'Please don't take away our green area'

Residents of a Navan estate are up in arms over plans to build a creche and apartment on the green area beside their homes where their children play. McDermott Homes Ltd is seeking planning permission from Navan Town Council for a ground floor creche facility with associated outdoor play area to accommodate up to 20 children, and a first floor two-bedroom apartment, car parking and new entrance at 59A Ferndale in Navan. The green area is at the end of a cul-de-sac and local residents say it is the only green area near their homes where their children can play in safety as the other green area is almost 1,000m away. Resident Eamonn Byrne said residents are opposed to the plan and are lodging an objection. He said it would be too dangerous having more traffic and said he feels "they shouldn't be able to take away the green area after living there for 12-13 years". Aedin Naughton said she was shocked to hear about the plans. There are 42 children under the age of 12 on their road who play football and games on the green. "We bought the houses on the premise that this was open space. There is also not a shred of room for any more cars. It is already totally congested. Most people living along here have two cars and there is always a queue out of the estate in the morning," said Ms Naughton. She added that there is already a creche at the entrance to the estate. There is a parking area/turning bay at the end of their road where the green area is which Ms Naughton said they are concerned about losing. She added they don't know how a bin lorry or coal lorry could get in and out. The residents have put together an objection to the plans and the closing date for further submissions is 17th September. Their objection states: "We are totally dismayed, saddened and angered by the developer submitting this planning application after 15 years. Our children are completely devastated and upset at the prospect of losing their only green/play area that they have played on for 15 years and cannot understand why and how this could happened." The objection also states that the nearest other green area is 1,000 metres away and "is completely out of sight for parents to keep an eye on our children which, in this day and age, is a necessity". It goes on: "The road to this green area is already severely congested. There is absolutely no room for any more cars, never mind a creche with a volume of at least 20-30 cars dropping and collecting children twice a day. This would be of grave danger to our children with these cars turning, etc. At the moment there are no speed ramps in Ferndale and no signs to warn motorists of children at play." The objection concludes: "We, the residents, implore Meath County Council to reject this planning application by McDermott Homes. Please do not take away this small safe green area from our children, whose quality of life would be severely affected. We do not want our children playing on the roads, we want to keep them safe and secure to enjoy a childhood that everyone is entitled to." The closing date for receipt of submissions to the Ferndale application is 17th September and a decision is due on the application on 8th October next.