficiary of the facility, are delighted with the new ramp at their Llantwit Major home. He said: "We are both extremely pleased with the ramp which took just one hour to install."

The ramp’s innovative design includes a slip resistant walkway and warm feel handrails. And, unlike concrete ramps of the past, installation is not weather dependent.

Vale Council cabinet member for housing and community safety Cllr Paul Church said: "The new modular ramp system has many advantages over past products of a similar nature especially in terms of easy installation and configuration. And it’s great that, if it is no longer required in a particular property, it can be ‘recycled’ and moved to a new place."

The ramps are one of a number of adaptation initiatives being undertaken by the council’s Housing Improvement Service, which was established last year.

The council now undertakes works directly in larger packages and seeks to ensure that proposed works are reasonable and practical. Where this is not seen to be the case, the council provides an `Incentive to Move Scheme` to offer tenants the opportunity to move to more appropriate housing. An accessibility housing register is currently under development to better match disabled tenant needs to appropriate, adapted housing.