Wheelchair user 'stuck in house'

James Cull said not being able to get out has left him feeling depressed

A wheelchair user says he is stuck inside his father's house because the kerbs on the estate are too high for him to get over.

James Cull, from Redditch, Worcestershire, broke his back in a fall from a car park last year.

He said he had been waiting since January for Worcestershire County Council to lower the kerb in Astley Close.

A spokesperson for the council said the issue was being looked at.

Mr Cull said that because of where the property was, he was unable to leave the house to get into any vehicle without the help of someone to push his wheelchair.

He said it had left him feeling depressed and lacking independence.

"I'm stuck in here and I think that I could go out and do something," he said.

"But then I think I've got to ask my dad and find a time to suit both of us.

"I feel so guilty about asking my dad to lift me up that great big step all the time. I know it cannot be doing him any good so it depresses me."

Pay extra

The only alternative route for Mr Cull is a path which slopes and has three steps at the end, which he cannot get up without help.

The council has told Mr Cull that by paying £85 he would be able to have a private assessment carried out by a private contractor.

However, he could then face paying extra to have the work done privately.

A spokesperson for the county council said drop kerb assessments were successful, "especially if someone is as disadvantaged without one as Mr Cull seems to be in this case".

They added: "Offering Mr Cull the chance to bypass this process (by paying for his own assessment) is merely an opportunity for residents to ensure that it happens sooner rather than later.

"And of course there have been times when information that the applicant is unaware of issues that prevent the installation of a dropped kerb, sometimes because of the needs of other residents, that is why we always have to go through the assessment process."