Comment: How wonderful it will be to see the river utilised and enjoyed by all

It's a tale of two 'eyesores' in the paper this week with news of positive progress on one and deep frustration with the other.

It was heartening to see that the first stop in a major regeneration project for Navan got underway this week with the demolition of the derelict properties at the entrance to Andy Brennan Park.

Meath County Council has appointed Hegarty Demolition Limited to demolish and remove the four derelict semi-detached properties at the entrance to the park in works that should take six weeks.

The dwellings, derelict for years were a magnet for anti-social behaviour and drug-taking activity, as well documented in this paper.

More crucially they served as an unwelcome screen to the lovely Andy Brennan Park - a small but calm oasis of riverside greenery and escape in the town .... that nobody wanted to visit. Many Navan locals have refused to use the green space for safety reasons. The houses provided cover for anti-social behaviour and for groups to occupy the amenity making it feel unwelcoming and initmidating.

With the demolition of the houses, the park and river will hopefully open up to the Navan-Kentstown road and become a much more inviting and inclusive space.

The county council was granted planning permission last year for a major revamp of the Andy Brennan Park as well as a major redevelopment of the former Spicers Bakery site and adjacent car park.

Central to the plan is the demolition of the houses and the creation of a stepped plaza area which will form the entrance to the redesigned park, while on the other side of the Athlumney Road, there will be a new cafe in the bakery office building with a plaza area outside, and the Ramparts Car Park will also be upgraded and extended.

This plan aims to bring the area back into use as a recreational space and Navan needs certainly needs those.

The main body of Andy Brennan Park will be redesigned as an urban sports park, suitable for skateboarding, roller blading, parkour and other activities. At the end of a straight path reminiscent of the former canal there, will be a canal themed accessible play facility. The fishing platform will also be restored.

How wonderful it will be to see the river utilised and enjoyed by all.

The first steps of the ambitious project is being taken with the removal of those houses and let's push our elected representatives and council to ensure the full regeneration of the area becomes a reality.

Not so positive is the news than An Bord Pleanala has upheld Meath County Council's decision to deny planning permission for the completion of the Academy Road development.

The proposal sought to complete the Academy Square complex which has remained unfinished for over well over a decade with an ugly facade and scaffolding greeting people arriving into the town on the Dublin Navan road.

Plans for a ten-storey building to include retail/commercial space and a mix of independent living units and apartments were put forward in December 2020. Meath County Council ultimately refused planning permission in August 2023 due to concerns over flood risk, a decision now upheld by ABP.

That's not just a case of going back to the drawing board, that means a fundamental rethink of how any development can take place at that location.

As we deal with one longstanding Navan eyesore, let's hope a solution can be found to deal with another.