Tenants return to apartments evacuated a year ago

The Navan apartment complex which had to be evacuated a year ago due to fire safety concerns has now been made safe.

Kentswood Court at Johnstown, Navan, was last week given the green light to re-open its top storey apartments to tenants.

The apartment complex was at the centre of an evacuation drama following an instruction to tenants from the Meath Fire Officer to vacate the top 10 apartments of 20 duplexes in November 2013.

The block of apartments, which was developed by Vicarage Green in 2006, was essentially unfinished when a decision was taken to rent out all 20 apartments. As a result, the block of apartments did not have a valid fire certificate.

While the bottom 10 apartments were compliant, the top 10 apartments did not comply with legislative fire safety regulations and tenants had to be evacuated. People living in the building had just days to source alternative accommodation with Christmas just three weeks away.

Residents were shocked when they were notified by a local rental company about the fire safety concerns and that they would have to evacuate their homes within a matter of days. The firm, Royal Rentals, told each tenant that this was 'a strict deadline imposed by the fire officer and the landlord has no control over this timetable'.

When receivers, Grant Thornton, took control of the development, they engaged AFEC, an engineering company, to work with Meath County Council to ensure that the required fire safety works were completed.

'We were tasked with the challenge of ensuring all regulations in relation to fire safety were securely met whilst ensuring the end product was a great space to live in,' said David Ahearne, project manager at AFEC.

'The client, contractor and the local fire authority were all fantastic and allowed this project to come together in creating a fantastic finished product,' he added.

The apartments were also fully refurbished. The apartments' insulation was upgraded while the master bedrooms were doubled in size to provide for an ensuite bathroom.

The first phase of six apartments was launched on Monday 27th October and all units were rented on the day. A second release of a further five apartments will take place this week with the remaining apartments scheduled for release in the coming weeks.

Rents for the two-bed units start from €700 per month with bin charges included. A full-time caretaker is also on-site to assist tenants with everything from hanging pictures to changing light bulbs.

Security has been increased with 24-hour CCTV and an electric gate at the entrance, while a landscaping project and the provision of a new bin store is planned for the near future.