A minister in the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly has described delays to a £72m waterfront regeneration project in Northern Ireland as “a source of frustration”.
DUP communities minister Gordon Lyons said he had “waited decades” for progress on the redevelopment of Queen’s Parade in Bangor.
It is almost six years since Bangor Marine – a consortium including developer Karl Group and contractor Farrans – was appointed to deliver the scheme.
It was then expected to cost £50m but the Department for Communities, which is leading on the scheme, now estimates the price tag is almost 50 per cent higher.
Planning consent was granted in 2021 and local reports suggested it would start on site last year, but data intelligence provider Glenigan has said it expects work to begin in mid-April.
In response to a question about Queen’s Parade at the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday (31 March), Lyons said there were still a few issues that needed to be “ironed out”.
“It has been delayed, which is a source of frustration to many of those involved. We have waited decades for the project to progress,” he said.
“I am determined to make sure that it will progress. I am certainly doing everything that I can to make sure that the project progresses.”
Alan Chambers, UUP MLA for North Down, asked if Lyons was “concerned” that “reported changes in the make-up of the construction consortium delivering the project will impact on the commencement date, which was previously reported as being the end of April?”
The minister responded: “Nothing has been on my desk that makes me think that the changes to which the member refers are a matter of concern.
“I want to make sure that the outstanding issues are dealt with as soon as possible so that we can start construction. As I said, the good people of Bangor have been waiting for too long.”
The scheme would see 6,500 square metres of office space, 137 apartments, a 66-room hotel and a cinema created in the coastal town, as well as public realm improvements.
The Department for Communities’ website says efforts to get it underway are ongoing and it is “finalising” the necessary legal agreements.
“Heads of terms have also been agreed for the developer’s proposals for the part of the Marine Gardens site that is in the Crown Estate’s ownership,” it says.
Construction News has contacted the Department for Communities and Bangor Marine for comment.
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Greg Pitcher