21,000-seater stadium in the pipeline for Navan

Work could commence on a state of the art 21,000-seater Pairc Táilteann in under 12 months, subject to planning approval.

The Navan venue will reach its centenary in 2035 and Meath GAA Co Board officials appear determined to have a 21st century stadium developed well before that important milestone.

Last week at the April meeting of the Co Board a plan for a €9 million redevelopment of Páirc Táilteann was announced and the immediate target of covering the costs of €300,000 to get the project to the planning permission stage was sanctioned.

Each club will be expected to generate €5,000 to cover the initial costs and a number of options were outlined.

'We considered a number of options including levies and draws and the recommendations include a €100-ticket draw with each club to sell a minimum of 60 tickets with any surplus sales retained by the club,' stated Co Board treasurer Jim Mullery at last week’s meeting.

'The second option is for each club to source five interest-free €1,000 loans repayable from 2022 - 2027 and a third option is for each club to source 50 donors to contribute €100 each as a once-off payment,' he added.

That's all a far cry from the £700 that Meath Co Board required to purchase the the land from the Land Commission in 1935 with the venue officially opened in September of that year by the then GAA president Bob O'Keeffe.

Some 5,000 spectators watched two inter-county games that were staged to mark the occasion - All-Ireland champions Cavan defeated Louth and Meath defeated All-Ireland finalists Kildare.

The current stand was completed in 1953 and is now certainly showing the wear and tear of the last 64 years.

Upgrading of the stadium was completed in 1988 and there was another official opening by then GAA president John Dowling on 19th June that year.

Former Co Board chairman Fintan Ginnity was the driving force behind that re-development and the reigning NFL champions Meath played Kerry in a challenge game to mark the occasion - it finished 1-8 each. Killyon and Trim played a senior hurling challenge on the day also.

Now, Páirc Táilteann is ready for another facelift.

It's likely that Meath GAA supporters will have an opportunity to get behind this ambitious project with the first hurdle presented by that €300,000 target to get the proposals to planning.

The Meath Chronicle put a number of questions to Meath 
Co Board about the project.

1. A projected cost of €300,000 for planning permission sounds like a hefty amount, how is that amount calculated?

When the presentation was made to Meath Co Board and the clubs the reference was made to the cost of “applying for planning permission” as an estimated €300,000. It should probably have been explained more fully as the cost of designing the new stadium and the preparation of the plans, specifications and drawings for planning.
To do this it is necessary to appoint consultants for the following services: Architectural; Structural and Civil Engineering; Mechanical and Electrical engineering; Quantity Surveying; Fire Consultant; PSDP Consultant; DAC Consultant; Planning Consultant; Part L Compliance; Traffic Consultant; EIS Specialist; Project Manager; Pitch Specialist; Floodlights Specialist; Asbestos Removal Expert; Assigned Certifier
The €300,000 figure mentioned is for the completion of a master plan, required by Meath Co Council, for the development of Páirc Táilteann and the full design of a new “best in class” stadium in Navan.
This means the appointment of a competent design team with established experience and track record of designing projects of a similar nature.
The work in producing a master plan and planning application will require the appointment of qualified and experienced companies in a number of disciplines: Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Civil and Structural Engineers, Health and Safety, Mechanical and Electrical.
There was a competitive process where tenders were sought from a number of established firms in these disciplines. There was a good response and the process will be completed in the next few weeks. The projected cost is an estimate until that process is complete. 
The process followed for this tender is the same as the one followed for the Dunganny project. 
That project was delivered on time and within the budget.

2. What is the projected starting date and how long will it take to complete?

The projected starting date is dependent on the planning process. If a design team is appointed this month, the Co Board could lodge a planning application in September.
Assuming a relatively straightforward planning process (not always possible) there could be a decision in March 2018.
The Co Board will run the tendering process in parallel to the last stages of the planning process to facilitate a commencement date close to the grant of planning. 
If the planning process is subject to appeal then it is impossible to predict the start date.

3. What are the issues in relation to demolishing the old stand?

There are no major issues with the demolition other than that the asbestos removal has to be handled in an environmentally friendly way.

4. Will there be seating and covered areas on each side of the ground?

The Feasibility Study looked at the development of Páirc Táilteann to provide a “best in class” stadium at the venue. The team was asked to ensure that their proposal would allow for the full development of Páirc Táilteann on a phased basis. The recommendation of the Feasibility Study was that the Co Board should aim to have 21,000-seater stadium on the site. That would mean having a 7,000-seater South Stand (current stand location), a 7,000-seater stand on the current North Terrace, and 3,500-seater stands at each end. 
The proposal put to the recent meeting of the Co Board and the representatives of the clubs was to commence work on the new south stand. This was unanimously agreed at the meeting.

5. Will floodlights be included in the new stadium?

Yes, provided the funding allows it.

6. Have the old floodlights been sold yet?

Not yet. A tender process is in place to sell them.

7. Will there be a sponsor's name on the new stadium?

The Co Board is open to any offers or proposals which could contribute to reducing the overall cost of the stadium.

8. Will there be a scale model of the new-look Páirc Táilteann on view for the public once the plans are finalised?

The Co Board will provide as much detail and information as possible as the process progresses. 

The Co Board need the support of the people of Meath to provide a stadium of which all the people of Meath can be justly proud. 

To get that support The Co Board is committed to providing information to the public about the project.