Emergency sewer works have left people living in two Hove streets without rubbish and recycling collections.
Bins were missed in Landseer Road and Prinsep Road, in the area known as Artists’ Corner, because both roads have been blocked at the Sackville Road end by the emergency repairs.
Southern Water started work to clear pipes under Sackville Road last Tuesday (30 November) when they became blocked with concrete.
Landseer Road resident Katie Culligan contacted Hove Park ward councillors Vanessa Brown and Samer Bagaeen after their bin collection was missed on Thursday and their recycling on Friday.
Ms Culligan said: “Not only did we have to put up with no collections during the strike, but also weeks prior to the strike, and I believe some weeks in June and July too, even though we saw surrounding streets being collected, ours wasn’t.
“During the summer, they also had many complaints about leaving lots of broken glass on the road and pavements, even one resident’s dog had some in his paws, so they’re not in our good books currently.”
Last Wednesday officials reassured Councillor Brown that Cityclean would collect the rubbish and recycling after she shared residents’ fears that collections would be missed because the road was blocked off.
She was told that Cityclean, the emergency services and Brighton and Hove Buses had been informed about the roadworks and the suspension of one-way restrictions in Prinsep Road and Landseer Road.
An email to Councillor Brown said: “Therefore Cityclean should ensure that refuse will still be able to be collected, as access is still maintained from Leighton Road.”
Councillor Bagaeen is frustrated at the “lack of a plan” to deal with the unexpected roadworks.
He has taken up the issue with Cityclean boss Rachel Chasseaud, the council’s assistant director for transport Mark Prior and the executive director for the economy, environment and culture, Nick Hibberd.
Councillor Bagaeen said: “As the local councillors, Councillor Brown and myself have supported residents through this. They know we will always have their back when others falter.”
The council said: “We have had to close a stretch of Sackville Road on a temporary emergency basis because sewer pipes there have been damaged.
“The damage was caused by developer Moda Living and their contractor, not the council. Southern Water is working urgently to fix the problem.
“To keep traffic moving, we have put in access restrictions to Sackville Road from Old Shoreham Road and set up a diversionary route.
“We have also restricted access on the Sackville Road junctions with both Prinsep Road and Landseer Road.
“Unfortunately, the access restrictions have affected some of our refuse and recycling collections in the area.
“We apologies to residents for the inconvenience this has caused and will be going back to the area for collections as soon as we can.”
