Movement on ‘triangle’ site at Flower Hill and Abbeylands

Plans for a high profile development at Flower Hill and Abbeylands in Navan are moving forward with a legal agreement in place for the sale of the site.

Councillors approved the disposal of the triangular site with road frontage to Flower Hill, New Lane, and Ratholdren Road, to a special purposed company which will develop the area.

Councillors agreed at a meeting of Navan Municipal Council last week to dispose of the land to Bellesy Ltd and were told the company would give a presentation to councillors on what they want to put on the site.

The triangular 1.07 acre site is earmarked for a variety of possible commercial development uses including health care, hotel / leisure, offices, nursing home, training centre and educational. As well as commercial uses, up to 50 per cent of the site can be given over for residential use.

Cllr Eddie Fennessy welcomed the move. "We've waited patiently for five years for this project to take a step forward, and it is great news for Flowerhill at last.

"It will be interesting to see what the developer proposes to construct there. I'd expect to see residential and retail space being created. The night time economy has also been mentioned as being in the mix, so we might see a restaurant or a bar developed there.

"This development presents us with an opportunity to develop something special for the area. And it really needs to include social infrastructure. A communal space or a community centre would be a great addition and benefit the wider Flowerhill community.

"It is incumbent upon the seven councillors in Navan to ensure that the local community are considered in any plan put forward by the developer."

The development of that triangle of land is part of a major overhaul of Flower Hill, courtesy of a €11 million grant funding under the Government’s urban regeneration fund.

A blueprint for the entire area has drawn up by Paul Hogarth Company. Among the proposals in the plan are streetscape enhancement including new wider pavements and cycling infrastructure on Flower Hill, a well-designed mixed-use development creating a new urban quarter for Abbeylands, a sustainable network of streets and pathways, connections with the adjacent River Blackwater and an attractive riverside park.

As part of the regeneration of the entire area, there are proposals for an Active Travel cycle and pedestrian scheme and options are being explored for community facilities, while planning permission has already been granted for the riverside park which will form part of the overall scheme.

Separately, Meath County Council has plans for a scheme of six houses at New Lane, Abbeylands which will involve the renovation of an existing vacant listed property on New Lane to create a two bedroom home, with five one bedroom units to the rear with access from Abbeylands Crescent and a footpath to New Lane. The houses will be aimed at older people and people with limited mobility.