Founded 1 April 2015 Seats 40 | Mayor Alan Graham, DUP | |
 | ||
Type District council of Ards and North Down Preceded by Ards Borough Council
North Down Borough Council Political groups DUP (18)
UUP (9)
Alliance (7)
Green (NI) (2)
SDLP (1)
TUV (1)
Independents (2) | ||
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.
Contents
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.
Councillors
For the purpose of elections the council is divided into seven district electoral areas (DEA):
Changes
Population
The area covered by the new Council has a population of 156,672 residents according to the 2011 Northern Ireland census.