'It's degrading' say customers forced to use the service lift to access upstairs of Xscape in Milton Keynes

The owners of Xscape have apologised to disabled customers who have been forced to use the service lift for months while the proper lift has been broken.

Wheelchair users and parents with buggies say it is degrading and “dehumanising” to have to use in the service lift.

To make matters worse, last week the service lift itself broke down, meaning there was no accessible route to the cinema and other first floor businesses for many customers.

One user said: "In January the Xscape announced that they were replacing their customer lift. Their social media post said this would take a few weeks, during which time those customers who required a lift to the first-floor businesses could use the service lift.”

They added: "The one customer lift in the Xscape has for years repeatedly been broken, forcing disabled customers to have the dehumanising experience of using the service lift.

Last week the Xscape announced for the second time since January that the service lift had broken.. For disabled customers this means that they are again excluded.

Powerchair user Jo Newall said: “A building the size of the Xscape should have installed a second customer lift years ago. Excluding disabled people in this way amounts to discrimination as they are treating disabled customers less favourably, solely due to their disability.”

She added: “ I am paying a monthly fee to Cineworld to see unlimited movies when I can’t see any! They have told me to go to other Cineworlds but why should I travel out of MK? . I have asked Cineworld and the Xscape to pay for me to attend other cinemas in MK or to suspend my payments as compensation for being excluded but all the compensation they will give is one-month free, when the situation has gone on for much longer than a month.

" I know this is affecting many disabled people. I wrote to my MP about it in February but they have not even bothered responding. Such treatment of disabled people is illegal but businesses can get away with it as the Equality Act has no teeth in these situations.”

The Citizen asked Xscape owners Landsec when the customer lift would be repaired.

A spokesperson said: “Providing safe access for all of our guests at Xscape is our priority. We’re really sorry for the disruption and inconvenience caused to our guests by the ongoing works to the Xscape customer lift.

"Work to replace the lift is almost complete. The job of replacing our guest lift is complex and has taken several months due to the scale of the project. This has however been necessary to ensure we can continue to provide safe and reliable lift services to our guests for years to come.

Everyone who visits Xscape should be able to access all guest areas of the centre and whilst the experience isn’t to our usual high standard, we’ve made our service lift available to those who need it as a temporary solution.”

They added: “We are, and will continue to, post updates on our website while the works continue which guests can check ahead of their visit...We hope to be back to normal service later this month.”