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Newry Mourne and Down District Council is being urged to back up its commitments on littering and fly-tipping with meaningful action on the ground, particularly on key routes into Newry city.
Newry City Councillor Aidan Mathers raised serious concerns about ongoing cleansing issues at the Strategy, Policy and Resources Committee meeting on 12 February, highlighting persistent problems at several locations across the district.
Cllr Mathers pointed to continued littering at the Camlough Road roundabout slip roads near the Egyptian Arch, as well as the Cloughoge and Barcroft areas, saying these are sites where action is being actively sought.
Cllr Mathers said residents and ratepayers rightfully expect clean, safe and well-maintained areas, particularly on the main approaches to the city.
He criticised the council for only putting resources, procurement processes and staff training in motion after serious litter problems are routinely highlighted, rather than having them in place as standard.
Cllr Mathers said ""While staff training and safety are paramount, this only underlines the need for long-term, sustainable planning to properly tackle littering and fly-tipping. These arrangements should already have been embedded within a multi-year strategy rather than introduced in a reactive way."
The councillor said the Department for Infrastructure has played its part and now it's time for the council to do its job and deliver the level of cleansing residents and ratepayers rightly expect and deserve.
