One positive note about Newbridge is that those sites which scored very well were all school environments – this is very encouraging. There were many sites in which had moderate litter levels – with a little extra care and attention they could be a higher ranking e.g. Dublin Approach Road, George’s Street and Riverside. There were big improvements at the Industrial Estate which had previously scored quite poorly. The worst site in Newbridge was the Main Street – this was disappointing at the overall impression was a site which was more untidy than previous litter surveys. Hopefully this was just a bad day and that it is not typical of the street – a more thorough approach to street cleaning would make a big difference.

Approach Road from Dublin
Moderately Littered. Overall, there has been a big improvement on this approach road. There were some attractive trees / grass areas and the footpath was in excellent condition. Just some loose pieces of casually dropped litter took away from an otherwise good site.

St. Conleth’s and Mary’s School – Inside
Clean to European Norms. This was an excellent site. Children were litter picking and gardening and the area was a credit to them and all other users of the grounds.

St. Conleth’s and Mary’s School – Outside
Moderately Littered. The overall impression is of a site which is generally much cleaner than previous litter surveys. With two litter bins and cigarette butt disposal facilities there were still small scatterings of litter outside the school grounds. With a little extra effort and consideration this could be even better.

Riverside
Moderately Littered. This site just missed being Clean to European Norms. It is a shame that the plastic bottles have been so casually discarded. The area is well served by litter bins and this could so easily be avoided. Some graffiti on the seats / tables also contributed to the overall appearance.

Industrial Estate, Newbridge
Moderately Littered. There have been big improvements at this site, with the best performance to date. Clearly a more concerted effort is being made and much of old litter has been removed. Fast-food wrappers and cans were the most prominent types of litter with lighter levels of sweet papers, plastic bottles, coffee cups and cigarette butts.

Main Street
Serious Litter Problem. This was the worst site in Newbridge and was much more untidy than previous litter surveys. While the street is particularly well served by litter bins the area is not being thoroughly cleaned. The bases of the trees had persistent litter and there was general neglect with the overall maintenance of the street – e.g. weeds, badly maintained shrubbery / grass areas and poor condition of footpath. Chewing gum was particularly obvious on the footpath.

Patrician Primary (Newbridge National School) – Outside and Inside
Clean to European Norms. (on outskirts of town, near Catholic Church). This was an excellent site. Both the inside and outside the grounds of the school were in very good condition and well maintained. Clearly a big and continuous effort is made to have the area looking so well.

Georges Street
Moderately Littered. This is an attractive area with some nice boutiques and coffee shops. If the litter bins were cleaned up and there was a little extra effort on behalf of smokers and pedestrians this could easily look so much better.

Railway Station
Moderately Littered. This is an exceptionally busy railway station with very high numbers of commuters. The levels of litter are not too bad considering the usage at the station. It is well served by litter bins and cigarette butt disposal units.




There have been some big improvements in Newbridge with four excellent sites – this is up from one in Survey 1, 2005. Riverside Park and Walk deserves special mention as it is so carefully maintained by the council and respected by the users. It is one of the few river walks throughout the country which has scored so well. St. Conleth’s Church (Inside) and (Outside) were both excellent. There has been a positive change at the Railway Station Car Park which had scored poorly in Survey 1, 2005. The overall impression is of an area which is carefully maintained.

Approach Road from Milltown at Greyhound Stadium:
Clean to European Norms.
The small amounts of litter which were present along this approach road were mostly on the right hand side – the litter may have come from patrons of the Greyhound Stadium. The typical litter associated with gatherings of people were all present e.g. cans, fast food wrappers, plastic bottles and coffee cups. There were no litter bins in the area surveyed and given the numbers who attend the Greyhound Stadium it would seem that they are needed.

Railway Station – Inside:
Moderately Littered.
There was little change at the Inside of this very busy Railway Station. As with previous litter surveys cigarette butts were the most prevalent but there were also small amounts of plastic bottles, fast food wrappers and sweet papers.

Railway Station Car Park:
Moderately Littered.
The Car Park area has seen an improvement since Survey 1, 2005, when it was a Serious Litter Problem. The overall impression is that the whole area is better maintained. The car park was overflowing with cars extending to the roadside outside.

Great Southern Estate :
Moderately Littered.
This was an attractive residential area, with a green. It was nicely landscaped and is clearly well maintained. The road surface was good. Small amounts of sweet papers, fast food wrappers, plastic bottles and cigarette butts prevented a higher classification.

St. Conleth’s Vocational School – Outside:
Clean to European Norms.
The whole appearance outside the school grounds is of an area which is very well kept. The grass had recently been cut and the whole area was completely free of litter. Despite being a schools area chewing gum was hardly visible.

St. Conleth’s Vocational School – Inside:
Clean to European Norms.
The school buildings, car park area and grass were all very well maintained and completely free of litter.

St. Conleth’s Church – Inside Grounds:
Clean to European Norms.
This was an excellent facility – all was in good condition and carefully cared for. Despite the lack of litter bins and cigarette disposal facilities there was a complete absence of litter.

St. Conleth’s Church – Outside Grounds:
Moderately Littered.
The footpath and parking areas outside the church were surveyed. This was a very busy site with plenty of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Sweet papers were the most prevalent type of litter, with lesser amounts of fast food wrappers, plastic bottles and coffee cups.

Riverside Park and Walk:
Clean to European Norms.
This picturesque area was very well maintained by the council and clearly respected by the users. It is a beautifully appointed site, with plenty of litter bins, cigarette butt disposal facilities and litter awareness notices – this thorough approach to its management has been reflected in a very good litter classification.

Edward Street:
Moderately Littered.
A very positive step at this busy street has been the installation of plenty of new litter bins with cigarette butt disposal facilities. Not only did the new bins have butt facilities but there were separate ones outside pubs and restaurants. However, this still didn’t prevent a major butt problem. Sweet papers, cans, fast food wrappers, plastic bottles and coffee cups were also present, but in smaller quantities.

Survey 1 – Spring 2005

Newbridge: Clenliness Rating = 53.
Newbridge has scored badly with just one very good site at St. Conleth’s Vocational School. Newbridge Industrial Estate was by far the worst site surveyed and the overall impression is of an area very poorly maintained. It wasn’t just the public areas but the individual properties need to take more responsibility. Tesco (Exterior) was badly let down by the Recycle Facility, which needs to be better maintained. The Railway Station (Exterior) was poorly served by dirty signage and there were heavy litter levels; the Main Street needs a clean up to improve its cleanliness rating. Dunne’s Stores Car Park and Hawkfield GAA could easily be improved with a little extra effort.

Eastern Approach Road:
Moderately Littered.
On the whole, this was a good secondary road which is generally well kept, but some of the edges are a little uneven due to heavy road usage. There were just some small scattered amounts of litter but the road signage was dirty.

Hawkfield GAA Grounds (Exterior):
Moderately Littered.
The overall appearance of the exterior of the GAA Grounds was quite good. Apart from some small amounts of fast food wrappers, the area at the entrance was in need of weeding and the gravel area was rough and uneven. There were no litter bins in the area surveyed.

Greyhound Stadium (Exterior):
Moderately Littered.
The area outside the Greyhound Stadium had scattered small amounts of fast food wrappers, plastic bottles, cigarette butts, coffee cups and plastic wrapping. While there was a new car parking area the roadside was very rough and uneven.

Railway Station (Exterior):
Serious Litter Problem.
Despite the presence of Litter Awareness Notices and cigarette butt disposal facilities, there was a serious litter problem outside the Railway Station. As well as some weeds and untended grass, there was also a derelict site. A wide variety of litter was present, the most prevalent of which was cigarette butts. The signage was very dirty and chewing gum created a bad impression.

Railway Station (Interior):
Moderately Littered.
The Interior of this very busy station is well maintained with the railway lines and platforms in good condition. Chewing gum was somewhat noticeable, the signage was good and cigarette butts were the most common type of litter, despite the presence of facilities for the disposal of same.

Dunne’s Stores Car Park:
Moderately Littered.
There were just some small scattered amounts of litter, which prevented this site from being Clean to European Norms. It is excellently maintained, the signage is in good condition and the chewing gum was barely noticeable.

Tesco (Exterior).
Serious Litter Problem.
Despite being well served by litter bins and the presence of Litter Awareness notices this was a very disappointing site. First and foremost, the Recycle area within the car park requires attention with accumulations of litter on the ground. The presence of a notice advising of fines by the local council doesn't appear to be enough to prevent such behaviour.

Main Street:
Serious Litter Problem.
Chewing gum and cigarette butts were the most common litter types and very prevalent throughout. There were also some sweet papers, fast food wrappers, coffee cups and plastic bottles. The road signage was mixed with some signs in good condition and others quite dirty.

St. Conleth's Vocational School:
Clean to European Norms.
The overall appearance of this site would benefit from a cutting of the grass. Despite the lack of cigarette butt disposal facilities there were no cigarettes present.

Newbridge Industrial Estate:
Litter Blackspot.
This was by far the worst site surveyed in Newbridge, with many factors contributing to the overall classification. There was an overflowing skip, uneven road surfaces and footpaths, untended grass and shrubbery and weeds, together with a wide variety of litter types which were present in very heavy amounts. The overall impression is of a site which is poorly maintained. Individual properties need to take greater responsibility for their own areas.