Proud residents of Navan estate want end to anti-social behaviour

Silverlawn community embarked on a massive clean-up of litter and called for additional lighting in alleyways and fencing off bushes where residents claim drug taking regularly takes place

Residents of the Silverlawn estate in Navan, who are fed-up with anti-social behaviour, drug taking and littering around their green areas, took matters into their own hands recently carrying a major clean-up of the estate.

However, they are calling on Meath Co Council to help eliminate the anti-social behaviour for good, by providing additional lighting in local alleyways and by fencing off bushes at the perimeter of the estate, where residents claim drug taking regularly takes place

“Silverlawn is a lovely estate, a great location with lovely neighbours but anti-social behaviour is a big problem,” says Josef Zacek of the residents association.

“There is a huge problem with litter. People go to the shops and walk along eating and drinking and then drop the rubbish on our green.

“The bushes are used for hiding in by those taking drugs. The green is used for picnics and drinking, and littering and dumping is a constant problem,” he said.

The residents got together the weekend before last to carry out a major clean-up and just last weekend, planted a number of apple trees in the green area which has been cleared and which they hope may be put to good use, such as allotments.

They worked from 9.30am until dark on both the Saturday and Sunday to clean up the area. Members of the committee and residents volunteers cleaned up the green area near the shops.

“This was a mammoth undertaking by all involved over the Saturday and Sunday and the area is now looking good. A trailer load of rubbish bags were also collected. Worryingly needles and drug paraphernalia and cans of nitrous oxide were also found and subsequently removed.

“There were 20 big bags of rubbish including bottles and cans, pizza boxes, cigarettes packets, e-cigarettes and drug paraphernalia. “We removed overhanging branches from the bushes so there is less places for them to hide.

“The residents have been amazing, We had 13 clean-ups last year and now we have clean ups every two weeks for just an hour, where people clean up the area and meet and chat, but we decided to have this one big clean up. The committee would like to thank the residents and the little residents who came out to help. It was greatly appreciated.

We would like to thank Meath Co Council for providing the litter pickers and gloves.

“It was a big task but there was a great response form the community. A large number of people came out and helped, We cut away the overgrown bushes and now we hope to level the area, bring in a rotavator and maybe have allotments and we hope to get some of the younger people involved.

“We hope this will discourage anti-social behaviour. We have had times when up to 100 people have gathered outside our homes, having a party. When a big bunch of people come together it is very noisy and intimidating,

He said that one time, there was a man walking around, knocking on all the windows, asking for money.

“We have four alleyways in the estate and they are dark, better lighting would be a great help.”

“We are sick and tired of the anti-social behaviour. We are doing our best to keep the area clean and safe and we hope that our hard work will help keep trouble makers away,” he said.

Meath Co Council was approached for comment.