[asid61]

Putting the chain on one side of the tube and the wheels on the other has always had two reasons for me: Firstly, to balance out the loads between wheel and sprocket by making the bearings like a "pivot" for them to cancel each others' forces out, and secondly to reduce the cantilever and the torque arm length on those bearings. I would not run sprockets on the same side as the wheels mainly for the second reason.
It also increases serviceability by letting you access the chains without removing wheels or bumpers, although in practice bumper removal at least has to happen anyway.