Lanesborough improves by 16 marks in 2013 National Tidy Towns Competition
With your help and support Lanesborough improved by 16 marks during 2013.This represented the highest percentage improvement in Co Longford during 2013.
For this improvement, Lanesborough was awarded, for the second year in a row, the Endeavour Award for Co Longford and a cheque for 500 euros.
The total marks awarded in each of the judging categories for 2012 and 2013 are outlined in the Table.
| Category | Total Marks Available | Marks 2012 | Marks 2013 |
| Overall Development Approach | 50 | 30 | 32 |
| Built Environment | 50 | 27 | 29 |
| Landscaping | 50 | 24 | 26 |
| Wildlife/Natural Amenities | 50 | 23 | 24 |
| Litter Control | 50 | 24 | 26 |
| Tidiness | 30 | 14 | 16 |
| Sustainable Waste and Resource Management | 20 | 6 | 7 |
| Residential Areas | 40 | 33 | 34 |
| Roads, Streets, Back Areas | 50 | 24 | 26 |
| General Impression | 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Total Marks | 400 | 212 | 228 |
Make YOUR suggestions that you think would help our performance during 2014. Please drop a note into the Tidy Towns office or send email to info@lanesborotourism.ie
“2013 Tidy Towns Adjudication Report for Lanesborough”
Overall Development Approach
Lanesborough is most welcome to the 2013 Tidy Towns competition. Many thanks for your typed application form with additional information including map and photos. Your map was particularly impressive in its design and layout. Do try to include this as a separate sheet next year as the adjudicator wants to be able to carry this around during the walk through. It is quite uplifting to read your application form as a great sense of community involvement is conveyed.
There is a great sense of wanting to get things done also. One word of advice is to rationalise your application somewhat. There is quite a bit of duplication (putting the same project under several headings) and describing projects under the wrong heading. Do consult the Tidy Towns Handbook so that you are clear as to what should be going where. That said it is evident that you are destined for great things with an enormous voluntary effort behind you and deep engagement with a wide range of support agencies. Well done on launching your website which adds to your toolbox of communication methods. Are you satisfied that you are reaching all sectors of your community? Do you think that the use of social media would reach people who might otherwise be unaware of your activities? It is important that you are continuing to find ways to be as inclusive as possible.
The Built Environment
You have been very busy under this heading though a number of items listed here would be better situated under the landscaping or tidiness headings. The survey of your shop fronts is a significant step. It would be useful to get local architect to review these and help you in your guidance criteria. Do approach this in a positive manner and aim to assist those whose signage may not ‘conform’. Is there a forum for business interests in the town with which this could be discussed? You are applauded for tackling derelict buildings and the monumental job of refurbishing the bridge across the Shannon. The main street looks very well and the extent of freshly painted facades was admired. The Lanesborough interpretive panel is most informative.
The old bank, now a pharmacy, stands out. The playground is excellent and immaculately kept.
The six arched bridge is a landmark feature for Lanesborough and well done on its newly de-cluttered and de-graffitied appearance. The brass sign on the Lanesborough Tourism Co-op Society Ltd needs to be polished while the nearby wood/stone/water feature is an eye-catching point of interest. M Casey has a nice traditional and well painted shop front – more of that please! St John’s church is superb and appeared to be undergoing renovation works on adjudication day.Well done on the superb presentation.
Neighbouring Lanesborough primary school is also well presented but flags on the poles would be welcome. The library is an essential public facility, how can you integrate environmental awareness with literacy and encouraging the use of library resources? The church on the Ballymahon road is another standout heritage building.
Landscaping
The planting of 115 native rowan trees is excellent. If planting hedges try to avoid privet, which while not as bad as laurel, is not as good as hawthorn in terms of landscape and wildlife value. The range of planting throughout the town, and ranging from copious summer flower displays to street trees is most impressive. We would not recommend planting flowers at the base of trees however as there will be too much competition for resources. London Plane are excellent and add variety. The redesigned bring bank was admired but there is a risk that the hazel trees would be too unwieldy for this location. The public park is also maintained to a very high standard and affords an amazing view out across Lough Ree.
Wildlife and Natural Amenities
Your collaboration with state agencies in the development of not one but two nature trails is exemplary. The overarching aim of this category is for groups to increase their understanding of the natural heritage and these trails certainly give you the infrastructure to do this. Avoid direct interventions unless really required in favour of research projects, art and photography initiatives or guided walks. ‘Restocking’ native habitats should not be done except under the strictest of guidelines. Introduced ducks may not have genetic stock are may transmit disease, they may also displace local wildfowl. The workshops with the Lough Ree summer school are excellent and will give people a greater awareness of the amazing biodiversity of Lough Ree (which is a special area of conservation and special protection area). We look forward to reviewing your proposed wildlife survey in due course. The Pound Bog walk was explored and is wonderful. This adjudicator could not see any signage.
Litter Control
Your programme of voluntary litter patrols is most impressive, well done to all involved. This work is ably complemented by your awareness raising tools and no doubt these are having an effect. Did you tackle the issue of cigarette ends as suggested in last year’s report? You should also consider participating in the national spring clean which is held in April of each year in conjunction with an Taisce. Litter control was to a very high standard on adjudication day, well done!
Sustainable Waste And Resource Management
You have started a number of initiatives under this heading including composting and rainwater harvesting and the electronic car demonstration shows innovation. You are applauded for joining the green homes initiative and do provide future updates on how this is translated into practical solutions for the minimisation of resource use. You give no mention here to schools participation in the green flag movement. This is quite an omission as much dedicated hard work may be overlooked by the adjudicator. Those involved will have been innovating in the area of resource reduction and so would have much to pass an to the community at large. How do you encourage more walking and cycling in your town?
Tidiness
You list many worthy projects here demonstrating that you are aware of features that can lead to an untidy appearance. The town is predominantly very tidy with no major issues of contention. The lack of overhead wires and attractive lamp standards (if very tall) are greatly in your favour here. Some items are of note and could no doubt be easily dealt with: a traffic cone and loose wiring on top of the pizza takeaway booth look scrappy; Christmas decorations on Farrell’s and Gala should be taken down after the festive season; parking on the footpath here looks untidy and is an impediment to those with buggies or wheelchairs (despite the well marked spaces). Street signage is of a good order while footpaths and roads are well demarcated.
Residential Areas
Well done to Church View for their award in the Longford better estate competition. You are applauded also for your attention to unfinished estates as this can be a most dispiriting area for many groups to work in. There were many attractive estates admired on adjudication day. The older enclave at the green doesn’t seem to have its
own name but the presentation is first-class with well trimmed lawns, mature trees and white-washed facades.Small flowers in large tubs provide little impact in these locations and are best kept to doorways etc..
Roads, Streets and Back Areas
The approaches to Lanesborough are most welcoming with the new stone beds under bilingual name signs admired. Verges are well trimmed and signage is reasonably controlled (although vigilance is always needed in
this regard). Despite being on a primary road route you have managed to tame traffic speeds and this creates is very relaxed ambience in the town. Other centres in similar circumstances struggle greatly with this so it would be interesting to analyse what the secret is and pass it on.
General Impression
Well done Lanesborough this has been a star performance. You have gained points in every category because you did projects under every category. The town is looking great and you have made the most of your natural resources. Great things lie ahead, well done and best of luck!
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