This site provides information to help interested parties decide whether to make a representation or express concerns about the proposed development, along with key considerations before doing so. It includes details on what a STA facility is, why the proposed location raises concerns about suitability, alternative site options, potential impacts on property, and actions available to the local community. Contact information for relevant decision-makers and public representatives is also provided.
If the information is found to be useful, please consider sharing the link with neighbours, friends, or others who may be affected or interested.
What is Being Proposed for the Kentstown Road Site?
Meath County Council is seeking to compulsorily acquire the former petrol station site at Kentstown Road, Navan, to build a large Short-Term Accommodation (STA) facility. According to the Council’s own documents, the plan is to construct a purpose-built complex with up to 32 bedrooms, along with cooking, laundry, and support facilities. This development is specifically intended to provide supported accommodation for single homeless adults, not families, and would be managed by a specialist service provider.
What Is a Short-Term Accommodation (STA)?
A Short-Term Accommodation (STA) is a facility designed to provide temporary shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness. These facilities often house people with complex needs, including addiction, mental health challenges, and histories of trauma.
The Irony of Isolation: A Shelter Without Support—And a Community Without a Centre
It is a striking irony that the communities most directly impacted by the proposed STA facility—those living along Kentstown Road, in Athlumney, Ballis, Dunville, along Metges Road, off Hodgett Road, and those living around Johnstown Town Centre—do not have access to a dedicated community centre that they can use to discuss issues affecting them, such as this development. While plans are being made to house vulnerable individuals in a location far from the services they need, the surrounding neighbourhoods are themselves underserved—lacking even the basic civic infrastructure to engage in meaningful dialogue about decisions that shape their future. This disconnect reflects a broader failure to invest in inclusive, participatory civic life.
