Civic and Office Accommodation

The Council is undertaking a strategic review of its administrative buildings, to drive greater efficiency and to make better use of the Council’s estate.

Currently, around 400 Council employees work across more than 10 different buildings, the majority of which are inefficient to use, operate and maintain. It is estimated that the Council’s future need for office space is 50% less than the current footprint of the estate – generating significant opportunities for change, to drive efficiencies and to provide economic, social and environmental benefits. The conclusion of the Business Case undertaken by the Council was that a single building, located in the centre of Bangor or Newtownards, would best serve the Borough in the future.

In progressing any rationalisation of buildings, the Council has also committed to prioritising regeneration benefits locally by considering how any buildings it no longer needs can be released for new purposes. As an example, the SEHSCT has expressed interest in the Council’s Church Street site in Newtownards to facilitate the expansion of its services at the Ards Hospital. This would transfer up to 150 administrative health staff from outside the Borough into Newtownards town centre, delivering a significant boost to the local economy.

The Council is further committed to ensuring that any new building should be situated in the heart of either Bangor or Newtownards. A suitable, modern office building would promote better collaboration between council services, bring footfall to support existing businesses, offer the potential for shared service delivery with other key public sector agencies and provide a catalyst for new businesses to open up.

In October 2023, the Council agreed to take an exploratory first step to engage with property owners in Newtownards and Bangor to try to identify potential sites for a new civic/ office hub for the Council. This opprotunity will be advertised and promoted throughout November.

Revitalising this extensive estate is a complex and long-term ambition, with many interrelated projects. Plans will adapt moving forward to meet the changing needs of the Council/ potential partners, external market conditions and ratepayers/ end users.

The process needs to start now as these plans are long-term but critical to create a Council estate that is more efficient and sustainable -- and ultimately less of a burden on ratepayers to maintain.

Click to download a graphic showing the buildings that are part of the review. (pdf 88 KB)
Click to download a graphic summarising the key long-term benefits. (pdf 153 KB)

Frequently asked questions

What is the office rationalisation project aiming to achieve?

This project proposes that, over the coming years, instead of resources being put towards the upkeep of several old and inefficient buildings, Council investigates securing new energy efficient, accessible, and sustainable premise in either Bangor or Newtownards.

The new premise will house office-based employees who currently work across 10 different buildings. The approach would facilitate more collaborative working practices and allow the Council to offer a wide range of its services in one central location. The footprint of any new building would be c50% less than the existing Council estate required to house these employees/functions.

This proposal will also see some existing Council buildings being repurposed, providing further opportunity for economic,social, and environmental benefits.

When will the proposals be implemented?

These are long-term plans with several related projects, that will adapt over time to meet both the changing needs of Council/ potential partners, external market conditions and ratepayers/end users. Timelines for delivery are yet to be determined in detail.

What are the next steps?

We are at a very early stage in this project.

During November 2023, we will be seeking expressions of interest for suitable sites in which to locate a new civic/office hub. This opportunity will be advertised in the press. The closing date for responses will be 14 December.

We will then carry out an internal selection process to establish which sites could meet Council’s requirements. A report will be brought to Council in early 2024.

Why, with high inflation/ living costs and increasing need for fiscal prudence, is the Council choosing to progress these proposals at this time?

Among the core principles of the Council’s Estate Strategy are cost effectiveness, cost efficiency and value for money.

The Council owns and maintains a sizeable estate on behalf of the residents of Ards and North Down. Many of the administrative buildings are old, inefficient and present accessibility challenges.

Over the last decade, the Council has had to allocate significant resources to reactive maintenance on these buildings (fundamental repairs such as roofing and structural works). This comes at the expense of maintenance and refurbishments that would improve or modernise the facilities. The position is unsustainable.

This proposal will also see some existing Council buildings being repurposed, providing further opportunity for economic, social, and environmental benefits.

This is a long-term project with many interdependencies – first steps need to be taken now in order to ensure the delivery of benefits moving forward.