burning issue | 

Meath residents burnt out of homes in ‘arson attack’ now being fined for street parking

Because no alternative car parking has been made available it has meant they have had to resort to street parking in the town centre.

Today at 13:22

RESIDENTS unable to use an underground car park after a suspected arson attack a month ago have been hit with parking tickets as they try to park close to their homes.

The fire on 8 August at the Academy Square complex in Navan forced people from two of the blocks but other residents have been able to stay in their homes.

Because no alternative car parking has been made available it has meant they have had to resort to street parking in the town centre.

One resident told the Sunday World he had already got a parking ticket and was told by Meath Co Council he would have to pay the fine.

Other residents have also been fined for parking on Academy Street between 8am and 6pm, he added.

The resident said the management company, Oriel Property Management, in his opinion haven’t done enough to help the residents out and he is still paying the same level of rent even though his parking space can’t be used.

“It is now a month and we call them and email them and they say it is not our problem. The don’t want to help us at all.”

He told how one neighbour leaves their car with a relative in another part of town and uses an electric scooter to get to it before commuting to work every day.

Cllr Emer Tóibín said a month since the fire people are still trying overcome the problems it has caused.

“Some people have come to me over the parking fines, they have nowhere to put their cars and that’s a real pain.”

“But the council said they are going to be lenient in terms of issuing fines and that’s how it should be.”

“After the Bank Holiday weekend, I had some indications this could take five, six months to resolve or even longer than that.”

The management company told the Sunday World that there was no updates on the parking situation “as we are still dealing with the insurer’s, who have yet to confirm liability for the damage caused in the fire, which effectively means that we are unable to move any aspect of the rebuilding works forward.”

“The car park in the complex, has been closed upon request from the Fire Officer, as it is unsafe to use in its current state. Given the complexity of the rebuild process, at best it is likely to be a period of between 6 and 9 months before the car park is reopened.”

“The owners management company, appreciate that this is an inconvenience for the resident’s, however their paramount concern is the safety of the complex and the people who reside within it, so we must adhere to the advises and instructions received.”

Meath County Council said in a statement this week that it is up to the property’s management company to provide alternative spaces for residents.

“The accommodation of the residents of Academy Square complex is the sole responsibility of the Management Company.

“The management company are currently working towards sourcing alternative parking off site for current residents until repairs to the underground car park are carried out.

“The priority is to safely manage the current capacity of the on-street parking spaces for the residents of Academy Street. Meath County Council manage the Street parking through the issuing of ‘permits’ to existing residents.

“Due to the nature of the street, there is limited capacity to expand the permit system as the overall street is in the main residential development. The safety of pedestrians and other road users must be considered.”

The fire meant that residents in 33 apartments had to leave their homes with the electricity and water cut off by the fire damage.

The alarm was at around 7pm on the August Bank Monday when smoke was seen coming from near the underground car park at the complex.

Several units of Meath County Fire Service extinguished the fire and oversaw the residents’ evacuation.

It was reported at the time gardaí were investigating the incident as “suspected criminal damage.”