As is the case with many district, Mid-Ulster has been blighted with littering and fly-tipping, in recent weeks and months.
Councillors Clement Cuthbertson and Denise Johnston have expressed dismay in relation to the fly-tipping situation on many country roads.
Speaking at an Environment meeting held on March 11, Dungannon Cllr Cuthbertson, commented: “I’ve been involved in a few litter picks at the minute. It’s the big spring clean this time of year, but our country roads are an absolute disgrace.
“I know it’s not the council’s fault, but can I ask, our road litter picks, have they been reduced any over this past while, because there’s roads that you would have seen the litter pickers on regularly, but this past while every road that you’re on is just a real blight on the countryside, and I don’t know what the answer is.
“I know there was talk about increasing fines, but if we’re not actually enforcing it and fining people, increasing fines is probably pointless.
“Was there maybe a reduction in manpower or whatever, or insurance reasons? Have we been doing as much rural litter picking?”
SDLP Cllr Johnston was equally appalled about the fly-tipping situation.
“The roads are in an awful state, I’ve never really noticed it as bad as the last while there, and I’m just wondering maybe, is there something that the council could do, like a social media campaign, just to encourage people to take their rubbish home with them?” she asked.
“Because there’s people throwing out hot-food containers, and today I saw a plastic bag full of rubbish that they had tied – they went to the bother of tying, before obviously flinging it out the car window.
“I don’t know if that’s something the council can do or not, just encouraging them [to take their rubbish home], because it’s councillors who end up having to clean it up.”
Committee chair, Councillor Niall McAleer (Sinn Féin) remarked: “I’m sure our social media team can do a bit of work around that. We can pass that over to them.
“I suppose the issue is whether people listen or not, which unfortunately probably won’t be the case.”
Assistant director of Environmental Services, Mark McAdoo assured committee members that litter-picking provision has not been downgraded: “We are working with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful as a partner. There is a TV and billboard campaign ongoing at the minute.
“Actually one of the themes is taking rubbish home with you, so that is more visible and that’s something we are promoting in partnership with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.
“There’s been no planned reduction in rural litter collection. At this time of the year we do have a particular pressure with manpower, just in relation to staff using up leave, so that does place a bit of a pressure on some of the routes, unfortunately, around this time of the year, but it’s not a scheduled reduction by any means.
“We share your frustration with the amount of litter on the roads.”
