Council Confirms Queen's Parade as Preferred Option for New Council Headquarters

Released: 28 August 2025

Ards and North Down Borough Council, with the support of its partners, has announced its decision to progress with the Queen's Parade site in Bangor as the preferred location for its new civic offices - a project that offers the potential to bring around 400 administrative employees together into one central hub.  It will also be the new home for Council meetings, civic functions and events, as well as many of the Council's key customer facing services.   

Why Queen's Parade?

• Regeneration Catalyst: by taking an anchor tenancy on Queen's Parade, the Council is signalling confidence in Bangor to private investors and helping bolster wider city-centre renewal.  Bringing office workers into Bangor City Centre will help drive footfall with research showing that every office worker generates additional indirect jobs in the area, supporting the local city centre economy. 
• Planning in Place: full consent for office space is in place for Queen's Parade allowing early progression and reducing risk.  The office accommodation will front onto Main Street in Bangor (in the building previously housing B&M). 
• Accommodation fit: the planning approval matches the Council and partners' accommodate requirements for a shared campus.  The opportunity exists to bring other public sector partners into the building including the Department of Education, NIHE and Job & Benefits Office, to create a unique public service hub able to provide a range of benefits to residents under one roof. 
• Strategic Location: Queen's Parade links Bangor Main Street with the Council's Waterfront Development creating a seamless public realm and strengthening pedestrian flows, as well as providing much needed regeneration along Bangor's Main Street.

"Choosing Queen's Parade underlines our vision for a vibrant, resilient city centre," said Councillor Gillian McCollum, Mayor of Ards and North Down. "A new Headquarters for the Council in Bangor City Centre shows that we're investing in Bangor's future, creating jobs, footfall and strengthening our city centre.  I would stress that this decision, whilst outlining a clear direction of travel, is just the start of a process - we will now be developing a full business case before a final decision is made."

The Council remains committed to transparency and value for money. Regular project updates will be published on the Council website - www.ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk/regeneration