Controversial communal bins are to be introduced across central Brighton and Hove.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s cabinet has approved plans to put more than 500 massive containers between Davigdor Road and the seafront and from Sackville Road in Hove to Boundary Road in Kemp Town.

Seafront Regency areas such as Brunswick Square and Lewes Crescent are the only roads to be exempt from the scheme which will affect 185,000 residents.

The council delayed its plans 12 months ago to consult residents on the scheme.

It has now confirmed that 56% of households voted in favour of communal bins and 64.3% of roads were for the scheme.

But dozens of streets who were against the move will remain as part of the project.

Residents in the Montpelier and Clifton Hill conservation area were particularly vocal against the bins, claiming the programme would ruin one of the city’s most picturesque areas.

Geoffrey Theobald, cabinet member for the environment, said it was not possible to run collection rounds on a street-by-street basis.

Jason Kitcat, councillor for the area, told the cabinet meeting the scheme would was not be sensitive to conservation areas and “rip the heart out of our recycling programme”.

He added: “Show me a plan which properly considers the human, conservation and environmental impacts of its proposals and I’ll happily support it.”

Councillor Gill Mitchell, leader of the Labour opposition, was responsible for bins before the Conservatives took control of the council last year.

She called for the decision to be delayed as most residents did not know it was taking place.

She added: “We introduced the bins in the streets that wanted to have them rather than just a blanket change.”

Geoffrey Theobald said: “This scheme is being considered as it will significantly improve the cleanliness by removing the bags of split rubbish.”To make the scheme viable an area approach has to be taken.

“Our refuse rounds in the city contain 11,000 homes and it is not practical or efficient to run it on a street-by-street basis.”

The scheme will cost £675,000 but the council projects it will save £1 million by 2015.

The bins are also expected to take up more than 140 roadside parking spaces.

The bins are expected to be in place by next summer.

Areas excluded from the scheme: Sussex Square, Lewes Crescent, Chichester Terrace, Arundel Terrace, Brunswick Square, Brunswick Terrace, Adelaide Crescent and Palmeira Square