DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
The Development Department offers a key external focus for the Council which is both strategically driven, in terms of the long term development of the Borough, and customer led, in terms of taking actions which tangibly improve diverse elements of the Ards economy.
The Department acts as the Council's main interface with developers, tourists, some 25 local and regional enterprise partner organisations, entrepreneurs, several government departments and their subsidiary agencies, auditors and fund managers of the European Union, international partners and regional counterparts in Northern Ireland, Britain and beyond.
The main functional elements of the department deal with economic and tourism development, strategic planning, and the creation of an Integrated Development Plan for the Ards Borough, in association with other key public sector agencies.
The Department's active role in tourism development is enhanced by two Tourist Information Centres and one Local Information Office (Pier 36 in Donaghadee) - the main centre in Newtownards and its seasonal satellite in Portaferry - which act as vital support mechanisms for local businesses by selling the whole tourism product to visitors. At the same time visitors have access to yet another unique Council initiative, Ards Crafts, a dedicated retail outlet for crafts, specifically promoting the work of local crafts people. Both Ards Crafts and Tourist Information Centre and the Portaferry Centre hold the Charter Mark status.
Events have also become a key element of the tourism development portfolio and each year, the Ards area is building on its reputation for organising unique, quality events. The Creative Peninsula, which showcases the wealth of artistic talent that abounds in Ards by opening up the normally private worlds of the artists and craftspeople who live and work across the area, is now well-established in the Northern Ireland events calendar. So, too, is the Festival of the Peninsula each September, when Ards joins with its counterparts in Scotland and Donegal to celebrate their shared history, music, art, literature and dance. There's always a feast of folk on offer as well as story-telling, talks, walks and tours.
Exploris in Portaferry, Northern Ireland's only aquarium, is also managed by the Development Department. The aquarium offers a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the wonders of the Irish Sea, with an open sea tank and marine discovery lab allowing immersion in the fascinating lives of the underwater communities of the sea. Exploris also plays a valuable role in rehabilitating abandoned or sick seal pups through its Seal Sanctuary. The sanctuary takes visitors through the seals' journey back to health - from the pens where the pups are kept when they are very young, right through to the point where they learn to swim. And there are special viewing points for visitors to see the seals - from above, alongside and underwater.
Community Development is also the responsibility of the Development Department.
For further information about the work of the Development Department, contact:
Brian Dorrian, Acting Director of Development, Tel: 028 9182 4065, E: brian.dorrian@ards-council.gov.uk
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