Seven-year itch

Hackney's lift renewal programme has replaced no lifts. The council says it is “actively progressing”. Meanwhile the Newcome House lift, which spent most of the summer out of order and once detained a resident for 40 minutes, is excluded from the £24m programme because council officers reckon it has another seven to 10 years in it. Which, at 18 years old and counting, makes it the most optimistic assessment in E5.