By Julie Waters
NORTH Down MP Alex Easton has strongly criticised plans to ‘destroy a strip of green space and trees’ and replace it with a car park at Queen’s Parade.
Mr Easton thrown his weight behind angry city centre residents who recently spoke of their ‘shock and disbelief ’ when they learned of ‘11th hour’ plans to turn the seafront ‘green lung’ into a 90 space paid car park. Mr Easton has criticised the car park proposals by developer Bangor Marine as a ‘blight’ on an area that should be hailed as the ‘jewel of our city’s public space’.
The MP has also written to the council seeking clarification on the ‘shocking’ claim that a 125 year lease has been granted to the developer for the car park, who will then ‘profit’ from the car parking charges.
In a bid to resolve the city’s lack of car parking spaces, Mr Easton called for a ‘joined-up approach’ involving the Flagship Centre’s 400 car park spaces that are ‘sitting unused’.
Work on the anticipated £14m seafront redevelopment of Marine Gardens, which will feature a £1.3m sculpture series by internationally acclaimed artist Colin Davidson, has been ongoing for a number of months.
However, plans for the car park, which is due to be beside the £1m state-of-the art play park, only came to light after the latest public consultation with the residents and the developer.
Fears are now high that the popular park area, that runs in front of the terrace of historic Queen’s Parade properties, with the path leading onTO the Pickie Fun Park and the coastal path, could be lost.
Outlining his concerns, Mr Easton said: “I have been alerted to some very late additions to the plans for the new Queen’s Parade which I believe will utterly spoil the whole direction of the project.
“These plans mean a complete change to the western edge of the new Marine Gardens. It will mean cutting down more trees, removing grass areas that are loved by local households, and turning this little paradise into a new car park.
“Given that plans had been accepted two years ago by the local community as a solution, finally, to the blight of the car park in the spot that should be the jewel of our city’s public space, it’s a completely backward step to be adding a new car park, with parking charges, into the plans at the 11th hour.”
Mr Easton added: “Constituents have written to me to draw my attention to plans that the developer will be getting a lease for 125 years to make profits out of this new car park, which, if true, is very shocking. I have written to the council to get the full details on this arrangement, asking if it represents value for money for constituents.
“This arrangement is the worst of both worlds. Ninety spaces will not solve the parking issues for busy times, for big events in the new Marine Gardens, and destroying a strip of green space and trees is a very destructive way to go forward, when there are over 400 parking spaces sitting in the Flagship Centre unused.
“A better solution would be a much more joined-up approach involving the Flagship and listening to the local people and visitors who value this green space, which is valued as it sits at the very start of the walk along past Pickie to the coastal path.”
When asked by the Spectator to address the claim that the local authority had granted a 125 year lease to the developer for the car park, a council spokeswoman said: “Bangor Marine initially signalled their intention to re-examine plans for the first phase of Marine Gardens development at public engagement sessions in October 2025.
“During events they showed their proposed direction of travel in relation to potentially extending the site boundary and configuring the space where the play park will be sited to include a car park.
“At this stage no formal proposals have been submitted to the council for this area. Once they are, a report will be presented to the council.
“There will be opportunity for residents to review and comment on the detailed planning applications once the formal planning process is initiated.”
