Drivers in Brighton and Hove would be left "short-changed" if plans to take up 140 parking spaces with huge communal bins are agreed.

Brighton and Hove City Council wants to install up to 575 car-sized bins from next May to cut down on rubbish strewn across the streets.

The move would affect 185,000 residents between Davigdor Road and the seafront and from Sackville Road in Hove to Boundary Road in Kemp Town.

Steve Percy, chairman of the People's Parking Protest, urged the council to put the bins on yellow lines.

He said: "I think it is ridiculous. Earlier this year we worked hard to get 20 more spaces in the city and now they are taking more than 100 away.

"The bins are not a solution for every neighbourhood. They can work in some areas but we need to think about the pressures on motorists.

"The bins could surely be put on streets with yellow lines. If not drivers will yet again be short-changed. This is not about doing what is best for residents - it's all to save money."

A leaked blueprint last week revealed the extent of plans for hundreds of communal bins across the city.

The Argus was handed a city council map of the proposed locations for the giant bins in Regency Ward, where the plans have been met with opposition.

It revealed more than 100 bins would located in streets across the ward, with six planned in Brunswick Square and five in Regency Square.

Mr Percy added: "My other concern is that the bins could be put in streets where there are already congestion problems.

"Imagine a dustcart trying to get to the bins in the busy and narrow streets around Brighton Station every day. It would be chaos."

The black metal containers, in which people could dump their rubbish at any time, are designed to keep seagulls and rats away from rotting food which is otherwise left in black bags on doorsteps. Opponents say the bins would be smelly, attract fly-tipping, take up scarce parking spaces and make streets unattractive.

Communal bins would be emptied six days a week and require fewer workers than individual collections.

The council has promised the extra staffing hours would be deployed elsewhere, perhaps to move recycling collections from fortnightly to weekly.

The council refused to release a list of the proposed bin sites, stressing the plans had not been finalised and the map only provided a rough blueprint.

While the scheme will cost £675,000, the council projects the new bins will save the city £970,000 by 2015.

A consultation document will now be sent to each household on January 25. The final decision will be taken by the council's environment committee.

simon.barrett@theargus.co.uk

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