Drogheda’s litter problem improves but PPE a big issue

Drogheda’s litter problem has improved in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) figures, climbing up 10 places from the last dismal ranking of 31st in the country.

It had ranked in the top ten in 2018, but COVID PPE has proved a serious problem.

The first nationwide litter survey by the business group since the COVID-19 crisis shows Drogheda regaining clean status but Dundalk and Navan are both deemed ‘moderately littered’ in the bottom half of the ranking of 40 areas across the country.

The survey showed PPE litter – disposable masks and gloves - to be widespread and the worst blackspot for litter in the town remains at the vacant Westgate House at the junction of Narrow West Street and the Bridge of Peace. The Taisce report for Drogheda said there was ‘a welcome improvement for Drogheda, with seven of the ten sites surveyed receiving the top litter grade’.

‘ These included the approach roads, the River Bank, West Street (very attractive streetscape) and Old Abbey Lane, which deserves a special mention as it has been transformed into a lovely environment from a pretty poor state some years ago,’ stated the report.

‘By far the most heavily littered site was ‘Westgate House’ a derelict building which had heavy accumulations of a wide variety of litter.’

An Taisce, who carried out the survey, deemed 23 towns nationwide to be ‘clean’, a fall of over 20% on last year. The number of towns reaching the highest cleanliness level – Cleaner than European Norms - dropped by a quarter to 9, with Kilkenny edging out Athlone, Killarney and Portlaoise at the top of the rankings. While no area was branded a ‘ litter blackspot’, North Inner City Dublin was once again seriously littered, as was Galvone in Limerick City, which fell back from last year.

Drogheda fared slightly better than our neighbours in Dundalk, which ranked 28th.

‘It is disappointing to see Dundalk fail to make clean status, having been a top ten performer two years ago,’ added the report. ‘Five of the sites surveyed got the top litter grade, with two seriously littered ones and the remainder were moderately littered.