Tidy Towns Competition 2007

                                           Adjudication Report

                                   Centre:    Newbridge                                                          Ref:    369

                                  County:    Kildare                                                               Mark:    268

                               Category:    G                                                                    Date(s):    16/06/2007

                                                                                                                Maximum                     Mark

                                                                                                                    Mark                 Awarded 2007

                                       Overall Development Approach                      50                             44

                                               The Built Environment                               50                             35

                                                       Landscaping                                       50                             37

                                        Wildlife and Natural Amenities                       50                             30

                                                        Litter Control                                       50                             25

                                                 Waste Minimisation                                 20                             14

                                                           Tidiness                                           30                             15

                                                   Residential Areas                                  40                             28

                                       Roads, Streets and Back Areas                      50                             33

                                                 General Impression                                10                               7

                                                       TOTAL MARK                                     400                           268

      Overall Development Approach:

      Newbridge is welcome to the 2007 National Tidy Towns Competition.  Thank you for your submission, which

      includes a comprehensive plan of action for the Tidy Towns Committee, we wish you well in its

      implementation.  Well done on your partnership approach with your local authority and on the interaction with

      both business interests and schools in the town.  Thank you for your suggestions that all Tidy Towns groups

      adopt a Safety Statement, you will be pleased to note that the Tidy Towns Handbook is being updated.

      The Built Environment:

      Well done on your liaison with developers in an effort to upgrade the landscaping element of their properties. 

      Your work on the issue of undeveloped and derelict sites to bring about improvements in these is noted as are

      your submissions to the planning authority regarding various building developments and the Draft Area Action

      Plan for the town centre.  It is good to note your involvement on future developments for the town centre and

      your proactive approach in monitoring planning applications.  The White Water Shopping Centre is a fine

      example of 21st century architecture of which no doubt the community is proud together with its civic space

      and has been considered for the Architectural Award and the Sustainable Development Award.  The Liffey

      Bridge was seen for the first time by this adjudicator this year and was greatly admired.  It is good to note that

      Penny’s have received permission to demolish and rebuild their store as both this and the post office premises

      look quite dated.  Encourage retailers to give some thought to the positioning of posters in windows and doors

      as their thoughtless positioning can ruin an otherwise good presentation.  Retailers might also be encouraged

      to feature internal lighting at night together with open lattice security shutters if shutters are thought to be

      necessary as this brings life to the street when businesses are closed and enhances the streetscape.  More

      could be achieved for the presentation of the Tougher petrol station and the Ballymany Shopping Centre.  

      The Credit Union premises has also been considered for the Architectural Award.

      Landscaping:

      The northern entrance into Newbridge is magnificently presented with its neatly trimmed grass verges backed

      by mature well-maintained hedgerow, which in turn is backed by stands of mature trees.  The southern

      entrance is less well presented and on adjudication day looked a little overgrown.  Try to achieve a similar

      standard for grass banks along this entrance as has been achieved at the Ballymany Manor Estate, as the

      entrance here is quite stunning.  Landscaping to the roadside of the Railway Station looks well, it is now time

      to landscape its car park and general curtilage area.  The flowerbed at the Garda Station is beautiful. Well

      done on your Newbridge in Bloom initiative.  Your 95 planted containers on the streets of the town were

      admired and a word of thanks to the sponsors who facilitated this initiative.

      Wildlife and Natural Amenities:

      Your Riverside Park is exceptional in terms of design and maintenance and was being thoroughly enjoyed at

      the time of adjudication, it has been considered for the Waterside Award.  Well done on steps taken in the

      Liffeyside Amenity Area to enhance wildlife and support a diversity of wildlife habitats.  We note the provision

      of bird boxes, wildflower/grass meadow.  Your path replacement and new seating installation together with the

      new security fencing is acknowledged. We wish you well with projects planned under this heading particularly

      the proposed urban forest.   Do keep us up to date on this development.  We are also interested in the

      proposed habitat survey of the town and its environment. 

      Litter Control:

      Litter control was excellent on the day of adjudication, which given the amount of shoppers and how busy the

      town was is quite an achievement.  Well done on your list of suggested sites for the installation of new litter

      bins and on your education programme to promote anti litter awareness.  Your Litter Abatement Plan sounds

      interesting.  Well done also on your participation in National Spring Clean. We wish you every success in

      acquiring a fulltime litter warden for Newbridge and in your proposed activities for the future.  It was good to

      note the litter free status of the town park.  Appreciation is extended to the school authorities and the students

      for their proactive approach in relation to litter. 

      Waste Minimisation:

      Your request to have a Civic Amenity Site located in the town area is noted.  Your promotion of recycling,

      waste minimisation and energy conservation on your web site is acknowledged also, as is your Small Change

      Programme.  Hopefully the Chamber’s Corporate and Social Responsibility project will bring about good

      practice.  We wish you  success in your projects planned under this heading.  Your recycling banks were

      neatly presented during adjudication.  Well done to those schools who are participating in the Green Flag

      Schools programme and congratulations to the five primary schools who have achieved Green Flag status.  It

      is good to note that your segregate litter after cleanups for recycling.  Everyone involved in waste minimisation

      is to be commended.

      Tidiness:

      Your efforts to have unsympathetic advertising signage removed is commendable and we note your activities

      regarding graffiti particularly in the park area.  Your lobbying for an enhanced traffic management plan to be

      implemented in the town centre is appropriate.  Well done also on the upgrading of street name signage.  We

      look forward to the fruits of your work regarding the path at St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland.  It will take many

      years for the overhead wire scape to be ducted but this is a difficulty you have in common with many other

      communities.  A number of sites need better enclosure to their roadside boundary. 

      Residential Areas:

      As noted above, landscaping which marks the entrance to Ballymany Manor is impressive.  The older town

      centre dwellings are full of character and are part of Newbridge’s heritage, most are well presented.   

      Beautifully maintained green areas to roadside boundary walls on the road to the railway station were

      admired.  We note from your submission that there are 8,000 new homes in Newbridge, which is a lot for a

      relatively small town to assimilate over a short period of time, no doubt your regular contact with residents

      associations is effective in assimilating new residents into the Tidy Towns effort. Your Tree Purchase Scheme

      is an excellent idea and it is good to note that it is used to purchase mature native species for planting within

      estates. 

      Roads, Streets and Back Areas:

      Reference has already been made to your new bridge, which is a magnificent achievement, and enhances the

      townscape.  Also noted above was the excellent presentation of the northern approach road in terms of

      landscaping and the suggestion for improvements to the southern entrance.  The railway station is well

surfaced and neatly presented.  Road signs might be provided.  Well done on improvement works to roads

      and footpaths over the winter months 2005 to 2006 and again in 2007 and it is appreciated that the council

      redirects the proceeds of pay parking to improvement works around the town.  On adjudication day, some

      stretches of kerb along the main street were broken.  Of the side streets, Charlotte Street was the best

      presented in terms of being litter free, well surfaced and uncluttered; the greenery on buildings is a nice

      feature.  In contrast, Robert Street looked quite scruffy whilst Limerick Lane and Henry Street were reasonably

      well presented.  Street furniture including street lighting looked well in general.  Well done on cycle lanes also. 

      General Impression:

      There is a great vitality in the town of Newbridge and this coupled with the new developments such as the

      bridge and the White Water Centre makes Newbridge a town to enjoy under all circumstances.