RESIDENTS living along the route of a new tram say they are furious over plans to empty their bins from 5am.
Broxtowe Borough Council has told people on streets where the new Beeston tram will run that it may have to collect bins from 5am, so they are all off the street by the time trams start running.
The council has written to residents on roads such as Chilwell Road and Middle Street telling them it is consulting on the idea.
Kate Pearson, of Chilwell Road, said: "It is not possible to collect them at 5am and be silent? They did it just before 6am and it was anti-social. Why, if they are going to be taken to a collection point, does it have to happen so early?"
Residents have four options:
Bins are emptied from 5am before the first tram runs through the borough.
Bins are emptied from 5.30am before the trams are running in both directions on inward and outward lanes.
Residents taken their bins to a collection point on the street, keeping collection times the same.
Residents place their bins at their home and council staff take them to the collection point and move them back after the collection, keeping the times the same.
One of the collection points is proposed next to Latino Restaurant, in Chilwell Road.
Owner Tony Rogers said: "I don't think this is a good idea, it is a terrible idea. All bins being taken to one place is not hygienic and if the collection point it next to my restaurant it could attract maggots and things that we do not want anywhere near our food."
Trams will start running at 5.38am, with the next at 5.53am followed by one at 6.08am, with services every seven minutes after that.
Photographer Christopher Frost, of Denison Street, Beeston, said: "Has anyone thought of the bin men? I don't know what their working hours are, but I'm sure 5.30am is a bit of a cheek. I hope their union get their act together and possibly hold a strike or get their members to refuse to work at this new time."
Borough and county councillor Steve Carr is against the changes. The Beeston North representative said: "The tram will be held up at some point due to traffic or accidents so I don't see why things can't stay the same. The bin men are very efficient and I don't see the benefit of them doing it so early.
"It won't just affect Chilwell Road it will be the whole area.
"Having it done so early is just unacceptable."
The current bin collection starts at 7am.
Nottingham Express Transit team leader Steve Tough said: "The fact that bin emptying was an issue to be addressed has been raised previously, including at the public inquiry in 2007. The time is now right for the council to consider how they should deal with the matter."
Portfolio holder for environment at Broxtowe Borough Council, Councillor Greg Marshall, said: "The council is taking time to consult with residents to consider different options to collect waste once the tram is in operation and no decisions have been made."
Residents are invited to a meeting at Humber Lodge on Tuesday, June 10, at 6.30pm, to air their views. For more Beeston stories, click here
