Floodgates Park, Newtownards

Floodgates Park, Newtownards - Pre-Application Community Consultation 

We are continuing to engage with the community on the proposed works at Floodgates Park. Earlier stages of the Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) took place between November 2024 and January 2025, during which members of the public were invited to review the proposals and share their views.

In line with the Planning (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025, the consultation website will reopen to ensure project information remains accessible online and to provide a further opportunity for the public to comment. The survey will be open for feedback from Thursday 22 January 2026 until Monday 23 February 2026: Floodgates Park, Newtownards, Public Consultation - Ards and North Down Borough Council - Citizen Space

This additional online consultation stage allows the public to review the updated proposals and provide further feedback if they wish. In response to comments received to date, the proposals have been amended to improve levels along the floodgate pathway to enhance accessibility.

All comments received during the earlier consultation remain valid and will continue to be considered as part of the overall Pre-Application Community Consultation process.

About Floodgates Park

Our vision for Floodgates Park, Portaferry Road, Newtownards is to create a new public park for Newtownards focusing on the environment and health and wellbeing.

The Council has appointed AECOM as a multi-disciplinary design team to prepare a concept plan for environmental improvements at this location.

Current Situation

Floodgates Park is owned by Council. At present, the land is unmanaged and consists of two watercourses and scrub vegetation including gorse and self-seeded willow trees. There is a World War II pillbox abutting the floodwall that would benefit from some remedial works to make a feature of this monument.

Proposals for a new football stadium and car park are being progressed by Ards Football Club as a separate project and application.

There are also interdependencies with the proposed greenways network. The proposed car park will also be available for use by all users of the greenway, overflow from Londonderry Park and the proposed Floodgates Park.

Given the proximity to Strangford Lough and the fact that the site has rewilded itself over the years, the concept proposals include only minimal interventions and formalising the existing desire line paths within the site. Most of the existing vegetation will be retained and additional planting proposed. A full list of the potential projects is detailed below. 

Pre-Application Community Consultation - November 2024 to January 2025

Folllowing initial public consultation in March 2023, members of the public were invited to #HaveYourSay on proposed works at Floodgates Park at Pre-Application Community Consultation public drop-in events held in:

• Londonderry Park (Function Room 2, first floor/ upstairs), Portaferry Road, Newtownards, BT23 8SG
• Wednesday 4th December 2024 | 2:00pm - 8:00pm, and
• Thursday 16th January 2025 | 4pm - 7.00pm

Members of the project team were in attendance throughout these drop-in events to answer your questions and hear your comments.

The proposals were on public exhibition at Londonderry Park from Thursday 5th December 2024 until Wednesday 29th January 2025 (during the opening hours of the centre).

An online survey was open from 4 December 2024 until 29 January 2025: Floodgates Survey -  Ards and North Down Borough Council - Citizen Space

The presentation board can also be downloaded as a PDF: Floodgates Presentation Board_November 2024 (PDF, 418 KB) (opens new window) 

Previous Public Engagement Event - March 2023

The Council held a public drop-in event at Londonderry Park, Newtownards on Tuesday 7 March 2023.  The project team was in attendance to present the concept proposals and take questions.  An online survey ran for 2 weeks to collect further feedback.

1. Street Furniture: benches along floodwall, and bins to be replaced
2. World War II pillbox railing: existing fence to be removed and proposed fence to be installed on the boundary of the green space around the pillbox
3. Proposed entrances: Portaferry Road/entrance to Floodgates trail/access to Cloud 9 cafe/access to carpark 
4. Picnic benches: proposed new picnic benches throughout the park
5. Interpretative signage: detailing history at pillbox and views at lookout point
6. Timber boardwalk: allowing users to cross the watercourse
7. Proposed pathways: quarry dust pathways following existing desire lines
8. Natural play amenity spaces: amenity spaces in existing gorse-cleared areas, with natural play dens/timber steps etc. 
9. Natural fitness amenity spaces: amenity spaces in existing gorse-cleared areas, with natural fitness beams
10. Event space: a larger area for events/gatherings on existing levelled space
11. Tiered seating: seating space on sloped embankment
12.  Football stadium: being progressed by Ards Football Club as a separate application 
13. Linkway to car park: proposed pedestrian link from football stadium to car park
14. Car park: being progressed by Ards Football Club as a separate application 
15. Lookout point and steps to greenway: existing raised mound used as a lookout to the surrounding landscape. Proposed steps to greenway