Down District Council
Encyclopedia
Down District Council is a Local Council in County Down
in Northern Ireland
. The Council is headquartered in Downpatrick
. Other towns in the Council area are Ardglass
, Ballynahinch, Castlewellan
, Clough
, Crossgar
, Dundrum
, Killough
, Killyleagh
, Newcastle
, Saintfield
, Seaforde
and Strangford
. It covers a population of nearly 64,000.
The Down District Council area consists of 4 electoral areas: Ballynahinch, Downpatrick, Newcastle and Rowallane. At the last election in 2005 23 Councillors were elected from the following political parties: 10 Social Democratic and Labour Party
(SDLP), 5 Sinn Féin
, 4 Ulster Unionist Party
(UUP), 3 Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP) and 1 Green Party
. One of the UUP councillors has since defected
to the Conservative Party
. The current Council Chairman is Councillor Colin McGrath (SDLP) and the Vice Chair is Councillor William Dick (DUP).
In elections for the Westminster Parliament it is split between the Strangford constituency and the South Down constituency.
in Downpatrick
remains in operation. It has also funded a major promenade infrastructure regeneration in Newcastle
. The new promenade has won a number of National awards including a Civic Trust
Award for Excellence in the Public Realm.
in 2011 to form a single council for the enlarged area totalling 1539 km² and a population of 150,886. The next election was due to take place in May 2009, but on April 25, 2008, Shaun Woodward
, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until the introduction of the eleven new councils in 2011.
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The Council is headquartered in Downpatrick
Downpatrick
Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...
. Other towns in the Council area are Ardglass
Ardglass
Ardglass is a coastal village in County Down, Northern Ireland and still a relatively important fishing harbour. It is situated on the B1 Ardglass to Downpatrick road, about 11 kilometres to the south east of Downpatrick, in the Lecale peninsula on the Irish Sea. It had a population of 1,668...
, Ballynahinch, Castlewellan
Castlewellan
Castlewellan is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is beside Castlewellan Lake and Slievenaslat mountain, southwest of Downpatrick. It lies between the Mourne Mountains and Slieve Croob. It had a population of 2,392 people in the 2001 Census....
, Clough
Clough
Clough is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It sits about 3 miles from Dundrum on the A2 road between Newcastle and Belfast. It had a population of 255 people in the 2001 Census...
, Crossgar
Crossgar
Crossgar is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is about 15 miles south of Belfast – between Saintfield and Downpatrick. Crossgar had a population of 1,539 people in the 2001 Census.- History :...
, Dundrum
Dundrum, County Down
Dundrum is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is beside Dundrum Bay, about 4 miles outside Newcastle on the A2 road. The town is best known for its ruined Norman castle. It had a population of 1,065 people in the 2001 Census....
, Killough
Killough
Killough is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the Irish Sea shore near Ardglass, five miles southeast of Downpatrick. It is notable for its sycamore-lined main street. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 845 people....
, Killyleagh
Killyleagh
Killyleagh is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the A22 road from Downpatrick, on the western side of Strangford Lough. It had a population of 2,483 people in the 2001 Census. It is best known for its 12th century Killyleagh Castle...
, Newcastle
Newcastle, County Down
Newcastle is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,444 people recorded in the 2001 Census. The seaside resort lies on the Irish Sea coast at the base of Slieve Donard, one of the Mourne Mountains, and is known for its sandy beach and the Royal County Down Golf Club...
, Saintfield
Saintfield
Saintfield is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated roughly halfway between Belfast and Downpatrick on the A7 road. It had a population of 2,959 people in the 2001 Census. The village proper is considered predominantly a middle or upper-middle class town and of both Catholic and...
, Seaforde
Seaforde
Seaforde is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Naghan, one mile north of Clough on the main Ballynahinch to Newcastle road. It is part of the Down District Council area....
and Strangford
Strangford
Strangford is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 475 people at the 2001 Census.On the other side of the lough is Portaferry and there is a ferry service between the two villages...
. It covers a population of nearly 64,000.
The Down District Council area consists of 4 electoral areas: Ballynahinch, Downpatrick, Newcastle and Rowallane. At the last election in 2005 23 Councillors were elected from the following political parties: 10 Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP), 5 Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, 4 Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
(UUP), 3 Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
(DUP) and 1 Green Party
Green Party in Northern Ireland
The Green Party in Northern Ireland is the Northern Ireland subdivision of the Irish Green Party, based on the principles of Green politics. It works in co-operation with Green parties across Europe, and was formerly a party in its own right...
. One of the UUP councillors has since defected
Party switching
Party-switching is any change in political party affiliation of a partisan public figure, usually one currently holding elected office.In many countries, party-switching takes the form of politicians refusing to support their political parties in coalition governments...
to the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. The current Council Chairman is Councillor Colin McGrath (SDLP) and the Vice Chair is Councillor William Dick (DUP).
In elections for the Westminster Parliament it is split between the Strangford constituency and the South Down constituency.
Work of the Council
The Council has periodically had to provide funding to ensure that the Saint Patrick Visitor CentreSaint Patrick Visitor Centre
The Saint Patrick Visitor Centre is a modern exhibition complex located in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a permanent interpretative exhibition centre featuring interactive displays on the life and story of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland...
in Downpatrick
Downpatrick
Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...
remains in operation. It has also funded a major promenade infrastructure regeneration in Newcastle
Newcastle, County Down
Newcastle is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,444 people recorded in the 2001 Census. The seaside resort lies on the Irish Sea coast at the base of Slieve Donard, one of the Mourne Mountains, and is known for its sandy beach and the Royal County Down Golf Club...
. The new promenade has won a number of National awards including a Civic Trust
Civic Trust
The Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...
Award for Excellence in the Public Realm.
Review of Public Administration
Under the Review of Public Administration (RPA) the Council is due to merge with Newry and Mourne District CouncilNewry and Mourne District Council
Newry and Mourne District Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. It includes much of the south of County Armagh and the south of County Down and has a population of approximately 93,400. Council headquarters are in Newry, the largest settlement and only city in the area; it has a...
in 2011 to form a single council for the enlarged area totalling 1539 km² and a population of 150,886. The next election was due to take place in May 2009, but on April 25, 2008, Shaun Woodward
Shaun Woodward
Shaun Anthony Woodward is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for St Helens South since 2001. He served in the Cabinet from 28 June 2007 to 11 May 2010 as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland...
, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until the introduction of the eleven new councils in 2011.