Athlone Town Council is hoping to install new underground bottle banks at the Fair Green within the next year, after launching proposals for the project this week.
The new bring bank, which is expected to cost in the region of €40,000, will be located at the site of the current bottle banks, on the Fair Green just off Grace Park Road.
A new service road, running parallel to Grace Park Road, will enable vehicles to access the banks easily, both to drop off recyclables and for lorries to empty them.
The project was proposed by Cllr Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, who said they had been waiting three and a half years to get the ball rolling on the new recycling centre.
“The Tidy Towns have been highlighting this for years. It will also ease the traffic problems that have been occurring there, especially at peak times for the schools,” he said.
Seconding the proposals, Cllr Alan Shaw wanted to know the likely cost, and where the council would get funding.
Town clerk Hugh O’Reilly said the cost would be broken down into approximately €15,000 for the civil works, and €20,000 to €25,000 for the installation of the bins. Funding would be sourced from the council’s recent sale of their waste collection services.
