Decades-delayed £60m Bangor development finally 'begins construction' - by building a portable container, then taking a summer break

Stormont officials had promised a project at Queen’s Parade on the seafront of the Co Down city that’s been on the cards since the 1990s would at last get under way before the end of June. On Monday (30th) they announced it had, but locals expecting diggers to move in and real work to happen were sorely disappointed.

A cabin was put on site, something the Department for Communities (DfC) described as “initial works”, but there’s now going to be a break for the Twelfth holiday fortnight. At some point over the summer, officials think hoardings should go up and proper construction can begin.

In a statement issued on Monday, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said he was “pleased work is getting underway on this much awaited project”.

“I want to again thank all those involved for their hard work over the past weeks and months to get to this stage,” he said.

“This is a hugely complex project which will be transformational for Bangor and the wider community. I know that a huge amount of work is continuing behind the scenes to progress the project at pace.”

For Bangor Central councillor Chris McCracken, however, putting a portable container on site is at best an underwhelming start. He argues claims that construction is now under way “do not reflect reality on the ground”.

“Most residents will not share the view that placing a container near the car park would constitute a proper start to the project as promised,” he said. “There is no hoarding around the site, no machinery in place, and no spades in the ground.

“I think I was the only [Bangor] councillor who publicly expressed scepticism about the widely proclaimed June start date. I don't welcome the fact that I’ve been proved right, but it is always better to deal with reality rather than live in the land of make-believe.”

Mr McCracken, whose day job is in urban regeneration projects, said he thinks proper construction was always more likely to begin around late August or early September, as final leases for Queen’s Parade were only signed at the start of June.

The DfC was contacted about the issue but has yet to comment.

The scheme’s first phase will see a large seafront car park demolished to make way for a new pedestrian-friendly area with green lawns, an event space, a children’s play area, and food and drink kiosks. Even though construction has been announced as being under way on that site, DfC officials say the car park will stay open over the two-week holiday period.

Apartments, retail and office space follow on the main body of the site, with a final phase constructing a cinema and tourist draw ‘destination building’. The project is supposed to be complete by late summer 2028.

Many different designs and ideas have been put forward for Queen’s Parade over the decades, and buildings on Bangor’s main seafront were demolished in the early years of this century to make way for the project, yet little has been done with a site that was at one point was voted Northern Ireland’s biggest eyesore in a TV poll.