Regenerating Bangor by the Sea - pictured at the announcement of AECOM as consultant on the proposed £60M redevelopment of the waterfront in Bangor are Stella Kontogianni (AECOM), Wayne Hemingway (Hemingway Design), Stephen Reid (Chief Executive of Ards and North Down Borough Council) and Luis Juarez Galeana (AECOM).

Ards and North Down Borough Council has appointed AECOM as consultant for its £60M Bangor Waterfront project that will redevelop a 2.2 mile stretch of the seafront to help establish Bangor as a thriving town and prime visitor attraction in Northern Ireland.

The project includes new public realm along the 2.2 mile stretch and new greenways and coastal paths that will better link people to both the town and the sea. Pickie Park, which is already immensely popular with local residents, will be enhanced to become a family visitor attraction of national significance and compliment the re-imagining of Ballyholme beach that is also part of the project.

In an exciting investment in the sporting potential of the Borough, the project will also see the redevelopment of Ballyholme Yacht Club into Northern Ireland’s only centre of excellence for sailing. The potential for other innovative features that support the town’s aspiration to revive itself as an attractive, accessible, creative and diverse seaside town will be explored as part of the early work AECOM will undertake.

The AECOM team offers extensive visioning, design, environmental and economic expertise. AECOM was the masterplanner for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and has delivered a range of waterfront projects, including Liverpool, Blackpool and in Northern Ireland on the award-winning Newcastle public realm. AECOM has also worked on a number of projects in Bangor, such as the recent town centre public realm improvements. The AECOM-led team for the Bangor Waterfront project also includes Hemingway Design, Savills and Jettora.

Patrick Clarke, Director – UK & Ireland Masterplanning Lead, AECOM, said: “Building on the ambitious waterfront plan for Bangor, our team brings a breadth of multidisciplinary expertise to further develop this vision, creating a masterplan that will secure long-term tourism and economic benefits for the town and a business case to support future investment in Bangor. Our team will deliver an integrated design approach including masterplanning, architecture, landscape and public realm design, transport, engineering, tourism planning, economics and sustainability services, with creative input from Hemingway Design and its impressive track record in coastal regeneration.”

Wayne Hemingway, Hemingway Design, added: “We think that Bangor is a town with so many of the ingredients needed to really attract more visitors and be an even more lovely place to live and work, so we’re excited to be a part of this project. Collaborative design is crucial to us, so we want to gain input from the local community as much as possible through our digital survey and public engagement sessions.”

The Bangor Waterfront Project is one of a number of exciting tourism-led regeneration schemes due to receive funding from the Belfast Region City Deal. Approximately £40M will be secured via this bespoke package of funding from Westminster, with the remaining investment coming from both the Council and the private sector.

Alongside the Waterfront project, Bangor Marine Ltd has recently been appointed to develop the Queen’s Parade area of Bangor. This represents an investment of £50M in a mixed-use development that will generate new jobs, shops, offices, homes and attractions. Hemingway Design is part of the team that will deliver Queen’s Parade, which offers great opportunities for synergies and innovations as a combined investment of £110M is made in the town over the next 10 years.

Mayor of Ards and North Down, Alderman Bill Keery, commented: “The appointment of AECOM, and its wider team, is a critical step forward in our plans to regenerate Bangor. They bring a wide range of experience, including the delivery of international coastal regeneration projects, to the table and I have no doubt will challenge and refine our thinking as we progress this very exciting project.

“With the prospect of £110M of investment coming to the town, the future is looking very bright for Bangor. We look forward to working with AECOM and our various local stakeholder groups to develop plans that will delivery the very best outcomes for all those who live in, work in or visit the town.”

The opportunity to share your views on how this exciting project should be developed is available at www.bangor-waterfront.com. The survey will take five minutes to complete and all comments will be considered as part of the design process.