‘We will block the road entirely if the problems here aren’t resolved’

Fed up residents in a Navan estate have had enough of matchday traffic, construction vehicles and drivers blocking entrances and obstructing emergency access to their close-knit estate

Frustrated residents of Emmet Terrace in Navan took matters into their own hands on Sunday to stop GAA fans parking all over their estate and blocking residents homes and cars.

Following numerous incidents where people couldn't leave their homes, ambulances couldn't get to the houses and local traffic was blocked in, residents decided on Sunday to make a stand.

"We will do this again for the next match, and we will block the road entirely if the problems here aren't resolved," warned local resident Alan Clarke.

He said residents are fed up of being blocked into their homes on match days, of workers and business people parking all day in their estate on weekdays, and of the heavy traffic that is currently using the estate because of nearby building work.

"It is very dangerous. The estate is used as a short cut and for all day parking. On match days, they park all over the green. There have been cases where ambulances cannot get as far as the houses they have been called to. On Friday evening last an ambulance had problems getting to a house in the estate and a few years back, a man had to be carried across the green to an ambulance.

"We asked for a traffic management plan for the when the council started building work on a new apartment development, but got nothing. Apart from that, the new apartments being built (on Brews Hill) have nine designated parking spaces, but they include six one bedroom apartments and six two bed apartments. Where is everyone going to park. Brews Hill is bursting at the seams.

"The work on the new apartments has seen very heavy traffic using a very narrow laneway here, where there are no footpaths. Capstones on walls are starting to move because of the vibrations. Lorries and heavy machinery are mounting the footpaths."

Frustration led residents to take matters into their own hands last Sunday and they stopped GAA fans from driving around in front of the houses.

"We blocked the road inside the estate to stop cars coming and parking in front of the houses, blocking people in.

"We got a lot of abuse, but we are sick of it. The next game will be the same and if the rest of the problems aren't dealt with, we will start blocking the road from the Boreen Keel side," he warned.

Jennifer Callan said the estate is used as a rat run by traffic coming up Boreen Keel. "I have had bins knocked over by cars, that is how close they are coming to our houses.

"On match days people going to Pairc Tailteann park all over the green. We also have the huge lorries driving along a roadway that doesn't even have a footpath.

"The main issue is safety. It is terrible to see a mother with a buggy or two or three kids walking on the road, having to squeeze through cars."

On a recent match Sunday, Margie Dunne, and her family had to cancel plans to go out for Sunday lunch.

"I couldn't get out of the house, because a car was parked that tight to my gate. I use a walker so there was no way I could leave. I couldn't even get to the shop.

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

“If you leave the house, when you came back, you wont be able to get anywhere to park. 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.”

"It has been going on for years, but has got even worse now with the construction traffic. We have heavy lorries and diggers moving all day."

Cllr Eddie Fennessy said health and safety concerns with illegal parking during Meath games is an issue and he's raised this numerous times over the past five years.

"Local residents are worried that emergency service vehicles such as fire engines and ambulances will be prevented from accessing houses during emergencies. It is a legitimate concern and something that needs to be factored into the thinking of the GAA.

"I took a walk around the estates surrounding Páirc Tailteann on Sunday and took multiple pictures of cars blocking roads and footpaths at Claremont, Clogherboy, Commons Road, Emmet Terrace and Dean Cogan. Residents from those estates regularly contact me to voice their concern.

"A comprehensive traffic management and parking plan needs to be agreed between the GAA and Gardaí. They need to make use of existing space such as school car parks, the new park and ride facility on the Moate Road, the multi-story car park at the shopping centre and other such places in Navan.

"Garda resources are stretched in Navan as we know. They don't have the capacity to work that plan alone. The GAA have a responsibility to provide stewards to work that plan with the Gardaí. "Personnel assigned to strategic locations and tasked with directing traffic to parking locations before matches would solve the issue.

"The big concern now is the Dublin game on the 18th. I expect a full house and absolute bedlam in terms of traffic. I call on the GAA to ensure the safety of local residents by implementing a traffic management and parking plan for that game."

Brian Kelly, Meath County Board PRO said they had met with the Gardai last Friday and had a detailed event plan.

"We advertised where people could park on our website and social media and the Gardai advertised it on their Meath Crime Prevention Facebook page.

"The Gardai policed the parking and the count council informed us the clampers would be out to deal with illegal parking. The council gave us a map of where people could park, which we shared," he said.

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said the issue of illegal parking within the estate, is a matter for the Gardaí.