People living in a 15-storey tower block in Stockport say they felt like 'prisoners' in their own homes after broken lifts took weeks to repair.

Both lifts in the Hollywood Towers building on Hardman Street went out of use on February 22, leaving some people having to tackle several flights of stairs each time they left the building.

The block of 123 flats is managed by Stockport Homes. The social housing provider confirmed the lifts were out of use before repairs were completed on March 17.

Christine Smith is a 71-year-old pensioner living on the fourth floor in Hollywood Towers.

Before the repairs were completed, Ms Smith said: "I don't go out much now because of this, I can't carry my shopping up the stairs.

"We're prisoners in our own homes, a lot of people who are older just can't get out."

Another fourth-floor tenant, who asked not to named, said: "It's difficult knowing that it's hard just to get out, I've only been out to the shop once since it happened.

"I've got a friend who visits me once a week, just for some human contact, and they're struggling to get up the stairs."

The lifts in Hollywood Towers, a tower block in Stockport (Image - Jason Roberts)

Stockport Homes said one lift failed after water ingress from a sprinkler system activation in July 2024.

The other, bosses said, failed on February 22 while works were taking place to upgrade component parts.

Councillor Asa Caton, of the Edgeley Community Association, praised Stockport Homes' work in organising the lift repairs, but said communication with residents could have been better.

He added: "There's a lot of things they have done right, they've had a team of people helping residents up and down stairs and carrying shopping, but the communication around it has been subpar.

"Some residents were not even aware that there were people in the building offering support, they have relied too heavily on text messages and emails and some people were left out of the loop."

Cllr Caton said residents were also frustrated with being told they have to pay a weekly lift maintenance charge this year, as part of rent and service fee changes.

A letter sent to one resident about the changes, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), stated that they would have to pay a 77p weekly lift maintenance charge from April 7.

Stockport Homes headquarters on Edward Street in Stockport town centre (Image - Nub News)

The service charges are calculated annually based on previous and projected costs and are shared among all residents.

Cllr Caton said there is uncertainty among residents over what improvements the changes will provide.

"The biggest frustration is that if we knew it was going to improve the service and the maintenance and things would be better for residents, then I think they would reluctantly accept these charges," he added.

A Stockport Homes spokesperson apologised, adding: "We understand the impact caused by the lifts being out of order and are extremely sorry for the huge inconvenience, we are pleased that they were fully repaired yesterday (17 March).

"Throughout this time, whilst we have waited for the part to be shipped from China, we have provided on-site support to residents, visiting every property in the block, offering help to those who needed extra support.

"Our staff have been based at the block seven days a week to assist anyone struggling to access their home with care packages, including collecting prescriptions, help with travel, supporting parcel delivery and carrying heavy items, and this has been well received by residents."

Hollywood Towers as seen from Stockport Viaduct (Image - Nub News)

The social housing provider said that each of the 123 properties in the block were visited, with contact made to those not at home, and cards left for those unavailable.

The spokesperson added: "Within two days, 64 residents had been personally engaged. In addition, regular updates have been shared via text messages, emails, and the digital notice board.

"We know this has been a really challenging time, and we appreciate residents' patience and understanding."

KONE, the company which manufactured the lifts in Hollywood Towers, said it has been working with Stockport Homes since January to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, but before that a different company was responsible for their maintenance.

The company told the LDRS: "We do understand the impact and inconvenience having the lifts out of service causes. I can confirm that as of yesterday one of the lifts is fully operational and the other will be by the end of next week."

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