Anger grows over ‘disgraceful’ lifts in Horsham town centre

The lifts at The Forum - already branded a ‘disgrace’ after several people were recently trapped in them - have again broken down.

Mums with buggies and the disabled have found themselves having to struggle up several flights of stairs to get to their cars.

The lifts have been plagued with problems over the past few years. They were refurbished when Horsham District Council bought The Forum building for £15 million in 2017, but problems remain with one lift almost permanently out of order. Currently both lifts are not working.

Five people had to be rescued by firefighters from the Forum after a lift broke down on January 26.

A spokeswoman for Horsham District Council said: “The council apologises for the recent difficulties experienced with the Forum lifts and the ongoing inconvenience this has caused to users.

“The lifts have been checked and there are a number of issues affecting reliability, mainly concerning the very tight tolerances of the fitting of the doors.

“This is being investigated and remedial works will be instructed as soon as practicable.”

The council has been responsible for the lifts, which serve the Forum car park, since the building was constructed.

A new 500-space car park is currently being built at Piries Place - to replace one that was demolished ad part of redevelopment of the area - is set to open in September 2019.