Communities Minister today announced that work
will commence on-site this month for the highly anticipated
Queen's Parade project in Bangor.
Speaking at a signing of legal agreements with partners at
Parliament Buildings, Minister Lyons said: “I am delighted to
announce that work on the much-awaited Queen's Parade development
scheme is set to commence later this month. I wish to put on
record my thanks to all the officials in my department whose hard
work and commitment have made it possible for this important
project to begin”
“After years of expectation, this scheme will be transformational
for Bangor.”
“When combined with the substantial £72.8m investment in Bangor's
Waterfront through the Belfast Region City Deal, this is the
start of a bright future for the city. I look forward to seeing
the positive impact these projects will have for years to come.
The Minister added: “Projects of this nature are extremely
complex, and I would like to convey my appreciation to all of our
partners including Ards and North Down Borough Council, in
particular the Mayor, Councillor Alistair , colleagues in the Ministry of
Housing, Communities and Local Government, Bangor Marine and the
people of Bangor for their tireless support. This is a fantastic
achievement for everyone involved.”
Mayor of Ards and North Down Borough Council, Alistair said “As Mayor and as a Bangorian,
I am very pleased that we have now cleared the final legal
complexities to enable work to start on Marine Gardens in
June. This is an important and positive milestone to
recognise, and I would add my thanks to all those involved in the
negotiations for their hard work and dedication to the process.
"However, like many Bangor residents I will only be fully
satisfied when there are ‘diggers on site'. The Bangor
Marine contractors need some time to mobilise now that all
agreements are in place, but I will be pushing for that work to
start as soon as possible.
"Bangor has been waiting for this for a long time and deserves
both the investment and the regenerative potential that it will
release for the city. I hope residents and business will be
reassured by the Minister's update and engage positively with the
scheme when work on site begins in the coming weeks”.
Bangor Marine secured UK Government Funding of £9.8m for the
Marine Gardens public realm element of the Queen's Parade
regeneration project, which will include a new play park, two
pavilions, kiosks with food and beverage offerings, an events
space, and associated landscaping. Bangor Marine aims to have
construction completed on this part by July 2026.
Aran Blackbourne of Bangor Marine Ltd said, "We are delighted
that all the legal documents are now agreed and we can now
confidently move forward with the Queen's Parade redevelopment
project with Oakland Holdings as our joint venture partner.”
"We look forward to working with all parties to deliver this
very exciting and important regeneration scheme for Bangor.”
UK Minister for Local Growth, , said: “It is wonderful to
hear that work will soon be underway at Marine Gardens to bring
this new space for events, shops and play areas to the community.
I'm sure local residents and visitors will welcome this
regeneration of Bangor that will boost growth across the region.”
When the entire project has completed, the Queen's Parade
development will include new homes, a hotel, offices, a market
plaza, retail, cafes and restaurants, bringing much needed
vibrancy and reconnecting the city to the waterfront once again.
Notes to Editors :
- The £70m project figure can be broken down as follows:
Department for Communities investment of over £10m in the site,
through property acquisition and maintenance; Bangor Marine
proposal of over £50m investment in the Queen's Parade site; and
UK Government Funding of £9.8m for the Marine Gardens Public
Realm
