In the wake of the recent Irish Businesses Against Litter League (IBAL) report which saw Drogheda being classified in the “heavily littered” category, Drogheda Tidy Towns have come up with a five-year plan to fight back on illegal dumping.
They hit the ground running this weekend with large clean ups in various locations in the town.
The IBAL report indicated issues around areas such as main approach roads into the town and other areas where illegal dumping is being carried out including at Recycling facilities at locations in Palace Street and Mell.
The IBAL report produced a clear response from organisations across the town and this energy and drive to fight back against the illegal dumping and littering is being harnessed by Drogheda Tidy Towns to affect a real response with actions counting for more than words.
In the days following the IBAL report, the Chair of Drogheda Tidy Towns, Councillor Kevin Callan, has been meeting with multiple groups and the Council to put together a long-term plan that will work to keep targeting the areas most badly affected by illegal dumping.
“This town belongs to all of us” Cllr. Callan said, ” but 1% of the people doing the illegal dumping are causing our town, our community to be deemed a heavily littered place, this is simply not on and we are going to work together to start the fight back and we have already started, there can be no excuses, no delays, we need to start and lead by example”.
“We have taken some serious first steps in terms of larger scale clean ups on entry roads like the Donore Road where a mix of Tidy Town volunteers, Drogheda Chamber, Council, and local citizens have come out to help us. On Sunday we were also joined by Mayor James Byrne and Chamber President Robert Murray”.
“The plan will be to bring in all of the people who can assist with an overall plan which will be 8n place for the next five years, will focus in on dumping black spots and get us to the point where we can all be on top of the problem.
“We also need people to start reporting illegal dumping at places like our recycling centres at Mell and Palace Street where we are severely criticised for the dumping which is being done daily.
“There are a number of areas including the town centre where we will work with the Love Drogheda BIDS and Drogheda Chamber, schools, residential groups and local volunteers, together we can do it and together we will do it.
“The plan we are working on will be launched this side of Christmas and the public will be given the chance to have their input. It will aim to address the issues we are currently seeing causing Drogheda to be deemed heavily littered.”
