Sports & Leisure
Leisure Centres
We are fortunate in having two Leisure Centres in our area. The main one in Bangor has been there since the early seventies and requires considerable maintenance.
I fully support the Council in their appraisal for a replacement and modern complex in the area to replace the existing one which is now uneconomic and dated.
The new leisure centre will be “state of the art” and will provide leisure facilities for all ages.
The Queens Leisure Centre in Holywood is one of which we can be proud. It has seen considerable investment in recent years and is fully supported by residents in the area.
Facilities for Children
Children’s’ playgrounds are a necessity for our young people. In the past vandalism was a problem but fortunately this mindless and wanton destruction has ceased and more playgrounds are being provided. I was pleased to have been one of the initiators of Pickie Family Fun Park which has been a great success and is going to be updated and modernised in the near future.
Sports Grounds
Perhaps the most satisfactory aspect of sport in North Down is that so many take an active part in it rather than be content to be spectators. This demand continues to exist despite the much-improved facilities now available.
When I was Mayor I was part of a small team that pioneered the development of Ballykillaire Sports Complex which continues to play a major role in sports and international events.
Major improvements are planned on sports provision in the Holywood area which will be of significant importance to the region.
An upgrade of the facilities at Valentine Playing Fields will be carried out within the next two years.
Parks and Open Spaces
Our forefathers left us a legacy of several beautiful parks and open spaces. The major ones, Ward Park and Castle Park continue to be a joy to those seeking gentle recreation and enjoyment of the natural surroundings.
At one time Bangor was blessed with one seventh of its entire area laid out in parks and open spaces. Regrettably today this has fallen to a mere two and a half percent.
Many more small parks, woods and our beautiful coastline make the area a first choice for people wishing to live here. I believe it to be essential that further parks and open spaces be provided for our fast growing population.
There are other areas that could be brought into public ownership for the benefit of our residents and visitors alike.
Work is ongoing on a wetlands park on the north side of the Green Road and the lake at Rathgael could be opened to the public. We also need a new large parkland area to reset the balance of open space in the area.
