Ards and North Down Borough Council
Ards and North Down Borough Council is a local authority in Northern Ireland that was established on 1 April 2015. It replaced Ards Borough Council and North Down Borough Council. The first elections to the authority were on 22 May 2014 and it acted as a shadow authority, prior to the creation of the Ards and North Down district on 1 April 2015.
Ards and North Down Borough Council | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | District council of Ards and North Down |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 2015 |
| Preceded by | Ards Borough Council North Down Borough Council |
| Leadership | |
Mayor | Cllr Jennifer Gilmour, DUP |
Deputy Mayor | Cllr Hannah Irwin, Alliance |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 40 |
Political groups | Executive (34) DUP (14) Alliance (12) UUP (8) Opposition (6) Green (2) Independent (3) SDLP (1) |
| Elections | |
Last election | 18 May 2023 |
| Meeting place | |
| Town Hall, Bangor Castle | |
| Website | |
| http://ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk | |
The district was originally called "North Down and Ards" but the council was known as "Ards and North Down District Council". Councillors on the transitional shadow authority (prior to the council's official creation) voted on 15 December 2014 to submit an application to the Department of the Environment to change the name to East Coast Borough Council with effect from 1 April 2015. Negative public reaction to the proposed name prompted a rethink. The district name "Ards and North Down" was not finalised until 2016. The transfer of the borough charter from North Down Borough Council was delayed until after the district naming.