Tullamore improve litter league result but still long way from previous highs

Tullamore has jumped five places in the latest litter league results released by Irish Businesses Against Litter (IBAL). After a high of ninth place this time last year Tullamore slipped to 30th place in the league table in August 2011. Figures released last Monday however show that Tullamore has begun to climb the league table again, coming in 25th in the survey that inspected 53 towns nationwide in all. Tullamore was once again judged to be clean to European norms this week, as were fellow Midland Gateway towns Mullingar and Athlone. The latest performance is one Tullamore town councillor Tommy McKeigue is proud of, but he insists we cannot rest when it comes to fighting litter. "We're happy enough but we can't become complacent either," he said this week. Two areas - Knocknaheeny in Cork and Dublin's north inner city - were judged litter blackspots in the survey. Midland town Portlaoise was one of four deemed littered, while a further nine were deemed moderately littered. The remaining 38 towns surveyed all achieved a clean to European norm status, with Trim being judged as the cleanest of all. A report relating to an inspection of Tullamore congratulated the town as having "no bad sites" and a good result albeit not as good as its result this time last year. Improvements were noted particularly at the town's traveller site, with Dunnes on Church Street and Main Street also singled out for praise. Ten sites in the town were inspected, including Dunnes Stores on Church Street, Main Street, Scoil Iosagain, The Harbour, approach roads from Dublin, Birr, Clara and Edenderry, Arden Vale and Tullamore Railway Station. Grade A areas included Dunnes Stores on Church, Scoil Iosagain, all approach roads except Clara and Arden Vale. Scoil Iosagain was praised as being "spotless", while Dunnes Stores on Church Street got similar praise for being "a far cleaner site" than during previous IBAL surveys. The grassy paths on the Birr approach road were noted favourably, as was the "clean and well maintained" approach to the town from Edenderry. Arden Vale, the report said, gave "the overall impression of a well care for environment". Three remaining sites earned a B grade, with some food related litter dragging down Main Street's grade down from an A grade. Praise was given for lifting the Clara approach road performance from very poor in the past. Tullamore Railway Station also missed out on a top grade due to litter bins, though present, not being used properly. Attendees at a special awards ceremony in Dublin last Monday also heard from Professor Dr Elke Arendt of University City College Cork of advancements made in degradable chewing gum that decomposed when deposited on pavements. IBAL Chair Dr Tom Cavanagh said the concept was a potentially critical milestone in urban litter prevention, which needed to be accelerated by a favourable tax policy.