A proposal to rename Bangor’s Queens Parade 'Queen's Platinum Jubilee Parade' by independent councillors has been rejected by unionist parties in Ards and North Down Council.
At a meeting of Ards and North Down Council’s Environment Committee, a motion proposed and seconded by former DUP Aldermen Wesley Irvine and Bill Keery, was scrapped after an amendment by the DUP received cross party support.
Alderman Irvine resigned from the DUP to become an independent in March this year after the party asked him not to canvas for Independent MLA Alex Easton, who left the party last year. Former Ards and North Down Mayor Bill Keery became an independent after he was suspended from the DUP in April 2021 for a council speech gaffe regarding Prince Philip.
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Their motion asked that the “council changes the name of Queen’s Parade to Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Parade in honour and recognition of the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne.”
The regeneration of the Queen’s Parade area of the newly appointed city was announced earlier this year, after a two year hiatus caused by Stomont. Large parts of the site, which occupies a prominent position overlooking the main Queen's Parade coastal road and Bangor Marina, have been derelict for decades and the area has long been seen as visually unattractive and having a detrimental effect on tourism and trade in the new city.
The motion amendment, tabled by the DUP and supported unanimously, reads: “this council, in recognition of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee and her conferment of city status upon Bangor, agrees to name an appropriate place or building within Bangor in her honour and (also agrees) that future Bangor entrance signs make reference to Bangor being a Platinum Jubilee City.”
Alderman Irvine accepted the amendment, stating he did not wish his original motion to be “controversial” or “seek division.” The DUP, UUP, Alliance, Greens and the SDLP all supported the amendment.
DUP Councillor Alistair Cathcart, who proposed the amendment, stated: “The motion was well meant but wasn’t overly thought through. Changing the name of a street is particularly problematic, especially for residents who live on it, and Queen’s Parade has a considerable amount of people who live there.
“Certainly the impression I got from speaking to residents is that they are not keen. It would not be appropriate to change the name without substantial consultation with them, and I see no prospect of that receiving a positive approval.
“Also, since we are engaging with royals: Queen’s Parade was actually named after Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII after their visit in 1903, so I don’t think it would be appropriate to change it from one royal to another. Also considering the condition of Queen’s Parade - it is prior to regeneration, which is hopefully not too far away - but currently I don’t think it is appropriate to change the name.
"And Queen’s Parade is a shorter, nicer name. We don’t want to make it too long.”
He added: “The nature of the amendment is to scope it out. We do need to pay tribute to Her Majesty for her fantastic service for 70 years, and also the very special fact that she conferred city status on us this year. It is important we mark this on an appropriate site or building - but I want to keep it open, and not tie us down to names yet, as we need to look at options.”
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