A DISABLED man has told how he feels ‘trapped in his own home’ after plans to convert his house to help him leave the property more easily were turned down.

Martin Conan-Smith, 51, of Calder Avenue, Darwen, has arthritis, angina, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnoea and an inoperable gall bladder problem.

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Mr Conan-Smith has great difficulty in negotiating the seven steps at the front of his house and has been in discussions with officials from adult services at Blackburn with Darwen Council to get a ramp or a lift to assist him.

He claims that council officers who met him to discuss converting his property over the past year were ‘fabulous’ and drew up plans which would help him leave and return to the house far more easily in his electric wheelchair or scooter.

However a decision panel at the council met last week and turned down the plans leaving Mr Conan-Smith ‘upset and frustrated’.

He said: “At the moment I can only walk a very short distance with a stick and to get up and down the steps takes great effort.

“I basically have to take morphine before I use the stairs as the pain is so much.

“I have my youngest son, eight-year-old Leon, round three days a week and not getting out restricts what we do.

“A ramp outside would mean I could get out more on my scooter or wheelchair.

“It would mean I could go out with my lad to the park or woods and give me more independence.

“At the moment I often feel like I’m trapped here.

“The council say they want to assist people to live in their own homes and stop them becoming dependent on council care but the decision of panel seems to me to go against that.”

Mr Conan-Smith lives with his elder son, Ryan Callaghan, 24, who acts as his carer.

He is currently on sick leave from his job at Iceland supermarket in Darwen but his hoping to return to work at some stage.

At the time of going to press Blackburn with Darwen Council were unable to respond to a request for a comment.