THE cost of using scaffolding at Stoke-on-Trent’s council houses and public buildings has rocketed by £1 million in just 12 months – after health and safety officials banned ladders.
Kier Stoke had charged the city council £423,000 for the use of scaffolding in 2008/09.
But taxpayers paid out £1.4 million in 2009/10 after Kier Stoke imposed the ladders ban.
It costs £35-a-day to erect scaffolding at a property, with the structures remaining for an average of eight days.
Now council officials are trying to reduce the cost by persuading Kier to use cheaper platform towers.
Tenants and councillors today described the ladders ban as ‘health and safety gone mad’.
City Independents deputy leader Councillor Dave Conway, said: “I’ve warned my wife that if the bathroom light goes we will have to put scaffolding up.
“It’s nonsense. Pensioners whose lights have gone outside their homes have had to wait for scaffolding.
“It’s health and safety gone mad.”
Community Voice councillor Mike Barnes said: “Kier has had a ladder ban across the country since January 2010 after someone fell off a ladder and seriously injured themselves.
“Since then, small jobs are being held up by Kier because they need scaffolding and it costs us £35-a-day.
“There are pensioners who need a new security light which someone six feet tall could put up by hand, who are having to wait six months because scaffolding is needed.”
Tenant David Burton gave up waiting for Kier to change the bulb on the security light outside his home and changed it himself – after standing on his tip-toes.
The 37-year-old, of Blurton, said: “I live in a ground-floor flat and don’t get home from work until 11pm, so I need the light.
“After three weeks waiting I phoned the council and they said there was a ladder ban so they would have to use scaffolding.
“But if I stood on my tip-toes I could reach it myself.
“In the end I bought a bulb and changed it myself and it works fine. Kier came out five weeks after I called them but by then it was too late.”
Council officials today described the £1.4 million bill as a ‘significant amount’.
A spokesman said: “The money was spent to provide safe access to roofs, windows and guttering to carry out necessary housing repairs through our contractor Kier.
“We are working with Kier to reduce this cost by introducing new safe and efficient methods of access like platform towers rather than scaffolding.
“We are confident that we can carry on reducing the cost with wider use of platform towers.”
