Committee hoping Drogheda will be winning prizes within five years
Public encouraged to have their say
Drogheda Tidy Towns Committee have come up with a plan of campaign which they hope will see the town among the winners of the National Tidy Towns Competition within five years.
Following last year’s negative reviews from the Irish Businesses Against Litter (IBAL) Survey which gave the town a low classification and was deeply critical of certain areas of the town, Drogheda Tidy Towns have initiated a number of efforts to combat illegal dumping.
In 2022 they are kicking off their works programme with a bold plan of action in which they aim for the town to be the winner in its regional category of the national competition in five years’ time.
The poor showing in the IBAL survey came despite the fact that Drogheda retained its gold medal in the National Tidy Towns competition, the town’s fourteenth gold medal in a row, and the input from the community was noted by the committee as being a major factor again in retaining the gold medal.
The committee have already briefed Louth County Council, the Mayor and Councillors, the business community on their plans and are now asking the public for its opinion on the plan and how it can be bettered to maximise the work plan for the coming years.
Drogheda is the largest town in Ireland and this is a massive challenge in terms of keeping on top of so many different areas and issues around illegal dumping and areas being neglected and littered in particular.
Speaking at the launch of the plan and website, Chairperson Kevin Callan said that Tidy Towns have many areas to focus on ranging from litter, street cleaning, public realm spaces, school and residents’ interaction, biodiversity, sustainability and much more.
“We are aiming high but that’s the only way to do this” Callan said, “to have a plan and structure that provides the opportunity for the people of the town to participate is the way to go.
“We have worked with many volunteers in a number of different areas for years and between us all we have yielded results like the Joe Stanley Garden, the Princess Grace Rose Garden and we are working on many projects.
“This plan will allow people to see exactly what areas we are focusing on and to get everyone’s views and opinions.”
The plan will be available throughout February at www.droghedatidytowns.com and everyone is encouraged to have a read and to have their say.
