It's still all systems go for the long-awaited Queen’s Parade redevelopment plan in Bangor, a local councillor has said.
Last month the seaside town received a welcome boost with news that the £50 million project had finally been given the green light after being held up in a Stormont department for over a year due to flooding concerns.
News that the investment plan for the Queen's Parade area, approved by Ards and North Down Council in January 2021, would not be “called in” by Infrastructure Minister Nicola Mallon and instead be returned to the council to finish the application process, was warmly welcomed.
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The proposed scheme, developed by Bangor Marine Ltd, will see extensive work to a run-down area of the Co Down town.
It aims to transform the seafront area and those living there have been waiting more than 20 years for the site to be redeveloped.
Elected council members as well as local residents had become increasingly incensed at the hold up by the Rivers Agency.
DfI said it had been carrying out an assessment on the planning application in relation to it falling within the flood inundation zone of Clandeboye Lake.
The lake is over two miles away, and land between the lake and the seafront had continued to see planning applications approved without intervention.
But the local council's planning approval, granted 13 months ago, will now require further ratification in light of potential issues raised by DfI's flooding assessments.
DUP Councillor Alistair Cathcart, who chairs the council's Planning Committee, told Belfast Live : "Because the department looked into the planning application and then dragged their heels for over 400 days before deciding not to call it in, legally the council now has to hold a couple of meetings and a pre-determination hearing.
"It will then be brought back to the planning committee for consideration again in line with the legislation.
"We're happy to hold any special meetings if required to get this over the line as quickly as possible. It's still all systems go but we just want to make sure all the i's are dotted and the t's crossed and that everything is done correctly. We're still proceeding and the council, applicant, everyone is all still keen to go."
Bangor Marine’s vision will see a new 66 bedroom hotel, offices, apartments, a boutique cinema and public squares over the area currently occupied by a car park and the Project 24 art pods.
It will also demolish the car park on the seaward side of Queen’s Parade, replacing it with a new pedestrian-friendly recreational area including event spaces and a children’s play zone, a move designed to reconnect the town with its own coastline.
All the pedestrian areas, both those on the seaward side and those winding through the development to link Queen’s Parade with Main Street, will open to the public 24/7, which officials have compared to a similar approach taken by Belfast city centre's Victoria Square.
The Queen’s Parade project will create approximately 100 jobs per annum during construction and a 700 further roles once it is “operational.”
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Take a look through our photo gallery below for images of some of the areas of the town set for a revamp.
