Agency staff in to ease litter crisis
Litter and abandoned shopping trolleys at Sany Row off Meadow Lane. INPT11-224
CRAIGAVON Council has agreed to bring in agency staff in a bid to solve the litter crisis across the borough.
Councillors voted to bring in agency staff after highlighting a number of litter blackspots, including several in the Portadown area.
The Meadow Lane area of the town is particularly bad, according to Councillor Darryn Causby.
The state of the car park was atrocious,” he said. “We should write to Roads Service to make sure they have appropriate and adequate bin provision.”
Sydney Anderson, who proposed bringing in agency staff, described the borough as “one big litter bin”.
“I was driving around at the weekend and it seems to be getting worse,” he added. “I remember a similar situation last year. We need to get the borough back into some sort of shape. Chip bags, cartons and plastic bags are everywhere.”
Mayor, Councillor Carla Lockhart suggested that handcarts could be introduced to the village areas,
“I am very keen to see them and we should seriously look at them for village area,” she added.
Director of Environmental Services, Mrs Lorraine Crawford, said the litter problem does grow at this time of the year with staff taking their annual leave and agency staff having to be brought in to help out.
Councillor Gemma McKenna said they had to remember that prevention is better than cure and they should try to bring civic pride back to Craigavon through schools and community groups.
Mr Anderson complained that at this time of the year they ended up with a dirty borough and proposed that agency workers should be employed to get the borough clean.
Councillor Kenneth Twyble said he had been through the streets of Lurgan and Portadown and was alarmed at the state of untidiness.
Mr Anderson added it just did not relate to just a few streets but the borough needed cleaned. “Bring in staff and after that try and keep it clean with the staff we have,” he said.
Mrs Crawford said that previously they brought in four to six agency staff to hit the hot spots. Some places were cleaned on daily basis, others once a week and others once a fortnight but they could do everywhere on a daily basis.
Mr Anderson’s proposal that the council bring in agency staff was agreed.
“It is not an option to do nothing,” he added. “Let’s get the borough cleaned.”
What are the worst areas for littering in the Portadown area? Let us know by texting to 84555, starting with PTTTEXT and then a space.
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Weather for Portadown
Wednesday 22 May 2013
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