RESIDENTS hoping for an end to a health-and-safety boycott on rubbish collections will have to keep waiting.
The council's refuse collector has suggested it is still too dangerous for its workers to pick up rubbish bags from the front doors of flats above Central Parade – despite the stairwells finally being properly lit.
Asked this week whether the lights would mean an end to the three-year collection ban, Veolia Environmental Services said only that its officers and the council were "looking regularly at this situation to find the best possible long-term solution".
The spokesman added: "As an employer we are responsible for the safety of our staff.
"We appreciate that the current arrangements are far from ideal, however, it is down to the owners of the buildings to make these stairwells as safe as possible.
"The best solution will be the one that is as convenient and safe as possible for both residents and collection crews."
Veolia stopped collecting waste from outside the front doors three years ago, citing safety problems, leaving residents to haul their rubbish downstairs to be collected at street level.
Thought to be one of the main obstacles for Veolia, lighting in the stairwells was finally installed last month after long-term wrangling between local business owners and electricity companies.
In the end EDF installed ten electricity meters after local business leaders Ken Sherwood and Ken Burgess had new consumer units installed.
Mr Burgess said he did not believe the stairwells were unsafe.
He said: "There are handrails and new lights for health and safety but they will still avoid doing it.
"They do not like going up and down the stairs and that is what they are objecting to.
"We still have a refuse problem."
EDF installed the electricity meter for free. A company spokesman said: "We were really pleased to offer our help and are glad that the [lighting] issue is now resolved."
