National
Tidy TownsS
2003
Judges
Report for
Ballincollig
County Cork
OVERALL
DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH
Ballincollig
Tidy Town's Committee seems rather small given the large population of the town.
However, it seems to be most successful in its work. You appear to have high
level of support from the residents associations and the local boy scouts! Your
work programme makes interesting reading and will make a real difference to the
town. Perhaps for next year's competition you could consider annotating your
development plan for ease of reading on the day. At the moment, it is quite
difficult to cross-reference the information from the development plan to the
coloured dots on the map.
THE
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Your
competitions in relation to shop fronts, industrial estates, commercial premises
and pubs is to be commended. Public and commercial premises were presented to a
high standard on the day. The White Horse Inn looked very fresh and the Oriel
Hotel was well presented. Other buildings of note were O'Sullivan's, the AIB
Bank, the Tudor Rose Florist and the Corner House. O'Crualaoi's and Siopa Brog
show a good use of the Irish language. It was noted that Vince Russell's has
been sold and, hopefully, it will be successfully integrated into the
streetscape of the town. The medical centre was well presented but its boundary
wall will need attention before next year's competition.
LANDSCAPING
This
is an aspect of the competition in which you show an obvious enthusiasm. In your
development plan, you mention bulbs and flowers etc. Do ensure that you put an
equal, if not a higher emphasis, on the permanent planting and trees for
year-round permanent effect. The petunias at the road junctions of the
roundabout on the Macroom Road were admired, as were the rose trees on the
roundabout on the Cork side of the town. The trees along the main street create
a most attractive effect. The entrance to the Gun Powder Mills was well
presented and the roundabout on the Cork side with its rose trees. well cut
qrass verqes and stone sculpture looked extremely well.
WILDLIFE
AND NATURAL AMENITIES
Your
work in relation to commissioning a wildlife expert to assess the habitats in
the regional park is to be commended. The provision of bat and bird boxes, as
well as the wealth of natural life along the canals. makes this a stronq asset
in this category of the competition.
LITTER
CONTROL
The
standard of litter control on the day was not to the highest of standards.
Perhaps litter bins will have to be emptied daily. A lot of litter was evident
along the main street outside the supermarket, O'Mahony's Insurance Brokers and
to quite a number of areas in between.
TIDINESS
The
town generally looked neat and ordered on adjudication day. However, weed
control was a problem on the Macroom Road and to a rather grubby boundary wall
in this location. Advertising hoardings on this road also created a rather
cluttered effect. An empty house beside the medical centre had been vandalised
and an empty site beside the tyre centre created a bad impression.
RESIDENTIAL
AREAS
Your
Tidy Districts and Estate competitions are obviously paying dividends.
Individual houses and estates were generally presented to the highest standard.
An attractive house with stone wall and planting extending, through the grass
verge to the roadside on the Macroom approach was admired The Aylsbury and
Wyndham Downs Estates were well presented. The many trees to Coolroe Meadows
will pay dividends in future generations. The consistent design of signage to
housing estates throughout the town looks extremely well and is most effective.
Most houses were presented to the highest standards, although one or two
boundary walls were not to the same level.
ROADS,
STREETS AND BACK AREAS
The
bi-lingual signage is a most effective idea. The Cork Road was well presented,
as was the Blarney Road. On the Macroom Road, a concrete block wall to an
industrial premises looked quite rough. Perhaps growing a creeper along it would
be more effective. The speed limit sign on this side of the town was damaged and
should be replaced.
GENERAL
IMPRESSION
Ballincollig
is a busy centre which has extended rapidly over the last number of years. Its
Tidy Towns Committee shows an evident pride in its presentation and continues to
produce most effective results.
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