The Irish Times

A new Green Town 2000 competition, to promote environmental sustainability at local level, has emerged from a review of the Tidy Towns competition. With £150,000 funding from the National Millennium Committee, the new competition will give Tidy Towns committees an opportunity to mark the millennium through a range of projects, including restoration of old buildings, development of millennium parks, new uses for derelict sites, initiatives to combat litter, planting programmes, recycling projects and energy conservation measures.