Ards (borough)

Template:NI district Ards Borough Council is a Local Council in County Down, Northern Ireland with its headquarters in Newtownards. Other towns include Portaferry, Comber, and Donaghadee, and the population of the area is about 73,000.

The borough has four district electoral areas: Newtownards, Ards West, Ards East and Ards Peninsula, from which 23 members are elected. At the 2005 election members were elected from the following political parties: 13 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 6 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 3 Alliance Party and 1 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). The current Mayor is Councillor Angus Carson (UUP) and the Deputy Mayor is Councillor Robin Drysdale (DUP).

The current DUP team has now fallen to 11 following the re-designation of two councillors as Independents. As such from February 2007, the DUP have lost their overall majority in the Council chamber.

The next election is due to take place in May 2009. Under the Review of Public Administration, Ards is due to form part of the new East district.

Strangford Lough is at the heart of the area, and is the largest inlet in the British Isles with internationally renowned wildlife. The Irish Sea coast stretches from Donaghadee to Portaferry. Mount Stewart, a National Trust property on the shore of Strangford Lough is in the area, as well as Northern Ireland’s only aquarium, Exploris, in Portaferry and Grace Neill's, holder of the Guinness Book of Records title of the oldest pub on Ireland.

In elections for the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly it is mostly in the Strangford constituency, with part in the North Down consituency.

See also

• Local Councils in Northern Ireland

External links

• Kingdoms of Down Tourism
• Ards Borough Council Web Site