Ballina Town Council vows to top litter-free league

Ballina Town Council vows to top litter-free league


Anton McNulty
antonmcnulty@mayonews.ie

Westport faces competition if it wants to remain the tidiest town in Mayo. Ballina Town Council has vowed to do everything in its power to help Ballina become the tidiest town before the abolition of town councils in 2014.
In the recent Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) National Litter League, Ballina was ranked the 4th of Ireland’s cleanest towns – its highest ever placing. Now it has its sights on the top spot, with the Town Council encouraged to make a ‘concerted’ effort to continue to improve the town’s image.
The motion was raised at last week’s monthly meeting of Ballina Town Council by Independent councillor Mary Kelly, who suggested that a plan should be put in place to help the town’s Tidy Towns committee, who she said do Trojan work for much a small group.
“The fact is we [Town Council] are going in 2014, and we should make a concerted effort to raise the marks for the competition. All the residents’ associations and traders should come together to plan from now to 2014.
“Wouldn’t it be great if 50 per cent of unemployed people who may be doing nothing and can’t get work, could give two hours a week to help tidy the town? It would be great if Ballina came out tops, and I think it is achievable,” she said.
Cllr Kelly added that there were small things in the litter report that brought Ballina’s ranking down, and she proposed that the council act on the report’s recommendations to increase its marks.
The proposal was supported by Cllr Peter Clarke, who said a plan should be put in place if the town wanted to go forward.
Cllr Johnny O’Malley said the Town Council gives €25,000 to Ballina Tidy Towns and up to €800 to residents’ associations to help tidy the town, and he asked what would happen to that funding when the Council is abolished.
Cllr Mark Winters said that achieving litter-free status shows what can be done when people work together, and Cllr Frances McAndrew said that if everyone took pride in their own area it would improve the tidiness of the town.

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