Illegal dumping down 10% with decrease in dog fouling in district

Illegal dumping down 10% with decrease in dog fouling in district

18 September 2024

ILLEGAL dumping and dog fouling across the district is on the decrease.

The news was confirmed in Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s annual performance assessment report which was made public last week.

Illegal dumping has decreased by almost 10 per cent with a 2.45 per cent reduction in dog fouling incidents.

The detail of the report was revealed at last week’s meeting of the local authority’s Strategy, Policy and Resources Committee and approved by its members.

Almost £1.2m was made available to community groups via the local authority’s financial assistance scheme in the last financial year, with the organisation’s help supporting almost 370 projects.

However, statutory standards for processing planning applications have not yet been achieved, but the council insists it is committed to reducing these figures.

The assessment performance highlights where progress has been made over the past year, with the local authority working tirelessly to deliver services and ensure they were delivered seamlessly for residents.

Through a range of economic development programmes, the organisation also supported 363 local businesses and social enterprises and helped create 104 new jobs. 

Elsewhere, the performance report reveals more people than ever continued to re-connect with the natural beauty of Newry, Mourne and Down by visiting a number of wonderful outdoor spaces.

Almost 263,370 people visited community trails, with over 525,000 visits to Kilbroney and Slieve Gullion forest parks over the last eight to nine months of 2023-24.

Leisure services recorded a 19% increase in recorded attendances compared to 2022-23, and a decrease of 60% in the level of municipal waste sent to landfill from 2,319 tonnes in 2022-23 to 937 in 2023-24.

Council officials say while the figures are encouraging, there is much work still to be done.

They promise that the council will focus on what they say matters most to ratepayers – improving the quality of life for all local communities and building a district everyone can all be proud of.

Rowallane councillor Tierna Howie, who chairs the Strategy, Policy Resources Committee, said it had been another “challenging year” with the council continuing to deal with a cost of living crisis, while also navigating the significant impact of the floods across the district.

“The assessment has given us an opportunity to reflect on how we have worked through the past year, the achievements we should be proud of and the areas for improvement we need to continue to focus on,” she said.

She said the council is currently finalising a sustainability development strategy and action plan which will explore further opportunities for new green economy projects and help meet carbon emission and climate change targets.

Further information on the council’s performance during the last financial year will be available on its website www.newrymournedown.org/performance by the end of this month.