AN TAISCE REPORT
Leixlip: 37th out of 50 towns / cities surveyed.
There has been a slight improvement at Leixlip but overall the town is a disappointment. There were just three sites which were Clean to European Norms – the top ranking towns had eight. The dirty welcoming sign and heavy presence of litter on the Maynooth Approach Road was indicative of the general litter situation throughout the town. There was an air of neglect on the Main Street which was ruined by the food related litter. Some of the sites which had moderate levels of litter could be improved with a little extra effort e.g. Railway Station on Maynooth Road (Outside) and Oaklawn West.
In the next survey 40% of marks will be awarded for Approach Roads – this includes ring roads, slip roads and roundabouts.
Dublin Approach Road (incl. Salmon Leap Bridge): Moderately Littered. (on approach from Dublin). Much of the litter present appeared ‘old’, indicating that the area had not been properly cleaned in quite some time. This is a shame as the stonework / railings were in good condition. There were no bins / cigarette butt disposal facilities in the area surveyed.
Maynooth Approach Road: Litter Blackspot. This was the most heavily littered site in Leixlip and the dirty welcoming sign is indicative of the litter situation along this approach road. There were heavy levels of all litter types along this stretch of road, particularly the further out of the town one goes. There appears to be a lack of thoroughness in the approach to cleaning further out of the town.
Main Street: Serious Litter Problem. This was a disappointing Main Street, particularly as the town has Heritage Status. The condition of the footpath was poor with broken, open fire hydrants. Many of the facades of the buildings were run down and a metal gateway on one house was dirty and unsightly. There was a profusion of chewing gum, cigarette butts and sweet papers with lighter levels of fast food wrappers and plastic bottles.
Scoil Chearbhail Ui Dhailaigh – Outside: Moderately Littered. Some small scatterings of sweet papers, fast food wrappers and graffiti took away from an otherwise very good site. There were low levels of chewing gum in the spacious car parking area.
Scoil Chearbhail Ui Dhailaigh – Inside: Clean to European Norms. This was an excellent site. The grounds of the school are attractively landscaped and very well maintained. The whole area was clear of litter.
Railway Station on Maynooth Road – Outside: Moderately Littered. This was quite a good site and well kept. With just a little extra effort this could easily attain a higher litter classification – some light scatterings of fast food wrappers and plastic bottles took away from what could be a very good site.
Railway Station on Maynooth Road – Inside: Clean to European Norms. This was an excellent site. The platforms are well served by cigarette butt disposal facilities. Clearly the area is well respected and well cared for by those responsible for its maintenance.
Oaklawn West: Moderately Littered. Just some small scatterings of cans and fast food wrappers took away from an otherwise very good site. With a little extra effort this could easily attain a higher litter classification.
Rockingham: Clean to European Norms. Attractive landscaping with brightly coloured daffodils, shrubberies and trees all contributed to the very positive appearance at this residential area. It was clean, well maintained and clearly respected by all in the area.
Captain’s Hill: Moderately Littered. There was an air of neglect along this shopping street with plaster missing from a corner house, an unsightly phone booth and dirty / broken bins. There were no separate facilities for cigarette butt disposal – cigarette butts and chewing gum were the most prevalent types of litter with lower levels of sweet papers, fast food wrappers and plastic bottles.
