Joint effort to tackle eyesore alleyway at Larne's Boyne Square

Fly tipping has been a problem at the entryway between Herbert Avenue and Waterloo Road for a number of years. INLT 22-656-CON

According to the local authority, the Boyne Square area of Larne has had a persistent problem with fly tipping for many years, particularly the entryway between Herbert Avenue and Waterloo Road.

Despite efforts by council staff to clean up the privately-owned site on a number of occasions over the years, it continues to be a source of complaint for many residents.

To help resolve this problem and in an effort to promote a cleaner environment, a joint council and community initiative is set to take place this weekend.

About 20 volunteers from the Factory Community Forum as well as other local residents, will team up with council staff for a clean-up of the entryway on Saturday, June 4.

David Todd, environmental warden for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said: “Efforts to clean the entryway up over the years have not been successful, so we wanted to attempt something different this time.

“In the initial phase of this project all householders were provided with information highlighting the free bulky waste service provided by the council and details of the penalties for non-compliance of waste disposal.

“The council role on the day of the clean-up will include the provision of litter picking equipment and refreshments for the volunteers.

“After the clean-up, the area will be closely monitored to prevent a reoccurrence of the problem.”

Gareth McConnell, community development worker with the Factory Community Forum, described the eyesore alleyway as “one of the worst in Larne”.

He added: “This has been a long standing issue and we have tried to clean it up on numerous occasions, but it never seems to last.

“It is overgrown and there is lots of rubbish being left out in bin bags.

“Hopefully in the future there will be some funding available to carry out some long term fixes such as tarmacing.

“I believe that improving the overall look of the alleyway would help give residents a sense of pride could go a long way to addressing this long-running issue.”