• Home
• What's On
• GAA
• GOLF
• Gallery
• Contact Us
• About
• Sitemap

Kildalkey Tidy Towns

Tidy Towns Competition 2013 Adjudication Report

Overall Development Approach:

Kildalkey is welcome back to the National TidyTowns Competition, it was a real pleasure to revisit your lovely village after almost fifteen years! Thank you for the completed application form and sketch map; the absence of a planned work programme is noted and the committee is urged to submit one with next years application; a simple schedule of work projects for Kildalkey covering the next three or five years is all that is necessary. The committee of five with a sub committee and the input of volunteers on a per project basis is a good start to your 'TidyTowns Adventure'; it is also good to note your liason with other village 'stakeholders' and the links with the school.

The Built Environment:

The school, its grounds, its boundary wall and car parking area outside all enjoy a high standard of presentation; flower displays in window boxes at the school add a 'finishing touch'. The church and its grounds are nicely presented too and St. Dymphna’s Pastoral Centre looks quite magnificent. The walls featuring the 'Auto Electrical' sign beside the snug house should be refurbished; it wouldn’t take much being a concrete block wall. Other buildings look quite well. A large building (the Parish Hall?) with traditional windows etc on the Athboy Road and some playing grounds to the side feature interesting murals on the back wall, a sign to indicate its purpose would be useful, the building itself could be repainted to its roadside façade.

Landscaping:

The eighteen hanging baskets detailed in your submission were not yet in place on adjudication day. However the planted flower wall at the roadside of the petrol station is in situ and looks well. A few stone enclosed planted beds on the Athboy Road need to be replanted and containers are empty; given the late start to the summer and your early adjudication all this is understandable and allowances have been made. Grassed area around the welcome sign and the speed limit signs at the Trim end of the village are being neatly maintained. It is important to remember when planning your landscaping programme for Kildalkey that permanent planting for seasonal interest is preferable to summer bedding plants and attracts more marks. The additional new sign for St.Dymphna’s Well looks good.

Wildlife and Natural Amenities:

The successful approach to competing under this heading is to establish the biodiversity status of Kildalkey with a view to its protection and appreciation by the community. With this goal in mind a small start can be made by engaging the school children in projects such as a simple Bird Survey or the development of a wildlife garden in the school grounds; consult your TidyTowns Handbook for other ideas. An undeveloped site beside The Village Inn could feature a wildflower garden or similar project. The stream also offers opportunities as articulated in your 1998 report.

Litter Control:

Litter control is quite strong in Kildalkey due no doubt to your regular litter picking activities which also includes the approach roads and entrances to the village. It is good to note the collected litter is segregated for recycling. To attract additional marks it is necessary to provide more information on the source, nature and frequency of the litter deposits and to prepare a litter management plan. It is good to note that dumping is not an issue in your lovely village. Well done.

Sustainable Waste And Resource Management:

Your approach to sustainable waste and resource management has begun well with eliciting the co-operation of the business community and your liaison with the school on their related activities. Continuing with this approach you may attempt a simple household survey to ascertain how much waste is currently being generated by households and in tandem organise workshops with the help of the waste management officer of your local authority on how to prevent waste by more careful shopping, composting and other initiatives etc,. Again you are referred to your TidyTowns handbook for more ideas.

Tidiness:

Residential Areas:

Kildalkey's residential areas feature nicely maintained green open spaces, maturing trees and some well established semi mature trees. The estate behind the shop with the Sold sign should feature identification (or did your adjudicator miss it?). The Meadows residential development is nicely maintained and attractive boundary fencing and well maintained green open spaces at Kildalkey Wood residential is pleasing to the eye. A lot of boundary walls lining the Trim Road are weather stained; the same point applies to some boundary walls across from the church. Roadside boundary walls are good overall. It is a pleasure to note the commitment of residents to their own estates and road frontages.

Roads, Streets and Back Areas:

The bollards on footpaths at the top of the Athboy Road in the centre of the village need to be refurbished and some straightened. The fingerpost on the Athboy Road for the graveyard (relig) needs refurbishment. Verges out the Athboy Road have been recently cut but are quite rough in appearance and would benefit from further treatment, however, but they are acceptable. A water pump has been nicely refurbished. The footpath surface is quite good overall and roadsigns enjoy good maintenance. Entrances from approach roads are good in respect of speed limit signs, name signs and verges.

General Impression:

Work accomplished in Kildalkey over the past few years is impressive and it is a pleasure to note the role the TidyTowns Competition is playing in bringing the community together and building community spirit. Congratulations and thank you!