Anger as 1,300-strong petition to keep 19th century castle in public hands 'brushed past by council'
The TUV has registered its anger after a 1,300-strong petition to keep a 19th century castle in public hands was “effectively brushed past” by its council owners.
Bangor Castle, which overlooks the seaside city and was once owned by the Ward family of Irish nobility, is currently the headquarters of Ards and North Down Council – but the local authority wants out, eyeing new offices slated to be built in a £60m seafront regeneration scheme.
Last summer, the council began moves to turn the grade A listed building into a boutique hotel run by a private operator, a plan that would see the local authority keep the deeds to the site while leasing it to a business that would control its day to day operation and access.
Before Christmas, the TUV delivered a petition with 1,289 people calling on the council to keep Bangor Castle open to the public, the party stating so many signatures constitutes “a clear message” people of the area want it to stay a civic building.
But when the petition came up for discussion at a recent committee meeting, council officials didn’t have much to say on it and the push to keep the castle in public hands wasn’t debated at any length.
Although an official acknowledged the existence of the petition, it was characterised as being part of evidence that people have a multitude of different opinions on the hotel move.
Insisting there is “a mixed level of views” among the public, with many accepting it’s difficult for the council to maintain the grade A listed building, the official added that the council is getting ready to publish its business case for turning it into a privately-run hotel.
That has the TUV’s North Down chairman, Peter Wilson, complaining the petition wasn’t taken seriously enough by politicians or officials.
“I am deeply disappointed that our Bangor Castle petition was effectively brushed past at committee, despite the clear strength of public feeling,” he told the News Letter. “We have 1,289 signatures – that’s close to, and in some cases more than, the first preference vote that can elect a councillor in this borough.
“Bangor Castle is a publicly owned civic asset with huge heritage and community value. The public deserve full transparency on what is being proposed, and councillors should not be allowed to hide behind process.
“That is why I am calling for this issue to be brought to a full council meeting for a proper debate and a recorded vote, so residents can see exactly where every councillor stands.”
Speaking to the News Letter last summer, the council’s chief executive, Susie McCullough, said she couldn’t guarantee public access to Bangor Castle’s building and grounds will be written into legal contracts with a hotel operator, though said she was “almost 100% certain” those clauses would appear.
She also insisted public access to the building would be maintained through having its music chamber, currently used for council meetings but also a popular wedding venue, become a bar or restaurant.
Meanwhile a large extension covering the western lawn of the castle grounds could be on the cards, which would allow a hotel firm to double the number of bedrooms available to paying guests – specifically, 21 rooms in the original castle and 22 in the extension.