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Howth heads to summit of league

Thursday, 26 June 2008

HOWTH has been listed as one of the cleanest towns in Ireland, according to the latest survey by Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL).
An Taisce, which conducts the surveys on behalf of IBAL, noted a decrease in litter across the city and attributed the recent improvement in the capital to the rigorous enforcement of the Litter Act and better provision of litter bins.
A spokesperson for An Taisce suggested that Howth, ranked fifth in the league, could become the overall winner of the litter league by the end of the year.
“Eight out of the 10 sites surveyed in Howth got the top litter grade, including all of the approach routes,” the spokesperson stated.
“They were not just clear of litter but very well maintained.
“They created a positive first impression of the town and this was sustained for the majority of sites surveyed. This is a wonderful result for Howth.”
IBAL chairman Tom Cavanagh believes litter can act as a barrier to growth in the tourism industry.
He said that with the busy summer months now upon us, Howth, Swords and Balbriggan could expect to reap the benefits of their high standards of cleanliness.
“In the midst of the prevailing doom and gloom, it is refreshing to have a positive economic news story,” he stated.
“This is one such story. Tourists to the capital are less likely to be met by cleanliness standards below what they experience at home.
“A positive first impression is critical to our tourism product.”
Mr Cavanagh pointed out that we speak constantly about how to protect our economic prosperity.
“Here is hard evidence of real strides to safeguard a valuable breadwinner,” he added.
“It is now up to the citizens to the play their part and keep their streets clean.”
Areas in Howth highlighted as having notable levels of cleanliness included the DART station, Howth National School and the Sutton approach road while the outdoor market and pier were deemed to be areas where there was a need for improvement.
Other Northside areas that ranked highly in the survey included Balbriggan (22) and Swords (30), while Drumcondra ranked much lower (37) and was noted as being moderately littered and even containing a litter black spot.
Balbriggan was commended for having no seriously littered sites while Cardy Rock View, Balbriggan Business Park and the technical school all received special praise. Dublin Street was highlighted as one of the areas that required improvement.
Meanwhile, in Swords, the Pavilions Shopping Centre and local secondary school, Colaiste Choilm, were found to be well maintained, but three of the four approach roads let down the town’s overall performance.
Dublin North Senator Brendan Ryan (Lab) welcomed the news that both Swords and Balbriggan had scored so highly.
“Local Tidy Towns groups and Fingal County Council staff are to be congratulated for the improvements,” said Senator Ryan.
“Swords in particular has come on in leaps and bounds, having scored a dismal 48 in last year’s surveys and earning the status of ‘Seriously Littered’.”
Meanwhile, the survey found that a site in Drumcondra – behind the Cian Park industrial area – was badly neglected and used for dumping. It was deemed to be a litter blackspot.

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