By Julie Waters
THE latest plans for a controversial seafront car park at Queen’s Parade are set to be unveiled at another behind closed doors meeting between councillors and the developer next month.
Officials from Bangor Marine Ltd, a joint venture between Oakland Holdings and the Karl Group, are scheduled to hold a second workshop, without the public or press allowed to attend, on Monday, April 13.
There has been criticism after Bangor Marine announced earlier this year that it wanted to construct a car park on a green area at Marine Gardens. Residents have mounted a campaign against the proposal which will require planning approval if it is approved by councillors.
Bangor Marine has remained tight-lipped about what officials will be telling councillors on April 13 but in a statement issued this week indicated that ‘revised plans’ will be presented at the meeting.
Local councillors first learned of the new plans for the car park back in August last year, when the first ‘secret’ workshop was held.
However, local residents claim that it was not until five months later, in February this year, that they were told about plans to rip out the seafront park and replace it with a paid 90-space car park.
The revamped larger play park and car park proposals are all part of the £14m Marine Gardens redevelopment, which includes pavilions, an events space and the £1.3m Colin Davidson sculpture series.
However, there has been strong public objection to the ‘eleventh hour’ car park plans with scores of angry residents due to attend a second public protest at Bangor Castle ahead of last night’s full council meeting.
Concerned local residents have criticised the lack of transparency surrounding the ‘eleventh hour’ plans with over 2,500 people signing an online petition to ‘Save Marine Gardens’.
Local resident Roy Kerr voiced his concerns at the ‘secrecy’ surrounding the new plans saying: “We are not happy that this meeting is being held behind closed doors and we cannot comment.”
The campaigners are urging local residents to back their campaign to save the park area by signing the online petition on: www.savemarinegarde ns.co.uk
The petition states they ‘strongly oppose’ the proposal to turn part of Marine Gardens into a commercial, privately owned pay car park under a proposed 125-year lease.
Instead they have suggested ‘the existing term garden prioritises commercialisation’. community wellbeing, They have called on biodiversity, and public decision makers to enjoyment — not long- ‘reject any change of use from green space to commercial car park, refuse a 125-year lease on public seafront land and protect Marine Gardens for future generations’.
The campaigners stated: “Sign now to send a clear message: No commercial car park at Marine Gardens. Not now. Not for 125 years. Not anytime soon.”
