Old courthouse to become community arts hub

With the transfer of ownership to the seaside town’s Open House Festival, the Victorian B2 listed building will soon be providing office facilities and space for creative businesses, as well as performance and exhibition opportunities.

Welcoming the transfer of the iconic building, which has an extimated value of £180,000, Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “I am delighted that the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunal Service (NICTS) has been able to ensure a building of such architectural significance like this can be transferred and contribute to the regeneration of Bangor’s iconic seafront.

“I have no doubt the building will be a real asset for the festival and also for the people of Bangor and north Down.”

Built in 1866, the original courthouse was originally a branch of the Belfast Banking Company, incorporating a private residence for the bank manager and his family.

In 1952, it was utilised as a Court of Petty Sessions until its decommissioning by in 2013 by the NICTS in 2013.

The transfer and redevelopment is being supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Department for Communities, Garfield Weston Foundation, Ards and North Down Borough Council and Ulster Garden Villages.

Open House Festival director Kieran Gilmore said: “This project will be the physical embodiment of everything we’ve worked to achieve – reclaiming Bangor’s role as a vibrant seaside town with a rich cultural life and a strong sense of community. We’re hugely grateful to all the individuals, businesses, organisations and government departments who have supported us this far”.