Local outrage as local Tipperary village remains hotbed for littering

Local tensions are rising in Littleton, amidst the inaction over a public place being used for littering and fires.

A local resident who lives in the area, contacted Tipperary Live last week concerning her growing frustrations with the lack of action being taken to remove litter from the area, and prevent people from starting fires.

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She stated that she had been in contact with the Tipperary County Council several times over the last year, but was either told to contact another department, or that the person she was trying to contact in some respective departments no longer worked in those departments.

“I'm living up here a long time in Littleton. It's at the end house, we'll say, and beside me is a tarmaced area. It serves absolutely no purpose, but for the last five or six years, there's been nothing only fires lit out there. The fire brigade has been out numerous times to quench the fires. So there's a house across the way that's after being boarded up. The person living there is no longer living there anymore. But it's an absolute eyesore and for the last 12 months, there's been rubbish out there and I've been on to the County Council hundreds of times trying to get them to come out and clean it up.

Now, they have come out several times before in the past and they came out lately with the sweeper after three or four phone calls, and they swept up all the glass out here, but they have not come back for the rubbish. It is an eyesore out here. It's scandalous to see it in a built up area. And anybody even driving in here, they’re saying ‘oh God, it's very rough looking up here,’ when in fact, it's not, like.”

The area in particular is a gap between two different estates in Littleton.

The woman stated that they, along with others, have been trying to have a wall build between these two estates, so as to alleviate the problem, however no such plans for a wall have materialised.

“Now, the Council were being pushed to build a big wall separating the two estates. It's like no man's land out there. And if there was a wall put there, you know, it would separate the two estates, it might actually maybe solve a lot of the problems out there. Speaking to everybody, there's nothing else that I can do about it. It's not just me now, I know there's another person involved in trying to get it cleaned up as well and having been to the local councillors, nothing.
Absolutely nothing. Being told from the Council ‘Oh such a lad, it's his department,’ and then when you get to his department, ‘no, he's too busy.’ 
Any of the liaison officers that are assigned to the area don't seem to stay in their job. Do you know what I mean, like when you ring back then, we'll say, they say ‘no they don't work there anymore,’ so it's just being pushed and pushed. 
Like I have photographs of it, it's scandalous, it's actually scandalous out here. It's as if it's just forgotten out here.”

They said that the sweeper was recently in the area a few weeks ago, however it did very little to improve the situation.

“The sweeper was out there, I suppose, it's about maybe four or five weeks ago and that was it. And the sweeper just basically drove around all the rubbish.
I know the sweeper can't pick up the rubbish, but I mean, there's really no point in coming out doing half a job. And you see the problem is then when they would come out and take away rubbish, there's more rubbish being dumped up here again.”

They also mentioned that the gardaí had been contacted regarding the situation, however they stated that it was a matter for the County Council.

“The guards said it's the Council's department, which is understandable like, but the guards can't really do anything about it. The fire brigades have it logged, I don't know how many times they’re after being out here, but they have it logged. They said that's on record. Like, you know, you're living here and we'll say there's fires being lit out there. The amount of smoke that comes off the fires, Halloween is a nightmare out here altogether.
It's so bad.”

They said that they and others in the community have been in contact with local Councillors Sean Ryan and Jim Ryan, who have visited the area to assess the situation.

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Speaking with Tipperary Live, Cllr Jim Ryan said that he has raised the matter with the Council on numerous occasions, however very little has been done to resolve it.

“This is an ongoing problem for the Derrynaflan Drive and Derrynaflan Avenue areas in Littleton where there is continuous illegal dumping going on. There are illegal fires taking place, the burning of rubbish and a lot of broken glass, so it’s a huge inconvenience to the residents in the area who are really sick and tired of this happening, and I have raised this issue, as have a number of residents, with the County Council down through the years, with very little progress being made, so I would call on the relevant bodies within the County Council, particularly the environmental section to come and tackle this issue head on. It’s just not fair on the residents in there to see this going on. They really believe that the Council are turning their backs on them in relation to it, so I just think severe action needs to be taken, the area needs to be cleaned up, if possible CCTV cameras to be put in to try and catch the people responsible for this anti-social behaviour and illegal dumping, and I think this is the only way this is going to be stopped going forward.

“A lot of people have contacted me. They’re just sick of it, they’re just hitting their head against a block wall in relation to it. Recently now there’s an issue of rodents, particularly rats, in the area coming into people’s backs, so, you know, this issue just needs to be tackled and needs to be stopped, and for the people there to be able to enjoy their lives without having to worry about rats coming into their back gardens, which is just totally unacceptable. That’s purely as a result of the rubbish being dumped there and being left there, so the place needs to be given a really good clean out, and as I’ve said, preventative measures now need to be put in to prevent future illegal dumping taking place.”

Cllr Sean Ryan stated that an issue with a fire in the area is currently under garda investigation, and that many groups in Littleton are working tirelessly to prepare for next month’s Pride of Place competition.

“Littleton is one of Tipperary County Council’s representatives in the Pride of Place competition this year, which is taking place on September 10. I know that groups from all over Littleton village will be involved in this, and are actively trying to keep their areas tidy, get their areas spruced up for the Pride of Place competition, and we have a plethora of different organisations in the village and they will all readily be involved in the Pride of Place competition this year, and that includes all the estates, the Derrynaflans, Churchview, and all the other areas, and, you know, we will have the village in tip-top shape for that competition, and for all the different organisations, to portray the fantastic work they do, be it the Derrynaflan Drive or Derrynaflan Avenue residents, be it the Churchview residents, be it the Littleton Development Association, be it the St Patrick’s Day committee, we have so many different organisations in the parish, and they will be actively involved over the coming weeks putting together our plan for the Pride of Place competition.”