Parking mad... ‘We feel like the forgotten estate’

Angry residents of Emmet Terrace in Navan have warned they may have to block the road if action isn't taken to resolve problems caused by the public parking all day in the estate.

Residents say access to their homes is regularly blocked by cars parked on the narrow road, cars drive at speed through the estate and in one case, a man had to be carried across the green area to an ambulance when access to his home was blocked.

Alan Clarke said some of the residents have been talking about the blocking the road in protest.

“We feel we are the forgotten estate. People want something done now and not in a few months or a years time.

“Parking is a major problem – there are people parking in the estate all day and many of them are business owners and workers.

“They are blocking access to people's homes – we have a lot of elderly residents and three residents with mobility scooters and they all find it hard to get in and out of their homes.

“They are blocking the emergency services. Some years back a man had to be carried across the green to an ambulance.

“We must be the only estate in the town that doesn't have footpaths. It is lethal with so much traffic driving through all day long and there are no road markings.

“It is only a matter of time before somebody is hurt,” he said.

Margie Dunne said that on one occasion when there was a football match in town, she had to climb over parked cars to get into her home.

“We had been out and when we came back, the cars were parked bumper to bumper outside the house. There was no room between them and we had to climb over them to get in.”

She said they often have to park outside the estate and walk to their home because all the parking spaces have been taken by people who don't live there.

“I saw a man parking there one morning at 8am who didn't come back until after six.

“This is happening all the time.

“The traffic through the estate is also very heavy. I have small grandchildren, but I cannot let them play on the green because of speeding traffic.”

The plight of the residents was raised by Cllr Eddie Fennessy at a meeting of Navan Municipal District Council last week where he called for the introduction of Parking Bye Laws that would allow for the installation of double yellow lines on the two short sides of the green area and the introduction of paid parking with meters and signage on the two long sides of the green area.”

He said that over the past few months he had engaged in an extensive consultation with the residents of Emmet Terrace and Meath County Council to try and resolve parking issues in the area.

"The problem escalated recently when double yellow lines were installed at the Brews Hill entrance to the estate. That measure was necessary to prevent illegal parking. Unfortunately it has made life very difficult for the residents of Emmett Terrace.

"More and more people park there everyday. The situation is so bad that some residents can't exit or access their driveways because the narrow road around the estate is blocked with cars.

"More worryingly, the age demographic on the estate is quite high. If the problem persists, residents fear that it is only a matter of time before the emergency services are prevented from dealing with a life or death situation.

"Residents have tried to reason with the offenders and more often than not were abused for expressing their concern. They're at their wits end and are looking for solutions.

"I welcome the council's intention to review the parking bye-laws. Residents will fully engage in that process. I urge the council to listen to their concerns and to initiate that review as quickly as possible."

Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons said there were a lot of elderly people, but also children living in the estate.

“Anywhere close to town, where there is free parking, people will park. We need to introduce paid parking, but then we have the problems of visitors to the residents getting tickets.”

Cllr Alan Lawes asked if bollards which the residents and their visitors could open could be installed, but was told there would then be an issue with deliveries and rights of way.

The councillors were told the Parking Bye Laws for Navan are currently under review with a view to updating them in line with current parking related requirements in the town.

Options to address the issue of illegal parking will be considered as part of this process.