Protest planned over trip hazard footpaths in Johnstown estate

Residents of the Priory estate in Johnstown Navan are planning a protest at the next meeting of Navan Municipal Council over the dangerous condition of footpaths in the estate.

The move comes following a recent incident in which a woman sustained nasty injuries in the fall when she tripped on the uneven surface in the estate.

She had injuries to her face, knees and hands in the fall which was just one in a litany of accidents caused by the uneven footpaths over the last few years.

One man suffered serious facial injuries, while another woman fractured her wrist in previous falls in the estate.

Bernadette Flood says her friend was on her way to visit her in her home in Priory Drive, when she tripped on the broken footpath.

“She had an awful tumble. She had a black eye, bruised jaw, her hand was bruised and her knees cut. Her glasses were broken and had to be replaced.

“I got an awful shock when I saw her. It hurt me to see her in such a state.

“She had been on her own at 9.30 in the morning. There was nobody about and it had taken her a while to get up.”

Ms Flood said residents have highlighted this issue on numerous occasions over the past few years.

“We want the estate taken in charge by the council and the footpaths repaired.

“Imagine if a mother with small children was walking there and the mother fell and a child ran out onto the road.”

Sue McCarthy fractured her wrist in a fall there five years ago after tripping on a broken path in the estate and says it is still in the same condition five years later.

“I was walking up to visit a friend, I live around the corner in Athlumney Wood. I fell, put out my hand to save myself and my wrist took the full force of me hitting the ground. I was in a cast for three weeks ad then a splint and even now I still have problems with my wrist.

“The footpaths are absolutely lethal, there is no way I would go to visit my friend there anymore,” she said.

Ben White's father in law, Christy Scott, was badly injured in a fall four years ago.

“Christy is a regular visitor to our house. I was with him at the time. It was a dark evening and he tripped and fell head first.

“Many people have had falls on those footpaths. They are very dangerous. They are the bane of our lives.

“This is a lovely estate to live in, we've been here 20 years. There is a cross section of elderly residents, young families, renters and home owners and it very community focused.”

Cllr Alan Lawes has raised the issue with Meath County Council on numerous occasions. He said the council had received a valid taking in charge request from the residents in 2021 and five years later it still has not been taken over by the council and the paths and roads are in a desperate state.

“There have been many incident where people have fallen and been injured because of the paths, including one just over a week ago.

“Residents are dealing with these dangerous footpaths every day of the week. I am urging the council to take over this estate and to fix the footpaths as a matter of urgency.”

Cllr Lawes said there would be a protest outside the next meeting of Navan Municipal Council on 22nd April.

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said it had received a valid Taking in Charge request from residents.

“A number of site inspections have been carried out to identify the remedial works required to bring the development to an appropriate standard required under the planning act for the estate to be taken in charge.

“While Meath County Council is not in a position to progress the take charge of this estate at present, the taking in charge of estates remains a significant area of ongoing work for the local authority.

“To date this year, the Council has taken charge of 12 estates and continues to actively progress others, including this estate, which will be considered for Taking in Charge as soon as it is feasible to do so,” he said.