Portlaoise is 'clean to European norms'

Portlaoise has been evaluated as being clean to European norms in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) litter survey, coming joint 19th out of 40 Irish towns.

A slight drop from last year’s placing at number 17 should not detract from a generally positive performance this year, with most of the local locations looked at by the judges receiving either an A or a B grade.

'Portlaoise has maintained the improvement shown in recent surveys,' said the judges.

While the town was overall judged to be litter-free, one black spot identified by the adjudicators was the recycle facility at the motor tax office, where bags of rubbish were found to have been discarded.

'This was a poor site and by far the lowest ranking of those surveyed for IBAL,' said the report.

The recycle units at this facility are on wheels and not flush with the ground, thus allowing

accumulations of litter beneath the bins.

Very good sites included the Main Street, Church Street and Donaghmore Famine Workhouse Museum, the latter was particularly sensitively restored. These sites were not just clear of litter but well presented and maintained, and all scored a grade A.

Fitzmaurice Place was also graded A, with the amphitheatre seating area within this open space described as a lovely feature of Portlaoise.

The R445 and the N80 connecting road to Tullamore both secured a grade A.

The exterior of Portlaoise Train Station was grade B. There were scatterings of food related litter at this very quaint Victorian style train station. A couple of planter boxes at the entrance added a splash of colour.

The interior was grade A. All was in very good order within Portlaoise Train Station,it was neat, tidy and freshly presented. There was a complete absence of litter throughout.

And a derelict premises on the road to the station was given a grade B. Given the nature of this property litter has accumulated, veering towards a seriously littered site, said the judges.