Issue 218 - BT22 • BT23
Construction begins on Green Road Greenway
Ards and North Down Borough Council is delighted to confirm that work ‘on the ground’ on the new Newtownards to Bangor (Green Road) Greenway has started.
Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart, in a 1933 MG Midget with relatives of the late Samuel Wilson. From L-R: Samuel Wilson Alexander (nephew), Jenny McVeigh (great-niece), Valerie Hastings (niece) and Martin Davison (nephew).
Plaque Unveiled in Memory of Spectators who died at 1936 Ards TT Tragedy
Ards and North Down Borough Council has unveiled a plaque in memory of the eight spectators who died after an accident during the 1936 Ards Tourist Trophy (TT) race in Newtownards. The plaque was unveiled during a civic event at Ards Arts Centre and has been installed on a wall near Ards Community Hospital, close to where the tragic accident occurred on Church Street. In 1936, the Ards TT was a world-renowned
event. Held on closed roads between Newtownards, Comber and Dundonald, competitors travelled from around the world to battle against local drivers over 35 laps of the 13.5mile route. The race provided a huge spectacle and was a massive tourist attraction
with thousands of excited spectators lining the roads to watch. Tragically, that excitement turned to despair on Saturday 5 September 1936 and Newtownards was plunged into mourning when one of the competing cars lost
control on Church Street. The car crashed off the road and into a group of spectators who had been watching the race from the footpath adjacent to the road.
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The 5.4km route will help to better connect the town of Newtownards with the city of Bangor by providing a new safe route for those who want to walk, wheel or cycle. It is anticipated that it will be popular with leisure users e.g. those wanting to undertake exercise or to access Whitespots Country Park/ Ark Farm, as well as those who are commuting to work or place of study e.g. South East Regional College (Ards). The route is being progressed in two stages, both of which will be delivered by contractor Charles Brand Limited. These are: Newtownards to the Somme Museum. The route will begin at Belvedere Road, Newtownards and follow the former railway track, in the most part, to the Somme Museum.
Somme Museum to Green Road Bangor. This route will pass the Ark Open Farm and then turn off-road in a northeasterly direction following the former railway line and field boundaries, in the most part, to Green Road, Bangor. The new Greenway includes three and four-metrewide paths, pedestrian/cycle railing, fencing, lighting and planting. Construction is expected to take around 12 months. The scheme represents an investment of £5.6M in green infrastructure in Ards and North Down and is being funded by the Department for Infrastructure, the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund and the Council. For more information on greenways in Ards and North Down, visit www. ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk/ greenways.