Demolition has begun at Naas Cemex site

Demolition work has officially begun at the former Cemex factory site in Naas, marking the first phase of a planned development that includes an Applegreen garage, a drive-thru, EV charging hub, a biodiversity park and associated road works including a new slip road connecting the Dublin road to the Monread road and new pedestrian crossings.

Demolition works on the “eyesore” site is expected to last ten weeks, after which construction for the multi-use site will commence, which is expected to take around 18 months to develop.

The site has been considered derelict for 15 years, and local representatives have expressed support for its redevelopment, while also acknowledging the need for better coordination and support for those who have been living there.

The Cemex site was home to an estimated 11 members of the Roma community and has been a point of concern for local volunteers and organisations.

Many of the residents have been living there for over a decade in extremely poor conditions, with no electricity, heating, running water, or sanitary facilities, taking shelter in the derelict office spaces onsite.

Local authorities stated previously that responsibility for any notifications regarding eviction or relocation lies with the site owner, as the property is not under council jurisdiction. 

However, the council indicated that support is available through its homeless services for anyone in need, should they decide to move off the site.

NaasPoint, a local parish charity, has been supporting the community since 2019 by providing food, clothing, gas stoves, access to medical assistance and providing help in various other ways.

Tom Keightley of Naas Point charity was happy to update that the residents of the Cemex site have been rehoused in emergency accommodation.

“Once they agreed with the developer to move out, Kildare County Council’s homeless department dealt with them quite quickly with the help of Pavee Point and CKLP,” he said.

“They all seem happy enough – I checked in with them yesterday, and they all seem to be doing okay."

Naas councillor, Bill Clear, who has supported many derelict redevelopment projects in the town, explained that the demolition alone could take anywhere from two and a half to three months to complete, with construction expected to commence directly afterwards.

Delighted to see “the biggest derelict site in Kildare” finally being demolished and redeveloped, he said: “Naas Tidy Towns is very, very happy. It has been working on this for years and years to manoeuvre its way through planning.

"Every step of the way, I have been keeping a very close eye.” 

“We are very happy that it started so quickly. This was effectively holding Naas to ransom."

Cllr Clear also called attention to many other derelict projects he has worked on in the area, and highlighted three more Naas sites which need attention.

He commended the work of Kildare County Council on derelict sites, explaining that other councils around the country could take a leaf out of their book.