Tidy Towns Competition 2013
Adjudication Report
Centre: Ballymore Eustace Ref: 357
County: Kildare Mark: 290
Category: B Date(s): 03/07/2013
Maximum Mark Mark
Mark Awarded Awarded
2012 2013
Overall Development Approach 50 38 39
The Built Environment 50 37 38
Landscaping 50 39 40
Wildlife and Natural Amenities 50 36 37
Litter Control 50 35 36
Sustainable Waste And Resource Mgt. 20 10 11
Tidiness 30 17 17
Residential Areas 40 32 32
Roads, Streets and Back Areas 50 32 32
General Impression 10 8 8
TOTAL MARK 400 284 290
Overall Development Approach:
Ballymore Eustace is welcomed to the TidyTowns Competition for 2013. Thank you for your entry, map and copy of your new three year plan and supporting documentation which was very helpful to the adjudicator.Your group of six people as per photograph (looking very happy together with a core of volunteers) are working well with Kildare County Council, Fas and other relevant agencies that supply you with support and assistance.
You communicate well with the community through newspapers and media. Try using social media, texting and email as it will save you time. The local businesses and community play a necessary part in the committees work and their support and sponsorship is a vital ingredient to your success. Thank you for your positive
feedback on the competition and the importance of the TidyTowns competition to the village. Increasing membership to the committee can be a difficult task with many groups, but once continuous support from volunteers and the community is on-going the group will succeed. Wishing you well with your calendar of events
and in particular the forthcoming gathering, a reunion of old school pupils is wished success.
The Built Environment:
The Built Environment of the village is made up of a mix of old and new buildings all blending well to make an attractive streetscape. Your work on unoccupied buildings has made the streetscape neat and tidy and much more presentable. Market square is an important part of the town structure featuring a nice water feature
and is well landscaped. St. Johns Church of Ireland and graveyard looked well. The Thatch Restaurant with nice window boxes looked bright and welcoming. Other pleasant buildings included the Village Store, Health Centre and the Credit Union. The Church and Montessori School beside were well presented. The Parish Centre another important facility for the community together with the School, all was well landscaped, neat and tidy. The village pump which is an important feature of most towns and villages also adds splendour to the streetscape.
Landscaping:
The Landscaping throughout the village at Market Square with the water feature and landscaping of the Boat at the Liffey Bridge looked superb. The Kilcullen Naas Road has a nice green area with pleasant bedding on the corner; wild flowers in this area were also admired. Barrack Street is a particularly nice street with planting and trees. The many window boxes and hanging baskets, the permanent and summer bedding plants which are part of the village landscape were noted and admired. Looking at the photographs submitted with your entry the village looks very colourful during Autumn/Winter. This type of planting is encouraged by the TidyTowns together with the planting of trees and hedging. Well done to the winner of the best small garden in your competition which is situated at St. Brigids Park.
Wildlife and Natural Amenities:
The walk along the river is a lovely amenity for the community. Entering the walk from Assumpta Terrace the adjudicator had a pleasurable walk along the river enjoying the nature of the river and the surrounds. The proposed new wildlife interpretive signage for the river walk would add greatly to this lovely amenity. The
wildflowers were also noted as was the wildlife on the river. This is also an excellent facility for Scoil Mhuire and do include the schools in any future heritage or nature trails been developed.
Litter Control:
Litter in an on-going problem and hard to combat. Creating awareness in the community and working with the schools is the right approach. Conducting clean-ups in spring which include the community and school are important and also regular litter picks during the summer gets everyone involved. Some groups have an “Adopt a road” with volunteers responsible for that road and it is working well. The ‘clean-up after your dog’ signs were also noted. On day of adjudication very little litter was noticed, with just a small amount in the square. Well done on your work in this category.
Sustainable Waste And Resource Management:
Well done to the school on their achievements in the Green Schools Initiative. The community are working closely with the school in reducing waste and this can help create awareness on the whole issue of waste. The results of the survey should indicate areas where waste could be reduced. The TidyTowns handbook offers useful information in this area. Food is one of the areas where waste could be reduced. Resource management in the areas of water, energy and transport can bring savings to the community. Continue the work you are doing in this category concentrating on the top of the pyramid and look at ways of reducing.
Tidiness:
Some area of untidiness was noticed, nothing too major. Weed growth at kerbs and car park gives an untidy look. In the square there was a sliding door which needs painting. Across from Barrack Street railing or barrier needs painting, also 50km sign needs attention. The bottle banks were reasonably tidy. The work at Ball Alley entrance and Old Mill piers was noted. Well done also on work at Assumpta Terrace, paling and hedging looks neat and tidy. Road surfaces on the Baltinglass Road and the Church Road were uneven.
Residential Areas:
The many areas of housing visited were admired. Liffey Heights /Liffey Court were all well maintained as was Assumpta Terrace which was well presented. There were some lovely houses with nice window boxes and hanging baskets such as Hillcrest. Barrack Street had lovely well maintained houses with nice landscaping.
Rose Cottage and the house with the blue door looked well. There was a lovely mix of single storey and two storey houses all adding their own uniqueness to the streetscape of the village. Well done to all the residents for their work in this category, it shows they have pride in the village.
Roads, Streets and Back Areas:
As stated under tidiness there are some uneven road surfaces. The resurfacing of Main Street was noted as was the new footpath and pedestrian lights near the school. Approach roads were well presented with neat grass verges. Kilcullen/Naas Road had some nice bedding and wildflowers. Nameplate signs for the village need to be put in place on all roads into the village.
General Impression:
Ballymore Eustace was a pleasure to visit and has the potential to progress further in the competition. Thank you for participating and you are wished continued success.
Tidy Towns Competition 2012
Adjudication Report
Centre: Ballymore Eustace Ref: 357
County: Kildare Mark 284
Category: B Date(s) 21/06/2012
Maximum Mark Mark
Mark Awarded Awarded
2011 2012
Overall Development Approach 50 38 38
The Built Environment 50 36 37
Landscaping 50 39 39
Wildlife and Natural Amenities 50 36 36
Litter Control 50 34 35
Tidiness 30 17 17
Waste Minimisation 20 10 10
Residential Areas 40 32 32
Roads, Streets and Back Areas 50 32 32
General Impression 10 8 8
Total Mark 400 282 284
Overall Development Approach:
Welcome Ballymore Eustace TidyTowns Group to the 2012 TidyTowns competition. Your entry is very much appreciated.
Your entry form is concise and the additional document that accompanied your entry form made interesting reading. Your current 3 year plan runs until the end of this year so your next 3 year plan will be from 2013 – 2015. If you do any work from the end of this year’s competition in September next then include it as valid for the 2013 competition. Please include a copy of your new 3 year plan with next year’s entry form.
We note that your committee now has 5 members, a small enough number to tackle all of the work you have planned. Your committee meetings are adequate for your needs and we note that you are a sub-committee of the Ballymore Eustace Community Development Association.
The agencies and organisations from which you get support are diverse, which is good.
You use appropriate local media to communicate. Please enclose copies of newsletters, press cuttings, etc. that mention your TidyTowns activities with your entry. These may be taken into account when marks are being decided and will be returned to you when the competition is over.
Your engagement with the school is very good. The pupils can be a very useful resource to your Tidy Towns group.
You are fortunate to have such generous financial supporters. Well done to all of them.
Your events are noted.
The Built Environment:
The repairs to Pinkeen Bridge were seen. Well done. Clearing the roots and improving the walk were also noted. This adjudicator used the steps to get to the walk and thanks you for repairing the handrail.
Maintenance of street furniture, landscaping, etc. is of a high order.
Ballymore Eustace is a very pleasant village and its public buildings and other buildings of note are well presented. The Millennium Garden would grace any village or town and is very well maintained. The Millennium Garden also merits comment in the Tidiness and Roads, Streets and Back Areas categories.
St. John’s C. of I. and cemetery are important attractions, particularly for the 2 High Crosses. All are well presented, neat and tidy. The information board was read with interest. The old stone walls were admired.
The gate was unlocked which was very trusting given the references in your entry to vandalism.
Church of the Immaculate Conception is in a key location in the village. It was well presented, neat, tidy.
The Parish Centre looked well and had 2 raised flower beds adding summer colour. Scoil Mhuire was flying its Green Flag and its grounds were neat, tidy and well maintained. No litter. The Garda Station is well presented. The cottages on Barrack Street are eye catching with hanging baskets and flower pots.
Landscaping:
The iconic landscaping feature is the rowing boat high and dry in its raised flower bed beside the bridge. It has a good floral display as cargo. There is nice landscaping at the Naas/Kilcullen Roads junction. Around the village there were planters with lots of flowers adding summer colour. Landscaping on approach roads will be dealt with in the Roads, Streets and Back Areas category. Your tree planting on the Kilcullen/Mount Cashel road was seen. You have a high maintenance workload which is often overlooked by visitors, and possibly some locals, when they stop to admire your landscaping.
Wildlife and Natural Amenities:
This adjudicator did the River Liffey Walk. The damage caused by such a small stream is awesome. It is an excellent amenity and hopefully it will be restored as soon as possible. Your wildlife flower planting along the walk is commended. The guided nature trail and heritage trail walks with the Scoil Mhuire pupils is also commended.
Litter Control:
The new “Clean up after your dog” and “No dumping” signs were seen. Litter outside shop on Chapel Street.
As mentioned earlier, please enclose with your entry form articles in the newsletter dealing with litter control.
Your clean up sessions and litter patrols are having the desired effect. There was very little litter in evidence in Ballymore Eustace on adjudication day. In your next TidyTowns entry please let us know the frequency of your litter controls. Well done to all involved.
Tidiness:
This adjudicator concurs with the comments made by last year’s adjudicator that the direction signs on the pole at the Millennium Garden be relocated. They are obscured by trees and each other and are an eyesore, detracting from the Millennium Garden, one of the key features in the village.
The Recycling Centre was clean and tidy. Handball Alley was also clean and tidy. No litter. The blue hoarding on Main Street is unfortunate. Unfinished developments are a blight on many towns and villages but are a national problem and not the responsibility of TidyTowns groups. The presence of these unfinished developments do not have an adverse impact on your marks.
Barrack Street – bollards need to be cleaned.
Direction signs at the Poulaphouca approach road junction need to be cleaned.
Waste Minimisation:
Please consult the TidyTowns handbook for advice and tips on this category. The first action point given on the entry form for this category is “Promotion of best practice”. TidyTown groups are expected to be proactive in communicating with their community, both villagers and retailers, the principles of waste minimisation. The waste pyramid used in the entry form to illustrate the relative importance of each option shows that recycling is a less favoured option than minimisation. Minimisation is about reducing the amount of material, including food, that enters Ballymore Eustace and ends up as waste. It also includes reducing consumption of energy, water, etc. Use the parish newsletter and any other communications method available to you. Ask the TidyTowns Unit for the booklet Race against Waste. A useful web site is www.stopfoodwaste.ie.
You published a recycling information sheet please enclose a copy with next year’s entry form as it will be of interest to the adjudicator.
The Household Waste Survey carried out in conjunction with Kildare County Council and Scoil Mhuire pupils was an excellent initiative. Please say in next year’s entry form what action, if any, is being taken as a result of the survey’s findings.
Residential Areas:
Many of the projects you list in this category are more appropriate to other categories and have already been dealt with e.g. River Liffey Walk, damage to Pinkeen Bridge, vandalised hand rail, etc.
Residential areas seen by the adjudicator include:
Hillcrest – very well presented residential cul-de-sac. Grassed areas well maintained. Well done to all.
Residences on Chapel Street are well presented. Cottages on Barrack Street are eye catching.
Assumpta Terrace/St Bridget’s Park – these are hidden gems of Ballymore Eustace. Good landscaping.
Grassed areas well maintained. Some of the houses have attractive floral displays despite all of the rain this summer. Well done to all concerned.
Liffey Heights Court: grassed area well maintained. Some planters. Neat, tidy, no litter.
Roads, Streets and Back Areas:
Some of the road surfaces in Ballymore Eustace are poor including those near the Millennium Garden, a key feature in the village.
Footpath improvements noted.
Approach road from Poulaphouca: “Welcome to” stone and black and white village name sign on a nicely landscaped area at the junction, they combine to create a very good first impression of the village. It is a pity about the disused commercial premises nearby which is an eyesore.
Bishophill Road approach: residences on this road are very well presented. The adjudicator noticed an old red waterpump on the road side. Very good first impression. Road surface poor.
Approach on Coughlanstown Road: No Ballymore Eustace village sign. Well kept verges.
Naas Road approach: “Welcome to” sign on grass verge. Young trees. Not a great first impression.
L6053: no speed limit sign to define TidyTowns boundary. KTK Ltd entrance enhances the overall first impression.
Kilcullen Road approach: No village name sign.
Baltinglass Road approach: No village name sign. Used speed limit sign to mark TidyTowns boundary.
Average first impression.
General Impression:
The issues raised in your entry form have been noted and many have been commented on elsewhere in this report.
Ballymore Eustace TidyTowns Group has made further progress in the TidyTowns Competition. We look forward to receiving your new three year plan and your entry into the 2013 TidyTowns Competition.
Thank you Ballymore Eustace TidyTowns Group.
Tidy Towns Competition 2008
Adjudication Report
Centre: Ballymore Eustace Ref: 357
County: Kildare Mark: 262
Category: B Date(s): 07/07/2008
Max.Mark | Mark 2008 | |
Overall Development Approach | 50 | 33 |
The Built Environment | 50 | 35 |
Landscaping | 50 | 38 |
Wildlife and Natural Amenities | 50 | 34 |
Litter Control | 50 | 32 |
Waste Minimisation | 20 | 5 |
Tidiness | 30 | 16 |
Residential Areas | 40 | 30 |
Roads, Streets and Back Areas | 50 | 31 |
General Impression | 10 | 8 |
Total Mark | 400 | 262 |
Overall Development Approach:
NOTE : You were in Category C last year. You have applied for Category B this year. This is correct, as your population is within the B Category threshold as per Census 2006.
Go raibh maith agaibh go leir! Thank you to Ballymore Eustace TidyTowns and to the community you represent for having given selflessly of your time in working towards entering Ballymore Eustace in this 50th anniversary year of the TidyTowns Competition!
Ballymore Eustace is a small village with a good number of people involved on your committee. Your submission has been put together in a very professional format. It is most interesting, and informative, clear and extensive. You have drawn on the resources of many bodies, agencies and local businesses, including your local authority. You list these for us in your submission. Obviously they hold your group in high regard. You have an extensive media coverage organised. Thank you for letting us have copies of relevant media coverage. We hope that you communicate with all churches attended by any of your residents. Well done on your website. Thank you for submitting your five year plan. It is a pity that you did not detail the consultation process involved in drawing up your Plan. We assume that you held public meetings in this regard, but this is not clear from your submission, nor is it clear from the plan itself. We assume that you have launched your plan. We hope that it was well received. You appear to have listed specific projects for 2008 and 2009 only, with the rest included as "ongoing", presumably 2008-2013. Your school is a great resource for you. Thank you for enclosing the happy photograph of all your great helpers at Scoil Mhuire! We note your concern with the paperwork. We think that you have done "overtime” in this area! As you are starting out with a new plan, and as you are therefore engaging in a lot of paperwork now, the load should lessen. We hasten to say that it is appreciated and has helped us as adjudicators get to know the village well. The fact that it has all been submitted in A4 format has made it easier to use, and the fact that it is so well presented is also to your credit. So you can tell your members that it has been worth the effort! Your festivals are diverse, and you appear to have the edge on other places in Kildare when it comes to attracting in visitors with the festivals you can access. Thank you for submitting a clear map in your plan. However individual projects might be highlighted on a larger scaled map.