Adjudication Report 2009
Overall
Development Approach:
Thank you for the typed up entry form and the substantial amount of support
material and thanks also for the map of the area. I note you have 9 people in
the core committee and up to 30 volunteers who give weekly assistance in
different projects. Great enthusiasm is evident when people give up some of
their spare time to attend meetings all the year round and especially in the
winter months, and also to assist with litter picking.
You are getting great support from Cork County Council, the Business
Association, Lions club, sports organisations and the resident’s associations.
The funding I observe is coming from the local business community and church
gate collections. You are getting your message across to the people, mainly
through the parish newsletters, but also through a lot of other means. It is
very positive that you have this relationship with the 7 local schools and have
supported their bids to attain the green flag status. Your experiences of the
competition makes very interesting reading. All of this means you have an
excellent approach to the competition.
The Built Environment:
The town is very well planned and laid out with the
new businesses blending in well with the traditional town structure. This is a
very busy town but the main street appears to be wide enough to accommodate the
huge amount of traffic. It is somewhat unfair to include some shops and leave
out others and I wish to only give a brief flavour of the business environment.
I admired Pratt’s Insurance, Ballincollig Shopping centre, the Library the
spacious community Hall, St John’s Boys School (Scoil Eoin). The Church of St
Mary & St John is a striking structure with impressive cut stone. The marketing
information centre at the entrance to Ballincollig Shopping Centre is a
spectacular stone building. I also admired the two Supervalu stores (Down’s &
Quish’s), Mary O’Connell’s Bar, Donie Dan’s Bar, Mc Eoins Jewellers, Boyle
Sports and O’Mahony Walsh Property Partners. Bank of Ireland and Harrington’s
pharmacy were also impressive.
Landscaping:
The town and surrounding areas were most impressive
with neat splashes of landscaping in a lot of areas. The trees along the main
street soften the visual impact of some buildings. And the trees along the sides
of the approach roads especially out from the Oriel House Hotel are wonderful
with some very eye-catching shows of different shrubs. The West End Roundabout
was particularly attractive. Good landscaping was noted outside Topaz. The
landscaping in Colaiste Choilm was most impressive. I admired the photographs in
your support material of the station road, the spring planting, the Poulavone
Roundabout, and the lattice tree planting on existing streetscape. There are
great photographs, but it was special to actually visit those sites. There was
some excellent landscaping near West Point.
Wildlife and Natural Amenities:
I admired the amenity for the children’s playground
and it was great to see so many children enjoying themselves in the outdoor
activities – well done. The nearby regional park is an outstanding amenity. The
signposts giving details of the Royal Gunpowder Mills is educational and
attractive. The Dams on the two rivers are interesting with neat cut stone
bridges. The long beach walk is a tremendous amenity and the people of
Ballincollig are lucky to have this amenity for exercise and recreation. All of
this area is a haven for wildlife. The huge field that is set out in soccer
pitches caters very well for the young people of the area. I read over the Fauna
and Flora study and habitat assessment of Ballincollig Regional Park and the
findings are most impressive. If I could just state briefly – the park provides
space for nature in an urban context – I have read these words from your
presentation and this accurately describes the area.
Litter Control:
There are numerous litter bins all around the town
which are well serviced. You have a very good approach to litter control.
Isolated spots of litter were found on Station Road up near the Church of St
Mary & St John and also near the Gaelscoil. I note that the Co. Council have cut
back on their support for you and indeed for other towns.
Waste Minimisation:
I read your additional information on Ballincollig
waste minimisation and recycling information. This is an extensive document that
covers all the facets of waste control. You therefore have a very good
understanding of this topic and you are sending out the right messages to the
community. I inspected the bring banks and all were very tidy and well serviced
at the time of my visit but I note that it is an area of concern and is being
abused. It is great to see the green flag flying at some schools and this is a
most positive step to the education of children to take good care of their local
environment.
Tidiness:
The town was presented in an orderly and tidy fashion.
There as a lot of evidence of chewing gum residue near the post office. The
national problem of cigarette buts was also in Ballincollig outside some of the
bars. There is a lot of disruption due to the works on sanitary services but
this is out of your control, and the work is being done in a responsible manner.
Control of weeds is quiet good. Unfortunately there were some daubs of graffiti
in some places.
Residential Areas:
I visited a number of housing estates and the degree
of planning and general layout is of a high standard. There is great attention
to landscaping and tidiness. West Court, Westgrove, Citiwest Mews, Parknamore
Rise, Avoncourt, Coolroe Heights, Poulavone Manor, Manor Hill and Daffodil
Fields are some examples of excellent housing estates. These are all most
impressive and give a flavour of the high standard of the residential areas. I
admired some wonderful private houses all around the town and in the surrounding
area with great showings of hedges, lawns, trees shrubs and flowers.
Roads, Streets and Back Areas:
All the roads around the town are in good condition
except for where work is being carried out. All the sign posts are clean, clear
and distinct. There is good fencing to the roads with some great traditional
stone walls in many locations. The back areas of the town are very well
developed and lead on nicely to the main street. In these areas some good car
parking facilities are provided.
General Impression:
It was a pleasure to visit Ballincollig for the first
time. This is a vibrant town with wonderful shops and amenities. You have put
huge effort into the production of the entry form – well done. When the public
works are complete you will be poised to further increase your marks.
Ref:
www.tidytowns.ie
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NATIONAL TIDY TOWNS
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD 2009
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