Bangor by the Sea

Bangor by the Sea Reviving Bangor: Regeneration, Development, & Cultural Resurgence. Join us for a brighter future! ๐ŸŒŸ The latest information about Bangor, Northern Ireland.

Covering the Queens Parade redevelopment project, town centre investment, leisure, news and much more. (formerly โ€œBangor.euโ€)

๐—”๐—ก๐—ง๐—œ๐—ค๐—จ๐—˜๐—ฆ ๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—”๐——๐—ฆ๐—›๐—ข๐—ช ๐—œ๐—ฆ ๐—–๐—ข๐— ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ง๐—ข ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—–๐—”๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—Ÿ๐—˜ ๐Ÿฐ๐Ÿ“บBangor is set to take centre stage this summer as the iconic Antiques Roa...
22/03/2026

๐—”๐—ก๐—ง๐—œ๐—ค๐—จ๐—˜๐—ฆ ๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—”๐——๐—ฆ๐—›๐—ข๐—ช ๐—œ๐—ฆ ๐—–๐—ข๐— ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ง๐—ข ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—–๐—”๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—Ÿ๐—˜ ๐Ÿฐ๐Ÿ“บ

Bangor is set to take centre stage this summer as the iconic Antiques Roadshow rolls into the stunning grounds of Bangor Castle.

๐Ÿ“… Sunday 26th July 2026

In what promises to be a major cultural moment for the city, the popular BBC programme will film right here in the heart of Bangor, bringing national attention to one of our most historic and picturesque locations.

Following the success of recent years, this will once again be a ticketed event only, with visitors encouraged to be part of the show by sharing the stories behind their treasured items.

๐Ÿ‘œ Got something special tucked away at home?
The Antiques Roadshow team is inviting members of the public to submit details and photos of items in advance via their โ€œShare Your Storyโ€ portal. Selected submissions may even be contacted ahead of the event for further discussion.

๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Want to attend?
Tickets must be applied for in advance through their official ticketing partner, with full details available on the dedicated event page. Link in comments below.

Importantly, while some items will still be considered on the day, only submissions made through the official โ€œShare Your Storyโ€ portal can be reviewed in advance. Entries sent by email or post wonโ€™t be accepted.

Hosting a programme of this calibre is a fantastic boost for Bangorโ€™s profile, showcasing our heritage, our stories, and our stunning castle grounds to a UK-wide audience.

From hidden heirlooms to fascinating local historyโ€ฆ who knows what treasures might emerge from Bangor this summer?

๐Ÿ’ฌ Will you be applying for ticketsโ€ฆ or bringing along a mystery item? Let us know below!

๐Ÿ‡ ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜๐—”๐—ฅ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ž ๐—š๐—˜๐—ง๐—ฆ ๐—” ๐—ฉ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—œ๐—ง ๐—™๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—  ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—˜๐—”๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—•๐—จ๐—ก๐—ก๐—ฌ! ๐ŸŒธHop Into Spring with the Trail of the Easter Bunny!  ๐Ÿฅ•Thursday 2 Apri...
22/03/2026

๐Ÿ‡ ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜๐—”๐—ฅ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ž ๐—š๐—˜๐—ง๐—ฆ ๐—” ๐—ฉ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—œ๐—ง ๐—™๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—  ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—˜๐—”๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—•๐—จ๐—ก๐—ก๐—ฌ! ๐ŸŒธ

Hop Into Spring with the Trail of the Easter Bunny!

๐Ÿฅ•Thursday 2 April - Linear Park Bangor
๐Ÿฅ•Friday 3 April - Londonderry Park, Newtownards
๐Ÿฅ•Friday 10 April - Rope Walk, Portaferry

โฐ11am - 3pm (last entrance 2:45pm)

FREE for all the family

Get ready for a hopping good time and join us at events around the Borough during the Easter holidays.

Follow the clues and embark on a magical adventure to uncover sweet treats hidden by the Easter Bunny.

Bring your little ones, gather your friends, and make unforgettable memories as you solve clues and enjoy festive activities. Donโ€™t miss out on the funโ€”let's make this Easter one to remember!

Share your bunny adventures with us using and

๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช ๐—•๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฆ ๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ง๐—•๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ญ๐—˜ ๐—•๐—ข๐—ข๐—ง๐—› ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฆ ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅโœจBangor continues to build momentumโ€ฆ and hereโ€™s another great addition t...
20/03/2026

๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช ๐—•๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฆ ๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ง
๐—•๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ญ๐—˜ ๐—•๐—ข๐—ข๐—ง๐—› ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฆ ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅโœจ
Bangor continues to build momentumโ€ฆ and hereโ€™s another great addition to our growing town centre offering ๐Ÿ‘

Say hello to ๐—•๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ญ๐—˜ ๐—•๐—ข๐—ข๐—ง๐—›, a brand new contactless spray tan studio now open locally โ˜€๏ธ

From the look of things, this is a modern, self-service setup designed to be quick, simple and convenient, offering:

โœ”๏ธ Automated spray tan booths
โœ”๏ธ Easy to use, voice-guided system
โœ”๏ธ 18 shade options to suit all preferences
โœ”๏ธ Instant glow results
โœ”๏ธ Open 7 days a week
๐Ÿ’ท Just ยฃ20 per tan

Itโ€™s always encouraging to see new businesses choosing Bangor, investing in premises, and helping bring life back into our high street.

That belief in Bangor matters.

And it works both waysโ€ฆ

๐Ÿ‘‰ If we want to see more units filled, more investment, and a stronger town centre, we all have a role to play in supporting the businesses that take that leap.

So if youโ€™re passing by, why not give them a wee look and show some support ๐Ÿ‘‡

๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—งโ€™๐—ฆ ๐—š๐—˜๐—ง ๐—•๐—˜๐—›๐—œ๐—ก๐—— ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐— , ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐Ÿ’™

๐ŸŒผ ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—˜๐—ค๐—จ๐—œ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ซ ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐ŸŒผToday marks the spring equinoxโ€ฆ that perfect turning point where day and night stand equal, ...
20/03/2026

๐ŸŒผ ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—˜๐—ค๐—จ๐—œ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ซ ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐ŸŒผ
Today marks the spring equinoxโ€ฆ that perfect turning point where day and night stand equal, and the long-awaited brighter evenings truly begin.

And what a day for it โ˜€๏ธ

๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ž๐—œ๐—ก๐—š - ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐——๐—œ๐—–๐—ง ๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ๐—ฆ๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐˜โ€ฆ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐˜!We said weโ€™d take the temperature of opinio...
19/03/2026

๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ž๐—œ๐—ก๐—š - ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐——๐—œ๐—–๐—ง ๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ
๐—ฆ๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐˜โ€ฆ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐˜!

We said weโ€™d take the temperature of opinionโ€ฆ and Bangor has spoken.

As of 8pm, the results from the BangorByTheSea community are in ๐Ÿ‘‡

๐Ÿ˜ก NO โ€” 169
๐Ÿ‘ YES โ€” 42
โค๏ธ YES (but) โ€” 19
๐Ÿ˜ฎ UNSURE โ€” 8

๐Ÿ“Š ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—˜โ€™๐—ฆ ๐—ก๐—ข ๐— ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ฆ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐— ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ฆ๐—”๐—š๐—˜
A clear majority of those who engaged are not in favour of a paid car park in this location, with strong support for protecting the existing green space at the Grayโ€™s Hill end of the site.

That strength of feeling is important, and it deserves to be heard.

โš–๏ธ ๐—•๐—จ๐—ง ๐—ช๐—›๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—˜ ๐——๐—ข ๐—ช๐—˜ ๐—š๐—ข ๐—™๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—  ๐—›๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—˜?
While the result is clear, the reality is more nuanced.

The wider ๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ vision includes:
โœ”๏ธ A high-quality play park
โœ”๏ธ A destination space for families and visitors
โœ”๏ธ Facilities that need to be accessible and sustainable year-round

And like it or not, those things often require:
โžก๏ธ Supporting infrastructure
โžก๏ธ Commercial viability
โžก๏ธ A degree of compromise

๐Ÿค ๐—” ๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—ก๐——๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ญ๐—ข๐—ก๐—˜, ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ง ๐—” ๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—”๐—ก๐——๐—ข๐—™๐—™
What this poll doesnโ€™t mean is that the conversation ends here.

If anything, it highlights the need for a more pragmatic, collaborative approach:
โ€ข Can parking be reduced, relocated or better designed?
โ€ข Can green space be protected while still improving access?
โ€ข Can developers bring forward options that work commercially and respect community concerns?

๐Ÿ’ฌ ๐—ข๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ง๐—ข ๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—จ
This is where the real value of this community comes in.
๐Ÿ‘‰ What would a balanced solution look like to you?

Because ultimately, getting this right means:
โœ”๏ธ Something for residents
โœ”๏ธ Something for the wider community
โœ”๏ธ Something that works for the developers delivering it

As always, keep it respectful, keep it constructive, and letโ€™s see if Bangor can help shape a solution that works for everyone ๐Ÿ‘‡

๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ž๐—œ๐—ก๐—š๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ ๐—ฉ๐—ข๐—ง๐—˜๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธAs the ๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ redevelopment continues to take shape, one question keeps comin...
18/03/2026

๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—ž๐—œ๐—ก๐—š๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ ๐—ฉ๐—ข๐—ง๐—˜๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ

As the ๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ redevelopment continues to take shape, one question keeps coming upโ€ฆ

๐Ÿ‘‰ Should there be a paid car park (approx. 60โ€“90 spaces) at the Grayโ€™s Hill end of the site to support:

โœ”๏ธ The new free play park
โœ”๏ธ Families visiting the seafront
โœ”๏ธ Wider use of the park and facilities

Itโ€™s a topic thatโ€™s generating strong views on all sides, so letโ€™s take the temperature of opinion ๐Ÿ‘‡

๐—ฉ๐—ข๐—ง๐—˜ ๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—”๐—–๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฆ:

๐Ÿ‘ YES โ€” Needed to support families and visitors
โค๏ธ YES, BUT โ€” Keep it limited and well-designed
๐Ÿ˜ฎ UNSURE โ€” Depends on layout, pricing and impact
๐Ÿ˜ก NO โ€” Protect green space, no car park

๐Ÿ’ฌ Tell us why you voted the way you did.

As always, keep it respectful as there are valid points on all sides.

๐—ž๐—ข๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—š ๐—š๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ช๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—š๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ฌโ€™๐—ฆ ๐—›๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ โœจThere are some places in Bangor that just stop you in your tracksโ€ฆ and this was one of t...
17/03/2026

๐—ž๐—ข๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—š ๐—š๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ช๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—š๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ฌโ€™๐—ฆ ๐—›๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ โœจ
There are some places in Bangor that just stop you in your tracksโ€ฆ and this was one of them this evening.

Walking past ๐—ž๐—ข๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—š on Grayโ€™s Hill, the warm lights, cosy interior and beautifully dressed frontage made it impossible not to pause for a moment.

Itโ€™s the kind of place that feels inviting before youโ€™ve even stepped inside, with a proper Scandi-style cosy vibe right in the heart of the city centre.

From their social pages, Koselig continues to build a reputation for:
โœ”๏ธ A welcoming, relaxed atmosphere
โœ”๏ธ Beautifully presented food and drinks
โœ”๏ธ A space that feels as good as it looks

And judging by tonightโ€™s glow, theyโ€™ve absolutely nailed that โ€œhyggeโ€ feeling.

In a town where weโ€™re always championing independent businesses, this is exactly the kind of place that adds character and warmth to Bangorโ€™s streets.

๐Ÿ“ If you havenโ€™t tried it yetโ€ฆ this might be your sign.

Have you been to Koselig yet? Let us know your thoughts ๐Ÿ‘‡

๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ ๐—จ๐—ฃ๐——๐—”๐—ง๐—˜ ๐Ÿ—๏ธ๐—๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—›๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ณ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐— ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธWork on the new ๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ has now moved just beyond the halfway p...
15/03/2026

๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ ๐—จ๐—ฃ๐——๐—”๐—ง๐—˜ ๐Ÿ—๏ธ
๐—๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—›๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ณ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐— ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ

Work on the new ๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜ ๐—š๐—”๐—ฅ๐——๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ has now moved just beyond the halfway point of the 12-month construction programme, and the overall layout of the site is beginning to take shape.

Although the number of workers visible on site at any given time appears to have reduced slightly in recent weeks, steady progress is continuing.

The steel frame of the first pavilion building is now complete, giving a clear indication of the scale and positioning of the future cafรฉ building within the park. Nearby, concrete slabs for the event space and sections of the new promenade are now being laid, helping define the main public areas of the redevelopment.

As with most projects of this scale, a large proportion of the work has taken place below ground, with significant infrastructure being installed including drainage, sewage connections, power and lighting systems.

Despite the visible progress, there is still concern locally that timelines could slip, particularly as attention turns to the Pickie end of the site, where a further planning application is still awaited.

At the most recent public engagement event, the developer outlined plans for a โ€œworld-classโ€ play park alongside a car park for up to 90 vehicles.

At present, there are roughly 40 free public parking spaces along the front of the nearby properties. Without additional parking provision within the new Marine Gardens scheme, there is a possibility that these spaces could become heavily used by visitors to the Marine Gardens, potentially leaving residents with far fewer places to park.

Paradoxically, the proposed car park could therefore help relieve pressure on residential parking, particularly if a compromise were reached whereby the existing spaces outside the homes were formally designated for residents only, while the new car park served general visitors. Potentially the new spaces could be positioned slightly further to the east of the site.

Once submitted, the new planning application is likely to take several months to pass through the planning process before work on that part of the site could begin.

Meanwhile, the public is still waiting for updates on the Queens Parade side of the waterfront redevelopment. Despite previous commitments to provide regular information, Bangor Marineโ€™s official website has not carried a single update so far in 2026.

๐Ÿ“ธ Latest images from the site show the pavilion structure now in place, groundwork for the event plaza taking shape, and the early stages of the promenade surfacing beside Bangor Marina.

๐— ๐—”๐—๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—–๐—›๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—˜ ๐—”๐—ง ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—” โš“A significant development has emerged regarding the future management of ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—” ๐—”๐—ก...
14/03/2026

๐— ๐—”๐—๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—–๐—›๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—˜ ๐—”๐—ง ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—” โš“
A significant development has emerged regarding the future management of ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐— ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—” ๐—”๐—ก๐—— ๐—›๐—”๐—ฅ๐—•๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ.

According to a communication issued to berth holders, Boatfolk will cease operating Bangor Marina on 31 March 2026, after negotiations between the company and Ards and North Down Borough Council failed to reach agreement on the terms of a new management contract.

From that date, operational control of the marina will transfer directly back to the Council.

The message also confirms that the local marina team is expected to remain in place, with the transition intended to ensure that day-to-day service continues smoothly for berth holders and visitors.

๐—ช๐—›๐—”๐—ง ๐—ง๐—›๐—œ๐—ฆ ๐— ๐—˜๐—”๐—ก๐—ฆ ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅโ€™๐—ฆ ๐—ช๐—”๐—ง๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—™๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ง

This development raises important questions in the context of the wider ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—ช๐—”๐—ง๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—™๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ง ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐——๐—˜๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ฃ๐— ๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง, which forms part of the Belfast Region City Deal programme.

When the waterfront regeneration proposals were first outlined, the Council made clear that significant investment in the marina itself was expected to come from a private sector operator. That investment was intended to support upgrades to marina infrastructure, visitor facilities and the wider harbour environment as Bangor seeks to strengthen its position as a leading maritime destination.

With Boatfolk now stepping away from the operation of the marina, the obvious question is:

What does this mean for those investment plans?

๐—” ๐—–๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—–๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ง๐—ฌ

Given the strategic importance of the marina to Bangorโ€™s economy, tourism offer and waterfront regeneration ambitions, BangorByTheSea would encourage Ards and North Down Borough Council to provide a public update on the implications of this change.

In particular:

โš“ Will the Council now operate the marina on a long-term basis?
โš“ Will a new private operator be sought?
โš“ And how will this affect the planned investment and upgrades linked to the Belfast Region City Deal waterfront project?

Bangor Marina remains one of the largest and most important marina facilities on the island of Ireland, and its future development is central to the townโ€™s wider regeneration story.

For that reason, clarity on the next steps will be important for berth holders, local businesses and the wider community alike.

As always, BangorByTheSea will continue to follow developments closely. ๐Ÿ‘€โš“

๐—™๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—š๐—ฆ๐—›๐—œ๐—ฃ ๐—–๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง๐—ฅ๐—˜: ยฃ418,998 ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—จ๐—ก๐—ฃ๐—”๐—œ๐—— ๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ง๐—˜๐—ฆ โ€“ ๐—ช๐—›๐—”๐—งโ€™๐—ฆ ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ๐—ฌ ๐—š๐—ข๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ข๐—ก?A written answer in the Northern Ireland Assembly has...
13/03/2026

๐—™๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—š๐—ฆ๐—›๐—œ๐—ฃ ๐—–๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง๐—ฅ๐—˜: ยฃ418,998 ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—จ๐—ก๐—ฃ๐—”๐—œ๐—— ๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ง๐—˜๐—ฆ โ€“ ๐—ช๐—›๐—”๐—งโ€™๐—ฆ ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ๐—ฌ ๐—š๐—ข๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ข๐—ก?
A written answer in the Northern Ireland Assembly has revealed that the shuttered Flagship Shopping Centre in Bangor currently has ยฃ418,998 in unpaid rates linked to the property.

The information emerged following an Assembly Question from North Down MLA Connie Egan, with Finance Minister John Oโ€™Dowd confirming that the liable ratepayer is Flagship Bangor Ltd, the company recorded as responsible for 40 vacant units within the centre.

According to Land & Property Services, no payments have been made against these units since August 2021, when the company became liable for the rates.

The Department of Finance has confirmed that the outstanding balance now stands at ยฃ418,998.

Importantly, officials also noted that there were no outstanding rates for the period between 2019 and August 2021.

๐—–๐—ข๐— ๐—ฃ๐—”๐—ก๐—ฌ ๐—ก๐—ข๐—ช ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—–๐—˜๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ฆ๐—›๐—œ๐—ฃ

The firm responsible for the rates, Flagship Bangor Ltd, is now listed as being in receivership, with RPG Recovery appointed in 2024.

The centre had previously been owned by Brookland Property Ltd, which acquired the site in 2021. Brookland itself had financial backing linked to companies within the wider Northhold Group network.

Despite the receivership situation, the Department of Finance has stated that rates remain legally payable, even when a company enters administrative receivership.

A spokesperson confirmed that Land & Property Services will continue to pursue the outstanding balance in line with legislation and established recovery processes.

๐—” ๐—–๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง๐—ฅ๐—˜ ๐—ง๐—›๐—”๐—ง ๐—ข๐—ก๐—–๐—˜ ๐——๐—˜๐—™๐—œ๐—ก๐—˜๐—— ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅโ€™๐—ฆ ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ง๐—”๐—œ๐—Ÿ ๐—ฆ๐—–๐—˜๐—ก๐—˜

For many locals, the situation will be particularly striking given the centreโ€™s once prominent role in Bangorโ€™s retail life.

Opened in 1993 by developer Michael Herbert, the 157,000 sq ft complex quickly became one of the townโ€™s busiest shopping destinations.

At its peak it was anchored by Dunnes Stores, along with a popular food court, and sat above a 430-space car park serving the heart of Main Street.

Today however, the building sits largely shuttered, with dozens of units vacant and the site awaiting a clear path forward.

๐—ฅ๐—˜๐——๐—˜๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ฃ๐— ๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง ๐—ฃ๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—ก๐—ฆ, ๐—•๐—จ๐—ง ๐—ช๐—›๐—”๐—ง ๐—›๐—”๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ก๐—ฆ ๐—ก๐—˜๐—ซ๐—ง?

In recent months, Northhold Group has been promoting early proposals to transform the site as part of the emerging โ€œMarina Villageโ€ concept.

Initial ideas presented during a public consultation suggested a mixed-use leisure-led redevelopment, potentially including:

โ€ข Bars and restaurants
โ€ข A micro-brewery
โ€ข Family entertainment such as 10-pin bowling and crazy golf
โ€ข A gym and padel courts
โ€ข Office space and start-up businesses
โ€ข New retail and professional services

While those proposals generated significant local interest, they remain at a very early stage.

Meanwhile, BangorByTheSea .com previously revealed an earlier redevelopment concept linked to the site which involved major demolition of the internal shopping centre structure while retaining the Main Street faรงade and car park, replacing it with new Grade-A office space, kiosks and landscaped public space.

That proposal now appears to have quietly fallen away.

๐—œ๐—ฆ ๐—”๐—ก๐—ข๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐——๐—˜๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ช๐—”๐—œ๐—ง๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—œ๐—ก ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—ช๐—œ๐—ก๐—š๐—ฆ?

There are also growing indications within property circles that other developers may be exploring the site, potentially bringing forward alternative proposals for the future of the centre.

If confirmed, that could mean that the next chapter for the Flagship site may not yet be fully written.

๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—•๐—œ๐—š๐—š๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—ค๐—จ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก

For Bangor residents and businesses, the revelation of nearly ยฃ420,000 in unpaid rates inevitably raises wider questions:

โ€ข How quickly can the site be brought back into productive use?
โ€ข Will the outstanding rates situation complicate redevelopment?
โ€ข And who will ultimately lead the regeneration of this key town-centre site?

One thing is certain.

This massive building in the centre of Bangor cannot sit dormant forever.

The future of the Flagship site remains one of the most important regeneration questions facing the town today.

๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—จ๐——๐—œ๐—ข ๐Ÿญ๐—” ๐—š๐—˜๐—ง๐—ฆ ๐—” ๐—–๐—ข๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—™๐—จ๐—Ÿ ๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช ๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ข๐—ž๐ŸŽญIf youโ€™ve passed along Hamilton Road today you may have noticed that Studio 1A Theat...
11/03/2026

๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—จ๐——๐—œ๐—ข ๐Ÿญ๐—” ๐—š๐—˜๐—ง๐—ฆ ๐—” ๐—–๐—ข๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—™๐—จ๐—Ÿ ๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช ๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ข๐—ž๐ŸŽญ

If youโ€™ve passed along Hamilton Road today you may have noticed that Studio 1A Theatre has had a rather eye-catching makeover.

The front of the building is now bursting with colour thanks to a striking new mural featuring the classic theatre masks, a fitting image for one of Bangorโ€™s most active grassroots arts venues. The vibrant artwork adds a welcome splash of creativity to the streetscape and perfectly reflects the lively programme of theatre, music and community events that regularly take place inside.

Studio 1A has long been the home of Bangor Drama Club, hosting productions, youth theatre, visiting performers and community events throughout the year. For a relatively small venue it plays a big role in Bangorโ€™s cultural life, providing a stage for local talent and a welcoming space for audiences alike.

๐Ÿ€ ST PATRICKโ€™S NIGHT AT STUDIO 1A

The theatre will also be joining in the St Patrickโ€™s celebrations with a special St Patrickโ€™s Night event, promising an evening of entertainment, live performance and plenty of good craic in an intimate theatre setting right in the heart of the town.

Events like this are a reminder that Bangorโ€™s cultural scene is very much alive and well, supported by venues like Studio 1A that continue to invest in both their building and their programme.

๐Ÿ“ Studio 1A Theatre
1A Hamilton Road, Bangor

More information and upcoming events can be found on the Studio 1A website.

And we have to sayโ€ฆ the new look certainly deserves a round of applause. ๐Ÿ‘

๐—™๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐——๐—› ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ง๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ง๐—ข ๐—•๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—™๐—”๐—ฆ๐—ง ๐—œ๐—ก 2027 ๐—š๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—”๐—ก๐—ข๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—™๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š๐—˜ ๐—ข๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—ฅ๐—ง๐—จ๐—ก๐—œ๐—ง๐—ฌ ๐ŸŽถIt now appears that Bangorโ€™s planned ๐—™๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐——...
11/03/2026

๐—™๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐——๐—› ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—ง๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ง๐—ข ๐—•๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—™๐—”๐—ฆ๐—ง ๐—œ๐—ก 2027 ๐—š๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—•๐—”๐—ก๐—š๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—”๐—ก๐—ข๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐—ฅ ๐—™๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š๐—˜ ๐—ข๐—ฃ๐—ฃ๐—ข๐—ฅ๐—ง๐—จ๐—ก๐—œ๐—ง๐—ฌ ๐ŸŽถ

It now appears that Bangorโ€™s planned ๐—™๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐——๐—› ๐—™๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ก๐—š๐—˜ ๐—˜๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—ก๐—ง this summer may be just the beginning.

With Fleadh Cheoil na hร‰ireann set to return to Belfast again in 2027, Bangor could find itself with the opportunity to host a second fringe celebration next year, building on what is planned for this August.

The inaugural Bangor fringe event is scheduled for Saturday 1 August at Holborn Square, taking place on the same day as the 73rd Ulster Championships of the Pipe Bands in Ward Park.

In recent weeks the proposal sparked a surprisingly animated discussion in council circles, with some voices raising concerns about timing, funding and whether the borough had been fully brought along with the idea.

However, after consideration by councillors, the plan to host both events on the same day was approved by a clear majority, with proposed budgets of approximately:

โ€ข ยฃ36,700 for the Pipe Band Championships
โ€ข Up to ยฃ40,000 for the Fleadh Fringe event (subject to the rates setting process)

Council officers emphasised that the intention is not to create competition between traditions, but rather to celebrate different musical cultures across the town while attracting a wider audience into Bangor.

And there is certainly an audience to attract.

Fleadh Cheoil na hร‰ireann, widely regarded as the worldโ€™s largest celebration of Irish music and culture, is expected to bring more than 700,000 visitors to Belfast between 2 and 9 August.

Last yearโ€™s event in Wexford generated an estimated โ‚ฌ60 million for the local economy, while Tourism NI estimates the Belfast Fleadh could inject around ยฃ60 million into the Northern Ireland economy.

Given Bangorโ€™s proximity to Belfast and the involvement of Ards Comhaltas Ceoltรณirรญ ร‰ireann, council officers highlighted the clear opportunity for the borough to benefit from the influx of visitors and international attention.

Both the local Comhaltas branch and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association NI have expressed support for the approach, seeing it as an opportunity to showcase different musical traditions and bring more people into the town.

As a result, those who had previously been raising concerns will no doubt now be absolutely delighted that the Fringe event in Bangor this August is proceeding.

And they will likely be even more delighted to learn that the Fleadh will be returning to Belfast again in 2027, presenting Bangor with the opportunity to host another fringe celebration next year.

It seems the opportunity to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region may not be a one-off after all. ๐ŸŽป๐Ÿฅ๐ŸŒ

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