“Leixlip: A great 2008 for Leixlip – outright winner in 2009 is a distinct possibility.”
Maynooth Approach Road: Clean to European Norms. This was an excellently laid out road which was in very good condition. It created a very positive first impression of the town of Leixlip.
Lucan Approach Road: Clean to European Norms. This was the old road from Lucan – as with the previous approach from Maynooth – it was in very good condition and clear of litter.
Celbridge Approach Road: Clean to European Norms. A relatively new dual-carriageway with very good road surface / signage / markings. It was in excellent condition and created a positive fist impression of Leixlip.
Louisa Bridge Railway Station – Inside: Clean to European Norms. Clearly the station staff are very attentive at this busy railway station – it is well served by litter bins, was clear of litter and very well maintained.
Oaklawn West: Clean to European Norms. This residential area has some attractive trees and grass – it was all in very good condition and clear of litter.
Louisa Bridge Apartments: Clean to European Norms. This was a very clean, tidy and well presented apartment development.
Main Street: Moderately Littered. There has been some improvement along the main street of this heritage town – however there was still a very definite litter presence – all food related. The overall appearance was not helped by the dirty litter bins.
Confey Approach Road: Moderately Littered. Four approach roads into Leixlip were surveyed and this was the only one which was littered – the other three got the top litter grade. Sweet papers, cans, fast-food wrappers and glass bottles were all present.
Scoil Cearbhaill Ui Dhalaigh – Inside: Clean to European Norms. This was in pristine condition. The high standards of previous IBAL Anti-Litter surveys have been sustained. Clearly the school grounds are well respected and carefully looked after by those responsible for the maintenance.
Captain’s Hill: Moderately Littered. There was a slight improvement at this shopping street but dirty bins and food-related litter prevented it getting the top litter grade.
LTTA's Observations on Recent IBAL Tests
Irish Business Against Litter (www.IBAL.ie) is a voluntary organisation established by Irish companies whose objective is to promote greater cleanliness in Irish towns. It does this by having its agents, an Taisce, the National Trust, carry out periodic surveys of the extent of litter (and that alone) in around 50 to 55 towns in Ireland twice a year. In 2008, it extended the number of appraisals to 3 a year: February, Summer and November. The towns and cities included were selected or approved by the city and county managers.
Until a couple of years ago, Leixlip, though well above the minimum population required, was excluded - the County Manager of the day having passed us by for reasons which Leixlipians might figure out for themselves - so we invited IBAL to include us. We welcome independent appraisal of the state of cleanliness in our town and IBAL’s scheme provides a benchmark for comparison with other towns and learning opportunities for the LTTA.
In the November 2008 survey, we reached the zenith of our ranking among 50 to 55 towns: we began in 50th (2nd last (dirtiest) only to Dublin City) and progressed to 37th to 13th to 23rd to 9th tidiest on this occasion.
We particularly want to congratulate the volunteers: Leixlip tidy-towners, residents' associations' workers, and individuals who augmented the cleansing efforts of the statutory bodies, Leixlip Town Council, and Kildare Co Council.
Of course while we have wavered en route from 50th to 9th spot, the collection of 55 towns (which have changed marginally, some entering and others dropping out) have generally improved their lot in every round, with few towns now being classified as Littered or Seriously Littered.
The variability can be due to being examined in a worst-day or best-day litter situation (it is a snapshot). As we tidy-towners know, the worst situations occur after the clients from week-end drinking emporia (not just in the town centre) and fast-food outlets make their way home. It can be due to us being short or workers - we are, after all, volunteers - or the variability of councils' cleansing staff time - there were gaps in the aftermath of Christmas this year. The same is true of all the other towns in the mix.
Kildare Co Council is the premier (but not the only) road/path-cleansing, litterbin-providing-and-emptying authority in Kildare. It is interesting to compare the average position of the five Kildare towns among the 55; these towns are Athy (a UDC with autonomy over cleansing), Naas (ditto), Leixlip, Maynooth and Newbridge. Over the past year (ie, 3 tests in 2008) the average ranking of the five Kildare towns has gone from 26.0 to 29.2, to 29.8th, with 1 being the most litter free and 55 being the dirtiest. Taken together, we have been unable to move up to the top half in the IBAL 'League' and are tending to get worse.
The main challenges we face in order to move forward are:
- The lack of routine cleansing, painting and replacement of litter bins;
- Variability in the effort given to road and footpath cleansing, particularly at holiday time;
- The growth of fast-food outlets, some without benefit of planning permission, which do not clean up their own patch and whose clients cast off their plastic cutlery, cartons etc;
- The extent of illegal drinking on the streets and other public places, and the ineffectiveness of the policing authority, the local Gardai (of whom there are now about 26 in number), particularly at night time. The Area Litter Warden normally works a 9 to 5 type day, but the Gardai have the same powers as the Warden to police the Litter Act and they maintain a duty 24-7. We find bags of beer cans and bottles about on our clean-ups, which we would like to see reduced;
- While there are signs that many approach roads to the town are being cleansed occasionally by the County Council, especially of dumped rubbish, more is required and on a routine basis;
- Vandalism of public street furniture and of our flower-beds and shrubberies, usually as a sequel to late night drinking revellers returning home.
