Queen's Parade on the seafront in Bangor on Belfast Lough has been largely derelict for well over twenty years. But just this week the Ards and North Down Borough Council approved a £50m scheme for large scale redevelopment of the site enclosed by Lower Main Street, Queen's Parade and Southwell Road. As with the names of many streets in Bangor during the Victorian era, names were changed, and Sandy Row became Queen's Parade.
The laying of the railway in 1865 from Belfast meant that inexpensive travel was possible, and Bangor soon became a fashionable resort for Victorian holidaymakers thus making the seafront a popular gathering place. The small beach and bay which preceded the Marina were busy with visitors. But the emergence of out-of-town shopping centres was the beginning of the end of an era in Bangor and with the coming of inexpensive foreign holidays, ease of travelling abroad meant visitor numbers fell dramatically.
Queen's Parade regeneration map
The proposed scheme, developed by Bangor Marine Ltd (a partnership between Karl Group and Farrans Construction) will see extensive improvements to this area of Bangor including new homes, a hotel, public realm scheme, events space and cafes/restaurants.
The Department for Communities owns most of the development site and the news has been welcomed by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey. Mayor of Ards and North Down, Trevor Cummings, said: "Approval of this £50m development is an immense boost to Bangor, and the wider Ards and North Down area. Planning Officers worked closely with Bangor Marine and various consultees to redesign any potential obstacles in order that the application could be recommended. We are grateful to all those who contributed to the process, which was complex and rigorous".
He continued: "The Queen's Parade development, combined with the Council's own plans to regenerate Bangor Waterfront, offer the potential for more than £110m of investment to come into the town delivering new attractions, accommodations and commercial opportunities. These really are game-changing times for Bangor, and we are all impatient to see them come to fruition."
The area will be largely pedestrianised and contain open landscaping and water features and incorporate apartments, offices, a hotel, shops, children's' play park, a cinema, and a central marketplace. The aim is to regenerate a very run-down part of Bangor Town, which should take four years to build with the developers aiming to start the works before the end of this year.
