Efforts to complete Academy Square complex in Navan hindered by flood plain designation

A Navan developer who has been “trying relentlessly” to get planning permission at Academy Square for the last seven years is furious the site had now been added to the derelict sites register.

Geraldine Weir has a 50 per cent share in the site, which is at a gateway to Navan Town.

“We have been trying since 2019 to get planning permission to finish off this area with 67 apartments and retail units on the ground floor.”

There are 130 apartments built by another developer on the site and they have been occupied since the early 2000s. The front of the site which faces Dublin was granted planning for an office block to finish the development again in early 2000s and the basement car park was installed at the time.

Following the economic crash in 2008 that development was ceased.

“We bought the site in 2014 and we have been applying for planning permission since 2019.

“We engaged with the planners, we were guided by them. We reduced the height of the proposal. They seemed to be happy with the plans and then out of the blue, we were told it was a flood plain and there was no way we could get planning permission - this was despite the fact that there were already 130 housing units on the site.

“We suggested various different solutions but got nowhere. To add fuel to the fire, they have put the site on the derelict site register, and issued us with a substantial bill.

“How is this fair, considering we are still actively trying to achieve planning on this site.

“They are claiming the site is worth €900,000, but how can it be worth anything when you cannot get planning permission on it,” she asked.

Meath County Council has been approached for comment.