Fingal County Council and massive litter in Malahide, Portmarnock and Howth

Dionysus

Has Fingal County Council abandoned these three areas?

I was in all three places in the roasting heat yesterday, Sunday 23 May 2010, and all three places had overflowing bins and much else.

First, Malahide. By lunchtime all the bins across the town were overflowing. Around them was strewn a wide variety of litter which could not be placed in the bins. People just left their rubbish there instead of bringing it home. The mentality defies belief.

Solution No. 1: Given that it is summer and people are visiting coastal areas in huge numbers, is it beyond the abilities of Fingal County Council to allocate even a single person to go around the town and empty the existing bins?


Second, Malahide strand was an absolute disaster. Where are the bins?

Solution No. 2: Bins, plenty of bins, are needed there immediately.

It was truly disgusting to see the place at around 7pm yesterday. I walked across maybe 70 cans left on the beach at a single location. People just got up and left all their rubbish there. Disgusting stuff. The tide was coming in and would no doubt take it all out to sea later that evening.

Solution No. 3: Why is there no cctv around the town and on the beach to prosecute the very large number of people who are littering the place?


Portmarnock:

Drove through Portmarnock on the way to Howth and the bins were also overflowing - every single one of them. I would be absolutely certain that the beach was in the same way as Malahide. Why can Fingal County Council not implement the above solutions in Portmarnock?


Howth:

Same story all over the place. Howth Summit was awful. Litter everywhere around the overflowing bin up there.


Do these coastal towns not have a Chambers of Commerce, tidy towns committees, local activists? Are they not concerned about their local economies and reputations?

It's a real shame that the communities living here are allowing their local council to treat them like this. God only knows how many tourists have formed lifelong impressions of the Irish people based upon seeing the litter in these towns yesterday. I know I was ashamed for us.

hidinginthebush

I know exactly how you feel, it sickens me to see the state of portmarnock beach after any sort of nice weather. Myself and a friend actually used to go down early in the mornings with black bags and clean the place up, disgusting.

Martron

fingal can only help with the solution but the main problem is with the people that visit these places.

if the bin is full bring it home with you.

i would agree with the prosecution side of things. how about a little warden walking around issueing fines . that would soon put the end to people littering.

The Hill Billy

Dionysus wrote: »

...Do these coastal towns not have a Chambers of Commerce, tidy towns committees, local activists? Are they not concerned about their local economies and reputations?...

There's a similar issue in Skerries. The Adopt-a-Beach project has been set up in an attempt to address this.

Paulw

Martron wrote: »

i would agree with the prosecution side of things. how about a little warden walking around issueing fines . that would soon put the end to people littering.

My understanding is that there is one (yes, ONE) single litter warden for the whole of Fingal. It's crazy.

On the spot fines would get people's attention quick enough.

Nodster

"It was truly disgusting to see the place at around 7pm yesterday. I walked across maybe 70 cans left on the beach at a single location. People just got up and left all their rubbish there. Disgusting stuff. The tide was coming in and would no doubt take it all out to sea later that evening"

I stopped by in Portmarnock sunday afternoon and noticed plenty of blue bag brigade groups supping beer along the road - seems ironic but Fingal does have Bye Laws prohibiting drinking alcohol in public places - where were the Guards? and why isn''t this regulation enforced?

Reminds me of being in Germany a few years back and coundn't find a rubbish bin and asked a local - his reply was 'we take it home with us'

Paulw

Fingal's approach seems to be that public street bins attract rubbish and illegal dumping. I know, I know, bins are supposed to attract rubbish. But, that also then means that Fingal have to arrange to have the bins emptied and cleaned.

Bluetonic

Paulw wrote: »

Fingal's approach seems to be that public street bins attract rubbish and illegal dumping. I know, I know, bins are supposed to attract rubbish. But, that also then means that Fingal have to arrange to have the bins emptied and cleaned.

Attracting rubbish is OK, it's the attraction of domestic rubbish thats the problem when people try and avoid bin charges.

expectationlost

Hill Billy wrote: »

There's a similar issue in Skerries. The Adopt-a-Beach project has been set up in an attempt to address this.

the plan involves leaving bags beside bins, identified or not its strange

Alan Farrell

Paulw wrote: »

My understanding is that there is one (yes, ONE) single litter warden for the whole of Fingal. It's crazy.

On the spot fines would get people's attention quick enough.

There are six litter wardens in Fingal.

More info here.

Council Information on procedures for on the spot fines:
http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Environment/LitterControl/LitterFines/

& here:

Council information on reporting littering by you:
http://www.fingalcoco.ie/minutes/meeting_doc.aspx?id=39300

Alan Farrell

I almost forgot this... http://alanfarrell.blogspot.com/2010/04/reporting-litter-bugs.html