Lift Out of Order: = Six Years of Inaccessibility
The lift at Bletchley Leisure Centre car park — the only step-free access to the centre — has been out of service for years, effectively excluding disabled people, older residents and families with buggies.
Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) repeatedly told residents the problem was “being looked at”, linked to contractors, or dependent on future plans. In reality, no credible repair programme was in place.
Crucially, MKCC accepted a £225,000 dilapidation payment intended to address the condition of the building — yet the lift was left unrepaired, with no transparent explanation of how that money was used or why accessibility was excluded.
Responsibility was consistently blurred between operators, contracts and future refurbishments, despite MKCC being the freeholder and ultimately accountable. The lift was treated as a convenience issue, not essential infrastructure, even though it is the only accessible route.
Meaningful engagement only followed sustained pressure, FOI requests and public scrutiny — and even then, answers were partial and carefully worded.
Bottom line:
MKCC knew the lift was broken, knew it was essential for accessibility, took money meant to fix building defects — and still failed to act. Residents were not misled by accident, but by omission
#BletchleyDeserves Better
Six Years of Exclusion
For six long years, the lift at the Bletchley Leisure Centre car park remained out of service. This meant that disabled residents, older people, parents with prams, and anyone with mobility issues were effectively barred from safely accessing the building. Imagine being unable to attend vital appointments, participate in community activities, or simply enjoy a day out because of a broken lift.
The Blame Game
During this unacceptable period, Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) repeatedly shifted blame, citing contracts, operators, and technicalities. What they failed to do was take responsibility and provide a clear timeline for repair. Despite countless complaints, warnings, and formal challenges, the situation remained unresolved. It was a procedural defensiveness over common sense.
Pressure Pays Off, Eventually
Only through sustained pressure from dedicated residents did MKCC finally reverse its position. They committed to replacing the lift as part of a new operator contract – a solution that should have been implemented years ago. This saga highlights a worrying pattern: excuses over action and a distinct lack of accountability that left disabled residents excluded for far too long.
The BLC lift scandal exposed a wider pattern: procedural defensiveness over common sense, excuses over action, and a lack of accountability that left disabled residents excluded for more than half a decade.
We, the residents of Bletchley, must challenge MKCC for their failure to safeguard and acknowledge their culpability in this matter.
MKCC Long-term plan
We’re set to appoint a new operator as part of our long-term plan for leisure facilities. Next week, we’ll decide on an operator to manage Bletchley Leisure Centre, Woughton Leisure Centre and Windmill Hill Golf Centre under a new contract.
This marks the next step in securing the future of these popular facilities and delivering major investment for our communities. The contract will run for ten years, with an option to extend for another five, giving the operator confidence to invest in upgrades and provide high-quality services for residents.
The new contract brings all three sites under one modern agreement for stability and consistency.
Before the new contract begins, we’ll fund the replacement of the car park lift at Bletchley Leisure Centre, which has been out of service for some time. The operator will complete this work during the onboarding process.
This means modernised facilities, better accessibility, and more community-focused activities that promote health and wellbeing across the city.
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Beyond the ordinary
What MKCC Said What It Really Means (Reading Between the Lines)“
We’re set to appoint a new operator....
”We’re shifting the narrative and responsibility away from past failures.“
This marks the next step in securing the future…
”We’re reframing overdue maintenance as ‘investment’ to avoid discussing the six-year failure.“
A ten-year contract provides stability…
”A long contract allows us to avoid direct scrutiny for a decade.“
One modern agreement for stability…
”Bundling sites hides which facilities have been neglected the most.“
We’ll fund the replacement of the car park lift…”
After six years of pressure, we can no longer avoid fixing it.
“The lift has been out of service for some time.”
Don’t mention that it’s actually been broken for six years.
“The operator will complete the work during onboarding.”
We’re implying this was always part of the plan to avoid admitting earlier failures.“This means better accessibility…”We’re selling a basic legal necessity as a shiny ‘improvement.’“More community-focused activities…”Look at the positive language, not the six-year accessibility scandal.