The binmen gather to give Nev a good retirement send-off, fully aware that their business is under threat, and they may have to find new ways to survive. George Ward goes on trial. Jonno's life takes a dark turn.
Ken and Bernard try to make an honest bob by painting a local church. Meanwhile, Nev's new-found love really gets serious. Jonno tries to patch things up with Marie. John receives competing offers for the yard.
The lads go to Fleetwood to stop Nev marrying Irene, who they regard as a gold-digger. The site is visited by the Millennium Games Committee and Sharon and Ken enter a hairdressing competition.
Nev doesn't want to return to Hepworth. Sharon and Ken struggle with the new salon, while Prabhakar receives a compulsory purchase order for the yard. Jonno and John have to take up alternate employment to make ends meet.
John's financial worries mount when Pete calls in his debts and he seriously considers ending it all, until Ken and gang get together to plot a fitting revenge on the uncaring loan shark. While Sunil recruit's allies for plot of his own.
The lads plan to break George out of jail, hoping he'll lead them to an important photo that'll help them expose Stranks and Roberts's corruption. However, events take a turn for the worse and they are forced to hide out in a local church.