Arklow 10th Cleanest On Litter Report
Arklow has been named in 10th place out of 40 towns and cities surveyed and cleaner than European norms in the latest IBAL report. Seven out of ten sites surveyed in Arklow received the top litter grade with no heavily littered sites.
A clothing bank at Arklow Leisure Centre where dumping was found in an earlier survey has since been completely removed. Top ranking sites included the approach roads, Bridgewater Shopping Centre, Arklow Town Centre (beautifully presented and maintained), and the residential area of St. John’s Villas/John Paul Avenue.
A full breakdown of each site detail was included in the report. Congratulations to Arklow Tidy Towns who work relentlessly to keep Arklow clean.
R772 Approach from N11 – Dublin direction: Grade A
Lovely marine-related features welcome any visitors to Arklow travelling along this route e.g. lighthouse feature/old boat used as a large planter box etc. The freshly laid bicycle path looked well, and the drinking water fountain was a welcome addition. The whole route was excellent with regard to litter.
Coolgreaney Approach Road: Grade A
This route creates an excellent first impression of Arklow. The recently laid road/markings/paving add to the overall freshness of the route. The colourful premises on the left-hand side closer to the town were a lovely feature. A Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) poster on the right-hand side ‘takes away the bare look’ of boarded-up premises, while also conveying the SDG message.
Upper Main Street/Main Street: Grade B+
This long stretch of road has experienced a high number of closed down/vacant/derelict premises but clearly, a very careful eye is kept on them as there was no litter directly associated with them. Efforts to reduce the visual impact of the same have been made (to good effect) by painting ‘fake facades’ etc. The overall impression was generally very good with regards to litter – not much effort is required for top litter grade.
Bridgewater Shopping Centre: Grade A
All aspects of this large shopping centre environment were presented very well and were in excellent condition – there was a complete absence of litter throughout. Attractive planter boxes at the various entrances were welcoming features.
Arklow Riverwalk: Grade B
A lovely riverside environment, some of it recently re-paved and fresh looking, with attractive wooden seating. Children’s artwork lined one stretch of the walk and there was informative illustrated Biodiversity signage. Main litter items were food-related, along with cigarette packaging and other miscellaneous substances on the ground. One of the life-belt stands was lying on the ground.
Arklow Town Centre: Grade A
A beautifully paved and attractive town centre environment with lovely wooden seating, attractive landscaping and the opportunity to refill water bottles. There was a complete absence of litter in this area.
Arklow Train Station: Grade A
There were no litter issues at the ‘unmanned’ train station. The station platform was adorned with ‘Past Tracks’ historical information by Turtle Bunbury. The colourful mosaic ‘FAILTE’ feature looked very well. The station platforms/car park were very good with regards to litter.
Deposit Return Scheme, Lidl: Grade A
This facility was absolutely spotless.
R772 Approach – Wexford: Grade B+
Significant road works were still underway/impacting the flow of traffic along this busy route. Any visible litter items were not in the immediate vicinity of the road works but slightly closer to Arklow town. A couple of planted and colourful roundabouts (sponsored) were welcoming features.
St. John’s Villas/John Paul Avenue: Grade A
A series of interconnecting residential roads with no obvious signs of litter. Playground/PE equipment at the entrances appeared in good order. Communal grass areas were well maintained. Overall, this site was very much deserving of the top litter grade.
