Next Steps

Council approved the outline business case for Bangor Waterfront in January 2021 and it was then submitted to Belfast Region City Deal for consideration.  Council Officers were invited to present the business case to the Department for Communities Casework Committee in November 2021. 

Ards and North Down Borough Council will be receiving £40 million funding for its Bangor Waterfront Development as part of the Belfast Region City Deal.  The news comes a year after UK and NI Executive Ministers signed the first-ever City Deal for Northern Ireland in December 2021.  

The Bangor Waterfront Redevelopment represents an investment of circa £73 million in a 2-mile stretch of the city’s coastline.  It will connect the city to the sea through a range of sustainable, world-class visitor and leisure attractions/ experiences. With £40 million funding now secured, work can begin to deliver this ambitious 10-year plan, regenerating existing assets including Bangor’s 5 Gold Anchor Marina, the popular family attraction, Pickie Fun Park, as well as significant development and improvement of public spaces.  This will deliver on a vision for Bangor agreed by local stakeholders in 2018 – to make Bangor a ‘destination of choice’ to live, work, study and invest in.  

There are also plans to deliver a ‘Phase 2’ to the recently opened Court House music venue in Bangor that will include new event and performance spaces and to develop an international watersports facility at a new-look Ballyholme Yacht Club Watersports Centre.  This combination of funding and investment will transform and future-proof Bangor, delivering a significant boost to tourism and encouraging further investment. 

Next Stages

Having received confirmation of funding, the Council will now work through a series of stages as detailed below before any construction begins on the Bangor Waterfront Development.    

  • Procure an Integrated Consultancy Team (per project) to develop design proposals and deliver the project
  • Engage and consult with the public and stakeholders 
  • Secure planning approval and additional statutory and regulatory approvals 
  • Develop detailed technical designs and specifications for construction
  • Procure a building contractor 
  • Commence construction programme 
  • Deliver and complete project for use

For more information, visit ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk/bangorwaterfront or email bangorwaterfront@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk 

The Bangor Waterfront Scheme – seamlessly connecting our waterfront to our town and creating unique opportunities for residents, visitors and businesses alike.

Bangor Waterfront