After many false dawns, Townspark project to finally get underway

Work on the long-awaited refurbishment of the Townspark estate in Navan is to begin within the next fortnight. The extensive remedial works will include the demolition of nine existing houses, the construction of 21 new units, the refurbishment of council-owned properties and external works to privately-owned dwellings, in consultation with the owners. The multi-million euro scheme, which was first mooted over 10 years ago, will also include a full upgrading of all the roads, footpaths, services and garden walls within the estate. Work is due to commence on Monday 17th October and it will be carried out in five phases and be completed by spring 2013, according to Meath County Council. The council has awarded the contract to Kilcawley Construction of Sligo. Work had been due to start in August last year but the county council had to terminate the contract at the time and start the tendering process again. News that the work would start this month has been warmly welcomed. Cllr Shane Cassells said: "I am delighted for the long-suffering residents of Townsparks that the project has been salvaged and that the renovations to homes and the overall estate will be carried out. "A lot of people had lost hope that the work would ever be carried out and that the money for the scheme would be lost. There was a lot of messing in the past with construction fences being erected on-site, giving residents false hope, but I kept the pressure on the council to make sure they would deliver this contract. "I want to pay tribute to Larry Whelan in our housing department who played a big part in pulling this out of the fire and, hopefully, we will now get a top-quality job done, which is what the residents of Townsparks deserve," Cllr Cassells said. Cllr Joe Reilly said it was important that residents' views are taken into consideration during the work and indicated that he was delighted work would finally start on the project this month. "I first called for refurbishment works in the estate in the 1980s," he recalled. "The work will be disruptive for residents over the next few years, but it should see big improvements." Cllr Tommy Reilly said he had fought hard to secure the €10 million funding for the scheme, which was allocated in 2004. "I am thrilled that it is now going to start. Residents were given false hope last year and have been suffering for a long time," he added. He hoped that Meath County Council would have an engineer supervising the work on a daily basis.