‘It’s the elephant in the room’- Community centre absence overshadows park proposal in Navan
The absence of the long-campaigned-for community centre in the proposed playground and park development for Johnstown in Meath has been described as a major “disappointment".
Independent councillor Alan Lawes welcomed the plans but said the proposal is “missing” a community centre in Johnstown, an area with a population of 12,000 people located 1km outside Navan.
“The big missing aspect of this plan is a community centre in Johnstown,” he said.
Aontú councillor Emer Tóibín said: “I think the proposed plan looks great but it is incomplete. A community centre is the elephant in the room. It is what the people of Johnstown have been calling for for years.”
Cllr Tóibín added: “We are going to be met with a high level of disappointment.”
At the January meeting of Navan Municipal District, councillors were presented with the proposed Part 8 plans for the playground and park at the Dunville site in Johnstown.
Plans include a kiosk or café building, a flexible space, play spaces, a sensory garden, planting areas, a five-a-side 3G pitch, a 3x3 basketball court, a teen hangout area, an open lawn, natural planting areas and landscaped landforms.
Cllr Lawes asked if a community centre could be incorporated into the presented plans, which are set to go on public display.
“While the amenities are very welcome, the lack of community space is the problem I see here,” he added.
Director of services Martin Murray said Navan councillors will receive a presentation in March on the plans for the Old Johnstown public realm, which could include a community facility.
Cllr Lawes said the potential community facility as part of the Old Johnstown development would be a “room”, not a community centre.
“We’ve been living on promises for 20 odd years… we have something in front of us now which is real, which is going to happen,” he said.
“When we talk about Old Johnstown being developed, we are talking about a room becoming available. It is not a community centre, it’s a room.”
Meanwhile, a community and sports centre is to be completed by the end of phase three of the Farganstown housing development in Navan.
Cllr Tóibín said the community centre planned for Farganstown will be “filled up” with people from that area, while people in Navan will be asking: “How long have we waited?”
Speaking afterwards, she said: “If the developers of Farganstown honour their planning commitments, a community centre will be delivered there in time – but the reality is that this is still some distance away.
“In the meantime, there is no shortage of community, sporting and leisure groups in Navan desperately in need of premises to operate from. Unfortunately for them, and for the children and adults they support, the wait will continue.”
The proposed park first went to public consultation in 2017/18 and further consultation took place in 2022, asking residents what they would like to see in that location.
Mayor of Navan Pádraig Fitzsimons said: “We’ve been waiting for a long time for something like this in Johnstown and what has been brought to us is excellent.”