‘Pristine’ town centre appearance essential to Athlone's development

Providing a "pristine town core" for locals and visitors to Athlone is the aim of the council executive, councillors were informed at the February meeting of Athlone-Moate Municipal District.

Making an Environmental Services presentation to the elected members, District Engineer Willie Ryan outlined the "very significant investment in the town's public realm in recent years" noting the importance that such "amenities are maintained to a high standard, and that this investment is not devalued".

The streetscape works at Church Street, Sean Costello Street, Mardyke Street and along the greenway, are such that the quality of the finish and the materials used require greater inputs in terms of street cleaning, power washing, planting and general maintenance, Mr Ryan stated.

The District Engineer also stated that two operatives are dedicated to the town core to maintain all new public realm areas developed and improved in recent years.

"An improved scheduled maintenance of these areas is planned for 2026. These dedicated persons are in addition to the existing resource currently employed in the town and are required to ensure that the public realm and parks in the town core are maintained to a standard befitting of Athlone as a regional growth centre," he continued.

Responding to the in-depth presentation, Cllr Aengus O'Rourke called for a costing of street washing machines to be used by the council's outdoor staff.

"These machines, I believe, would tackle unsightly deposits and the general untidiness on our footpaths and roads. Have we looked at a costing for such machinery?" Cllr O'Rourke asked.

The councillor commended the council staff on the wildflower presentation along Ballymahon Road on "one of the main routes into Athlone" and also complimented the various rainwater gardens which have been placed at numerous locations throughout the town.

Cllr O'Rourke called for a particular focus on the collection of black bin bags, stating they leave marks "on our paths when they are being dragged from bin to the back of a lorry for disposal".

"Perhaps we could use a trolley to bring the refuse bags from each bin to the lorry when our outdoor staff re doing their collections?,=" Cllr O'Rourke added.

He also queried when works would start at the now defunct AIB car park, citing it as an opportunity to have an "attractive space" leading on to the pedestrian bridge.

With the number of new estates throughout Athlone and the wider municipal district, Cllr John Dolan called for an enhanced sweeper schedule to ensure they were kept "in the best order".

Cllr Dolan also queried the number of CCTV cameras to which the council has access and if they could be "redeployed" to detract dumping at certain locations in the district.

Cllr Frankie Keena requested information on the number of gullies in the municipal district area and if they were "cleaned out on a regular basis".

Offering his thoughts on the presentation, Cllr Paul Hogan cited a major issue with chewing gum on the streets of Athlone, particularly along the pedestrianised Sean Costello Street.

"Our streets are aesthetically damaged by disposed chewing gum.

“To rectify the issue, is it not time that we invested in a machine which would rid our streets of chewing gum stains?" Cllr Hogan queried.

Calling for a database of gullies in South Westmeath to be compiled, Cllr Tom Farrell said this would only benefit the council "in future years" in terms of heavy rains and flooding.

He also called for the numbering of bins, particularly in Moate, which would allow the council to pinpoint any issue relating to refuse in the town should the need arise.

Reiterating the council executive's commitment to Athlone's town core, District Manager Annie Blessington said the area from Sean Costello Street as far as Athlone Castle now presented a "much improved" appearance.

She stated that street washing machines, suggested for use by Cllr O'Rourke, would not be beneficial as they "continually recycle dirty water" and would not leave the streets in a clean state.

The District Manager acknowledged that there were plans to "implement more rainwater gardens" throughout the district.

District Engineer Willie Ryan added: "Despite the rainwater garden at Arcadia Retail Park receiving some bad press, it has been an overwhelming successful pilot initiative for the council. In the main, the feedback has been extraordinarily positive, but they are not cheap to install.

"We have looked at all nature-based solutions and believe they are a positive option for Athlone and the wider district's appearance going forward," he said.

Responding to Cllr Dolan's query regarding CCTV cameras, the District Manager said that the council had "access to two units", but they could not be placed at relevant locations without "signage being put up" in advance.

Ms Blessington also confirmed that the council was in the process of "acquiring a chewing gum removal machine" for a short period of time to enhance the cleanliness of the streets.

The presentation also focused on the upkeep of all parks, playgrounds and open spaces in the district with works including the maintenance of green areas, maintenance of walks and cycleways, pruning of trees and hedges on public lands, landscaping of roundabouts and the provision of floral displays.

Additionally, the council confirmed that all grass areas, which are to be managed for wildlife, will be mowed in late February/early March to remove the winter growth, stating that the areas will also be cut in late August/September.

For all areas where regular cutting is to be undertaken, the local authority stated they will be cut at approximately six-week intervals with the final cut in late October.