OVERFLOWING rubbish bins during severe cold weather should be a problem of the past after St Albans district councillors at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting agreed that disruptions to collections lasting more than three days during winter will result in a “take all” refuse policy being implemented.

Residents will be prewarned of this arrangement which effectively means that locals will be able to put out both green and black wheeled bins for collection, with contents being collected by the same vehicle and taken to landfill, following three days of disruption. Cabinet also gave the go-ahead for rubbish collection crews to wear slip-on snow shoes over safety boots to help them walk on snow and ice. The Cabinet recommendations have to be ratified by full council.