Old Cornmarket and Fairgreen next up for new look in next phase of Navan 2030 works
Navan's Fairgreen and Old Cornmarket will get a major facelift this year as the next phase of the Navan 2030 scheme is rolled out.
As work on cycle scheme on Railway Street and the Trim Road, nears completion, plans are in place to start work on the Fairgreen and Old Cornmarket this year with work at Bedford Place and Bakery Lane starting in New Year 2025 and at Preston Place in spring of 2025.
Last week's meeting of Navan Municipal Council heard the works will include upgrading of services, lighting, new surfaces, and a reconfiguring of parking and a granite surface at the Fairgreen. Inappropriate parking will be dealt with and traffic light sequencing will be looked at to see what changes can be made to optimise them for both traffic and pedestrians.
Cllr Francis Deane raised the issue of people parking long term in Ludlow Street and asked what could be done to address that. Director of Services, Martin Murray said there were a number of areas where they needed to deal with inappropriate parking and they would be looking at all aspects of parking to maximise turnover of parking in the town.
The Mayor, Cllr Eddie Fennessy said that as a resident of the Trim Road area he was delighted that works there are near completion.
"There has been huge disruption particularly around school traffic. Parents and residents alike will be delighted to see the back of congestion and delays.
"The next phase of the 2030 scheme makes for interesting development. The Fair Green, Church Hill, Cornmarket and Bakery Lane will be completely transformed opening up huge trading potential on that side of town.
"Revitalisation and expansion of the Friday market must be a key component of the council's the long-term plan. And that plan must also allow for Market trading on Cornmarket in particular, but also on Metges Lane and on Kennedy Plaza.
"Market trading is quite popular. If we open Navan up to such trade it will bring people into the town. The wider economy and local businesses will benefit hugely from the footfall that market's would generate."
Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons said he had a lot of people contact him about traffic congestion, particularly around Watergate Street, since the reversal of traffic on Ludlow Street.
Cllr Emer Toibin had put in a notice of question asking for a detailed report on how the changing of traffic direction has impacted congestion and travel times in Navan over the last two months and also called for details of measures and strategies to facilitate improved and speedier navigation of emergency services vehicles through gridlock and to optimise overall traffic flow.
In a written response she was told the council was unaware of any formal reports from the Emergency Services of negative issues associated with the recent changes in traffic direction, or the associated works in Navan.
"In relation to the recent changes to the direction of traffic in Navan, it is noted that a period of adjustment is needed for individual private car users to alter pre-existing travel patterns to the revised traffic layout, which aims to improve access to public transport and also to improve accessibility for pedestrians in Navan through the introduction of new signalised pedestrian crossings.
"As the recent traffic changes in the town centre are part of government policy to increase active and sustainable transport choice over private car use, it is not intended to undertake a specific study on traffic levels in Navan at this time.
“The Transport Department will however continue to make observations on the levels of traffic at key junctions in Navan and, where appropriate, to make adjustments to traffic signals to optimise traffic signal operations for all road users."