Tidy Towns Competition 2011 Adjudication Report Centre:
Ballymun
County:
Dublin(City)
Category:
G
Ref:
854
Mark:
256
Date(s):
24/06/2011
Maximum Mark
Mark Awarded 2010
Mark Awarded 2011
Overall Development Approach
50
43
43
The Built Environment
50
33
33
Landscaping
50
32
33
Wildlife and Natural Amenities
50
31
32
Litter Control
50
26
26
Waste Minimisation
20
17
16
Tidiness
30
11
12
Residential Areas
40
28
28
Roads, Streets and Back Areas
50
26
27
General Impression
10
7
6
TOTAL MARK
400
254
256
Overall Development Approach: Thank you to Ballymun TidyTowns Committee for entering the TidyTowns Competition for 2011. Thank you for your submission and for the supplementary material supplied. You seem to have a very representative group on your committee. One found it difficult to measure the amount of voluntary work in your answer to the question on voluntary commitment. When you say that the ‘momentum of the TidyTowns Competition continues to grow’ do you mean among the residents of Ballymun or among the various agencies. One is glad to ready that you have ready sources of funding. Your profile in the community through the annual competitions is one of the best methods of keeping your work in the public eye. Your involvement with the schools through GAP is also important so that the pupils become aware of the rich biodiversity in Ballymun and that they become involved in the practice of waste minimisation. The practices they learn at school will be brought home to older generations. Hopefully you will run out of wall space sooner than you expect for your awards. This adjudicator would wish you to restrict the amount of material you submit for 2012. Your entry, maps that will assist the adjudicator to navigate the area to be surveyed, your 3 Year Plan are sufficient material for the adjudicator to work with. Use bulletin points to answer questions. This will keep the answers relevant and concise. At times it is difficult to access the required answer from the essay style used.
The Built Environment: In experiencing the new regenerated and rejuvenated Ballymun it is clear that a blind eye must be turned to what are now relics of an older stage in the development of the town and turn to the hopeful new age. That new era is evident along the skyline in Ballymun. Ballymun town centre represents the street of a modern Ireland. Glass reflects the beautiful sunshine on its brightened surroundings. The landscaping, the paved plaza, individual spectacular design of various buildings reinforce the image of the modern town. One looks forward to when the area behind this dream world will also be updated as older areas cannot maintain pace with the daring on mainstreet.
Landscaping: Poppintree Park is a delightful place, trees, acres and acres of ground, kids playing, people walking, people running, paths all over, people cycling, great maintenance. The town centre is well served with planting and landscaping, all very attractive. The adjudicator feels that another landscaping highlight was at Coultry Park. An absolutely delightful design with lots of texture and colour. Some open spaces in the estates would benefit from a programme of tree planting and in some cases where the planting has taken place from tree maintenance.
Wildlife and Natural Amenities: The project that caught the imagination of the adjudicator was simple enough but so worthwhile, naming the trees out in Poppintree Park. The adjudicator also loved the flyer on ‘Wild About Gardens’ but wondered about its relevance to most of the population of Ballymun. Your activities for biodiversity week should raise awareness of the wildlife of Ballymun among the residents. Creation of vegetable plots sounds like a real hands-on method of getting residents involved in the biodiversity of their area. Slí na Sláinte trail is also commended as a way of using the environment to get exercise.
Litter Control: One sympathises with your committee in the matter of litter control. Reading of your efforts and the difficulties faced make difficult reading. Littering is a major contagion all over the town no matter where one travels. One hopes that litter awareness strategies in the schools will eventually impact on the conduct of the students and of their parents. On a number of occasions your literature mentions parental education as a weakness in SWOT analysis. One’s hopes rest in the inculcation of new ways of operating among the younger generation.
Waste Minimisation: Your submission is exhaustive in describing the many waste management and waste minimisation enterprises in the Ballymun community. Well done. The adjudicator is delighted to read of schools involvement in the green school movement. One is really taken by the battery collection points, by the segregation of waste collected in clean ups, by Bring Centres, by the composters which the adjudicator did not visit. What material is composted and how is it collected? Do not confuse waste minimisation and waste management. Waste management is the function of the Fingal County Council. The emphasis in TidyTowns is on the minimisation and elimination of that waste. For the coming year consider the idea of the green home so that domestic waste reduction receives most attention. Also visit the stopfoodwaste website. As a waste minimisation exercise for next year this adjudicator requests that you reduce the weight of your submission.
Tidiness: Out on mainstreet all is divine from a tidiness viewpoint. In many estates the same is true. The shopping area housing the AIB needs an uplift to enhance its surroundings. Poppintree Park fulfils all of the elements required for a tidy appearance. But this Ballymun town is a big area. Vast expanses have to be covered if kerbs are to remain weed free, if grass is not to be allowed grow wispy and untidy, if graffiti is to be immediately removed. There is a need for active participation by the local communities if each individual estate is to be maintained to a high standard. The presence of graffiti in so many areas creates a negative impression and appearance. To what extent can locals take on the battle with the graffiti artist? One has the sense that the local population must be empowered if Ballymun is to retain its present standard. Hence the importance of local rivalry. One is pleased to read of the local involvement in your clean ups.
Residential Areas: As one drives through this new town one is struck by the building revolution that has taken place. Silogue Road or Crescent, Marewood Court or Tír na nOg are living proof that wonderful things have happened. Most places are well presented. Others need a helping hand. The tidiness section deals with these challenges. Right in the heart of the town centre one finds Longdale Terrace and this development is in need of support. This estate led into Woodhazel Terrace which is an attractive estate with an amenity area for kids and a basketball court, plenty of open space and trees planted. Again there are tidiness issues and also litter. One supports your ‘Best’ initiatives as a way of involving residents in maintaining their area, in residents developing plans to improve the appearance of their estate and taking ownership of the appearance of their surroundings and taking responsibility for that appearance and for maintenance.
Roads, Streets and Back Areas: As Ballymun reinvents itself it also needs to proclaim its identity as proudly as possible. In a densely populated urban setting it is too easy to pass through Ballymun without realising it. It is also important that the identity of Ballymun is marked for the many residents. One hopes to see Ballymun name stones that represent the pride that the local community have in themselves and in their town.
represent the pride that the local community have in themselves and in their town.
General Impression: Ballymun represents the ideals of an era, the hopes of a generation that living conditions can be improved upon. Change has been a transformation. Yet despite that transformation in which buildings have replaced buildings the people are a constant. One feels that the ideals of TidyTowns must be driven by ordinary residents as much as by representatives of the many worthy organisations that work for the welfare of Ballymun. This adjudicator would like to see the submission for next year’s competition compiled by a non aligned person or group who would represent the image that ‘the man on the street’ has of Ballymun.