OLD fashioned sweepers could be making a return to the streets of Down District’s towns and villages.
Mechanical sweepers could be replaced by the brush-wielding sweepers in a bid to improve the cleanliness of the district.
Support is gathering for a return of dedicated street sweepers after a pilot scheme in Ardglass, Killyleagh and Castlewellan proved extremely successful.
Councillors believe the return of sweepers who were a common sight in towns and villages years ago, will not only help keep these locations clean, but encourage residents to take more civic pride in their respective areas.
Councillors argue the sweepers do a much better job in smaller towns than mechanical cleaners and believe the presence of cleansing staff on the ground sends out a positive message to ratepayers.
At last week’s meeting of Down Council’s Environment Committee, Rowallane councillors made the case for street sweepers to be deployed in Crossgar and Saintfield, while it was suggested other areas like Dundrum would also benefit.
The problem politicians face is there is money in next year’s budget for more cleansing staff, but they believe this hurdle can be overcome. They want a rates working party which looks at the council’s finances to take up the issue to see if money can be found to employ additional staff.
The case for additional sweepers in Crossgar and Saintfield was
made by councillors William
Dick, Billy Walker and Terry Andrews who said the move would be welcomed by residents and business owners alike.
Councillor Dick said the deployment of solo sweepers in other parts of the district had been “extremely effective” and explained there is a desire for dedicated cleansing staff in Crossgar and Saintfield.
“While I acknowledge that employing additional staff has not been included in the rates, I always find it remarkable that money can be found in the council budget at times,” he added.
Councillor Walker said the introduction of solo sweepers in Killyleagh had been a great success and suggested that as the people who do the job live locally, they have real pride in what they do.
“I believe the more sweepers we have in our towns and villages the cleaner they will become and the people who live there will think twice about ping litter,” he added.
Councillor Andrews suggested a system should be in place that would allow people currently unemployed, but who want to work, the opportunity to work for organisations like Down Council and could help keep the district clean.
Councillor Eamonn O’Neill said Dundrum is an area which could benefit from a solo sweepers and agreed the suggestion that more cleansing staff should be deployed in towns and villages should be referred to the rates working party.
Support for the return of solo sweepers was also voiced by councillors Garth Craig and Walter
Lyons. Councillor Craig said while keeping the district clean isn’t easy, the success of the solo sweeping pilot project provided encouragement about what could be achieved in other areas.