Ward Park Improvement Scheme
Exciting Programme of Improvements for Ward Park
Background
Ward Park is a 37-acre urban park in the City of Bangor. Originally the site of a brickworks, it was designed by Cheal's Nurseries in 1909 and gifted to the people of Bangor by the Ward family. The Park is owned and managed by Ards and North Down Borough Council. It provides a key 'green lung' in what is otherwise a built-up urban environment, the Park being surrounded by residential properties, a hospital, schools, a college, a public library and sports facilities and enclosed on three sides by roads.
One of the Park's main attractions is that it is well-wooded with different varieties of mature, semi-mature and young trees including popular large willows. It is accessible to all ages and widely used by children going to and from school, by dog walkers, by families attending the play park and feeding the ducks in one of the two pond areas, by residents and visitors enjoying free summer events, by sports groups including Park Run and NDCC and by many who simply want to enjoy some fresh air in beautiful surroundings.
While the Park is recognised as an important piece of Edwardian heritage, it also needs to be useable in a more modern setting. To accommodate the many uses mentioned above, and to evolve in a natural, sustainable way, Council has embarked on an Environmental Improvement scheme that will protect and preserve the integrity of the Park, while making it more accessible, biodiverse and fit for the future.
In addition to this £5.5M Environmental Improvement Scheme (detailed below), Ards and North Down Borough Council has already delivered three additional projects in Ward Park; a new, larger, modern play park near the tennis courts, a new Dementia Friendly Sensory Garden beside the Library and Habitat letters (bug hotel) that spell out Ward Park.
The Council secured £231,000 in funding from the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to deliver a new, improved play park and Dementia Friendly Sensory garden, with additional funding coming from Council's existing Play Park Refurbishment budget.
The space outside Bangor Carnegie Library, previously occupied by the old play park, was transformed into a beautiful Dementia Friendly Sensory Garden. This project was fully grant-funded, also from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The garden and play park are two of eight projects within the Council's 'Communities & Place - Creating Positive Outcomes for our Communities and Place' Project, which were all awarded funding.
In June 2025, local craftsman Steven McCormick from Bespoke Garden Furniture in Cloughey created and installed 8 huge wooden letters that spell out Ward Park and packed them full of all the necessary, natural elements to make them the perfect home for all types of bugs and insects. The timber, supplied by Cardy Timber in Carrowdore, was cut and shaped to make these eye catching, perfect photo-opportunity letters, but whose real purpose is to help increase biodiversity in the Park.
Public Engagement Session April 2024
To share and review the proposals for the Environmental Improvement Scheme, Council hosted a public drop-in information session in April 2024. Many of those who attended took the time to share their thoughts, complete a survey and provide feedback.
All comments, ideas and responses were collated, and four key themes clearly emerged. Council have worked through these and the key themes have been incorporated into the wider Park project. More details follow below.
£5.5M Environmental Improvement Scheme
Ward Park is undoubtedly one of the Borough's most attractive assets, popular with residents and visitors of all ages. As such, it is important that this historic space is looked after, improved where necessary and developed in order to protect its future. An Environmental Improvement Scheme was developed specifically for Ward Park, aspiring to largely retain the traditional landscape and recreational benefits of the Park, while sympathetically creating a modern park environment that will enhance biodiversity and help safeguard the Park for future generations. Preserving and enhancing the Edwardian history of the Park is key to all involved.
The scheme aims to:
- Improve the current pond structure
- Provide a modern approach to the management of wildfowl and waterfowl
- Retain historical Edwardian features, while improving the built environment/ infrastructure
- Create educational and play opportunities
- Promote biodiversity
- Help safeguard the Park for future generations
The scheme also aimed to resolve the problem of silt build-up in the ponds and to mitigate against this recurring. Desilting (or dredging) of the ponds was the first phase of work for the scheme.
Works were due to begin in November 2023, but due to the heavy rainfall experienced in the period leading up to this, the works were delayed until the new year. The work would take approximately 8 weeks to complete. An essential prerequisite to the desilting was the sensitive and safe relocation of the eels (and sticklebacks) who live in the ponds. David Kelly, is a Fisheries Biologist and Director at Paul Johnston Associates Ltd, the company contracted to undertake this unique piece of work. David and his wife carried out the works and you can find out more in the fascinating video below:
Following the completion of the desilting works, Council is progressing the other elements of the Environmental Improvement Scheme. It is currently anticipated that major works will begin in the Autumn of 2026.
In the interim, four key improvements, outside of the scope of Scheme works, did take place before the end of March 2025. These four key projects came from the themes that emerged from the surveys and feedback collated following the April 2024 Public Information Session:
* A Secure Cycle Rack - a popular request. Council wanted to supply a design that was both functional and secure, so options were reviewed and agreed. The new racks are located near the café and the cadet hut near the new Play Park.
* Basketball Hoop - there was a lot of demand for this so it was included as a feature in the new Play Park.
* An Orchard - there were plenty of suggestions for Council to plant a small orchard in the Park, as well as including fruit trees in the new Dementia Friendly/Sensory garden. This was considered and a new orchard has been planted behind the garden and includes apple and pear trees.
* Tennis Courts - another popular areas for discussion. Council has secured budget to repair four of the six tennis courts and this is underway.
At the April session, attendees were asked their opinion on moving the current Play Park from outside the Library to the tennis court area of the Park. The consensus was to move the Play Park so a new, larger Play Park (with basketball provision) was created with an investment of £250k.
The space left by the Play Park outside the Library, was the perfect location to create the new Dementia Friendly/Sensory garden. Working with the relevant agencies and groups, the aim was to create a garden full of sensory planting for people affected by dementia or with educational needs. Also included is a water feature, sculptures, seating areas, wide accessible pathways and of course a variety of plants including fruit trees, as mentioned above. The garden was completed at the end of March 2025.
As previously mentioned, the Play Park and Garden were both funded by the Government UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and in July 2025 Council was delighted to welcome representatives to Bangor to see the work for themselves. The representatives from the Government UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) met Ards and North Down Borough Council's Deputy Mayor Cllr Vicky Moore and Council officers.
We will continue to provide updates through this page and our usual media channels. There will also be more information sessions in advance of the works, where you will have the opportunity to engage with the Council team delivering the project.
For more information see the FAQs section below or email andparks@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk
You can also keep up to date on the scheme, share your memories and thoughts on Ward Park, as well as upload photos on our new engagement platform here: Public participation platform of Ards and North Down Borough Council | CitizenLab
We hope you continue to enjoy the Park as it goes through its natural changes, season to season.
What are the aims of the Environmental Improvement Scheme?
The Ward Park Environmental Improvement Scheme aims to:
• Improve the current pond structure.
• Provide a modern approach to the management of wildfowl and waterfowl.
• Retain historical Edwardian features, while improving the built environment/
infrastructure.
• Create educational and play opportunities.
• Promote biodiversity.
• Help safeguard the Park for future generations.
What does the Scheme involve?
As set out in the Planning Application (LA06/2016/1108/F) this scheme will deliver environmental improvements to the park that will enhance biodiversity and help safeguard the park for future generations. This includes:
• removal of sediment from ponds
• enlargement of the upper pond and island
• introduction of aquatic planting to pond edges
• repair work to walls at pond edge and provision of new coping stones
• upgrade of the footpath network
• installation of a boardwalk and decking to the ponds
• replacement of two existing pedestrian bridges
• upgrade of the existing inlet structure
• improvement to bird enclosures
• new signage, seating, picnic benches, lighting, landscaping and planting.
What is the value of the Scheme and how is it being funded?
This improvement scheme is being funded directly by Council and has a cost of over £5.5 million.
When was Planning Approval Secured?
Planning approval was secured in April 2021. The scheme was first presented to the public in 2015, with events held in that year and 2016. Three letters of objection were received over the period before the final approval. There were no objections from statutory bodies.
When will work start on site?
The first phase of the improvement scheme will be the desilting of the pond network (see more details below). Works on the desilting commenced in January 2023. The park will remain open with any disturbance kept to a minimum. Works on the other elements of the scheme are anticipated to commence in winter 2024/25.
What is pond desilting?
Desilting (or dredging) is the removal of silt, sediment and other materials that have built up over time from the ponds. Desilting decreases the possibility of flooding and will improve the environment for wildlife including fish, birds and insects. As part of the improvement scheme, a more effective silt trap will be introduced at the upstream end of the ponds to prevent, or significantly reduce, future siltation. These works will restore the ponds to their original capacity and condition and will create a more positive outcome for wildlife and ecological biodiversity and activity.
How do I find out more?
If you wish to contact the Parks Team please do so via the e-mail: andparks@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk or ring us on 0300 013 3333.
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