Community Area Profile Baltinglass

Current Issues Affecting the Community

Current issues affecting the community include the following:

This question was put to The Baltinglass Women's Group, The Parent and Toddler Group, The Park Committee and other individuals.

The following were frequently identified as current issues affecting our community -

• Insufficient suitable recreation facilities for adolescence

• Illegal refuse disposal/dumping vs. local objection to legal landfill area

• No suitable halting sites for members of the travelling community

• Insufficient re-cycle centre. There are bottle banks, which are frequently over flowing. Next nearest one is 15 miles away. Tidy Town's aim to keep this area clear.

• Insufficient garda manpower.

• Insufficient quality employment opportunities

• Insufficient public amenity, no park.

• Supermarket car park insufficient

• Insufficient community midwifery services. Women must travel to avail of midwifery care.

• Under age/teenage drinking.

• Social exclusion. Those living in surrounding areas with no transport have limited access to the community.

• Rapid explosion of housing development vs. lack of supporting infrastructure.

• Relocation of the Mill to the other side of the town has contributed to traffic congestion. There is only one small bridge to get to the other side of town.

• Increased traffic congestion including heavy goods vehicles using Baltinglass as a bypass from Carlow to Dublin etc.

• Insufficient safe/legal parking. Cars are parked illegally in the town daily.

• Insufficient childcare facilities. The only service of its kind has recently opened to school age children by local people who sought grant funding. There are also limited pre-school age services.

• Lack of footpaths on the secondary roads. Making walking potentially unsafe.

• Main's water quality and supply is a key issue for residents in West Wicklow.