BY COLM BRADLEY
Residents of Fairview Avenue have expressed concern about a new smoking area outside the Fermanagh College. Located directly opposite the houses in Fairview Avenue the smoking area sees crowds gathering in the morning, lunchtime and between lectures and despite raising their concerns with the hierarchy of the college they have yet to receive any satisfactory resolution to the problem.
"The street is becoming filled with cigarette butts. It also means that there are groups of people standing smoking directly," Ollie Beatty, a resident of Fairview Avenue, explained.
Recently, a sign has been erected showing where the smoking area is located and there has been bins provided for smokers to stub out their cigarettes.
Unfortunately however it appears that the majority of smokers are not heeding this sign and the street is becoming littered with cigarettes.
Our pictures show the cigarettes that have piled up along the curbing and also the sign on the wall of the Fermanagh College and the bins that have been provided.
Mr Beatty has said that a number of residents have expressed their concern over this new smoking area;
"I am not saying anything against smoking. I was a smoker myself once but at the end of the day nobody wants a pile of Cigarette butts outside their house."
Mr Beatty also wondered if there was not another area, inside the college grounds, where the smoking area could be erected. He also questioned if the residents of Fairview Avenue were getting value for money with respect to their rates;
"With the jump in our rates over the past 12 months you would think that you could be guaranteed a clean street outside your front door. At the moment nobody is cleaning the area and it does not look good."
The Fermanagh College were contacted by 'the Herald' on Tuesday afternoon and a spokesperson stated they were not able to comment fully on the issue at such short notice but they did indicate that they were unaware of any complaint made against the College at this time.
Mr Beatty however was able to confirm that he had spoken to the Principal of the college two weeks ago concerning this problem and as yet has heard no response.
"I do not want to cause a big fuss but the dirt and mess of the street is not pleasant and it should not be the residents that suffer," Mr Beatty explained.
