An Ards and North Down Green politician has questioned the council spending £10,000 on signs to welcome people into Bangor, which was recently awarded city status.
At the latest Corporate Services Committee meeting at Ards and North Down Council, Bangor Central Green Councillor Stephen Dunlop questioned the price tag on changing signs in and around the new city during a cost of living crisis.
At the Committee elected representatives agreed for council officers to arrange the presentation of the letters patent and the conferment ceremony for city status, and also for officers to press ahead with designs for entrance signs to the new city. Councillors also agreed to change the name of Bangor Town Hall to “City Hall,” and to commission a report to name buildings in and around Bangor after Queen Elizabeth II.
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A council city status update report states: “Bango'rs entrance signs were created and installed in 2017 following consultation with the Chamber of Trade. The signage was funded by the Department for Communities.
“The style of the signs is such that a reference to city status cannot be added to the existing signs, instead it would need to be incorporated into the design when the signs are replaced. The shelf life of the signs is around eight to ten years, meaning they would not be due to be replaced until 2025.
“There are signs at four entrance points into Bangor - replacing them like for like would cost in the region of 10,000 (fabrication and installation). A simpler style of sign could be considered that would be less expensive to produce.”
It adds: “It is suggested that members consider progressing this form of recognition of Bangor’s city status now, rather than waiting for the replacement schedule for the existing signs. A further report on costs and design would be brought to a future committee.
“To wait until 2025 would hardly be appropriate timing given the Jubilee was in 2022. However, there is no current budget for this activity.” The report adds a new sign for the new “City Hall” would cost around £2,500, and changes would also have to be made on stationery and listings for the building.
Councillor Dunlop told the committee: “Whilst I do think having the city status is fantastic, and a great compliment for it to come to Bangor, I am just concerned a bit about the criticism that could come at the present time if we start to incur unbudgeted expenditure. Given the cost of living crisis etcetera.
“I don’t think I would be prepared to support that element of it. I think the signage could possibly wait for a period into the future.” Despite his comments, he did not push a vote on the matter, and did not object to council officer recommendations.
UUP Councillor for Bangor East and Donaghadee David Chambers said: “I know when we were taking the decision to apply for city status, we had a lot of debate about it, and there was an element of controversy. But ultimately we did take a decision, and with that decision comes a responsibility to commit to it, and not do things half-heartedly.
“In relation to the signage, I think it would seem rather absurd to wait three years after being granted city status before we would update that signage. So I am quite content to support the proposal, and I look forward to seeing the designs when they come back.”
In May this year Bangor was awarded city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, along with eight other towns across the United Kingdom. Earlier in March, a £50 million regeneration project for Bangor was finally given the green light in March after being held up in a Stormont department for over a year over flooding concerns.
The proposed scheme, developed by Bangor Marine Ltd, will see extensive work to a run-down area of the new city. It will involve the building of new homes, a 66 bedroom hotel, a cinema and leisure facility, a public realm scheme, new streets, an events space and new cafes and restaurants.
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