Court is one of the ten district electoral areas (DEA) in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Located in the north and west of the city, the district elects six members to Belfast City Council and contains the wards of Ballygomartin, Clonard, Falls, Forth River, Shankill, and Woodvale. Court is split between the Belfast North and Belfast West constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.

History

The DEA was created for the 1985 local elections. It initially contained six wards, three of which came from the abolished Area E, with the remainder from Area G. From the 1993 through 2011 local elections, it contained five wards, namely Crumlin, Glencairn, Highfield, Shankill and Woodvale, following the abolition of the Saint Anne's ward. For the 2014 local elections, the Crumlin ward was abolished, the Glencairn ward was replaced by Forth River ward and the Highfield ward was replaced by Ballygomartin ward. These four wards were joined by the Falls and Clonard wards, which had previously been part of the abolished Lower Falls DEA.

2011 census data Map Ward Population (2011 Census) Catholic Protestant Other No Religion Area Density NI Assembly UK Parliament Ref 1 Crumlin 4,582 11.3% 82.3% 0.6% 5.9% 0.83 km2 5,520/km2 Belfast North Belfast North 2 Glencairn 3,749 17.5% 75.5% 0.9% 6.1% 4.1 km2 914/km2 Belfast West Belfast West 3 Highfield 5,651 9.5% 82.6% 0.9% 7% 2.69 km2 2,101/km2 Belfast West Belfast West 4 Shankill 3,816 7.9% 84.5% 0.7% 6.9% 0.93 km2 4,103/km2 Belfast West Belfast West 5 Woodvale 4,088 6% 87% 0.6% 6.4% 0.57 km2 7,172/km2 Belfast North Belfast North Court 21,886 10.3% 82.5% 0.7% 6.5% 9.12 km2 2,400/km2 Belfast North (2) Belfast West (3) Belfast North (2) Belfast West (3)

Councillors Election Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) 2023 Frank McCoubrey (DUP)/ (Independent)/ (UDP) Ian McLaughlin (DUP) Nicola Verner (DUP) Ron McDowell (TUV) Tina Black (Sinn Féin) Claire Canavan (Sinn Féin)June 2022 Co-Option Naomi Thompson (DUP) Billy Hutchinson (PUP)2019 Brian Kingston (DUP)December 2018 Co-Option Jolene Bunting (TUV)/ (Independent)January 2018 Co-Option Mary McConville (Sinn Féin)February 2017 Defection Jim McVeigh (Sinn Féin)20142011 William Humphrey (DUP) Hugh Smyth (PUP) Naomi Thompson (DUP) 5 seats1993-20142005 Elaine McMillen (DUP) Diane Dodds (DUP)2001 Chris McGimpsey (UUP) Eric Smyth (DUP)1997 Fred Cobain (UUP)1993 Joseph Coggle (Independent Unionist)1989 Herbert Ditty (UUP) Elizabeth Seawright (Protestant Unionist)1985 Frederick Ashby (DUP) George Seawright (Protestant Unionist)

2023 election

2019: 3 x DUP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x PUP

2023: 3 x DUP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x TUV

2019–2023 Change: TUV gain from PUP

2019 Election

2014: 2 x DUP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x PUP, 1 x TUV

2019: 3 x DUP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x PUP

2014-2019 Change: DUP gain from TUV

2014 Election

This election was carried out under new ward boundaries, as a result of local government reform.

2011: 3 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent

2014: 2 x DUP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x PUP, 1 x TUV

2011-2014 Changes: Sinn Féin (two seats) and TUV gain from DUP (two seats) and due to the addition of one seat, Independent joins DUP

2011 Election

2005: 3 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent

2011: 3 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent

2005-2011 Change: No change

2005 Election

2001: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent

2005: 3 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent

2001-2005 Change: DUP gain from UUP

2001 Election

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x UDP

2001: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent

1997-2001 Change: DUP gain from UUP, UDP becomes Independent

1997 Election

1993: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent Unionist

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UDP

1993-1997 Change: UDP gain from Independent Unionist

1993 Election

1989: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Protestant Unionist, 1 x Independent Unionist

1993: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent Unionist

1989-1993 Change: Protestant Unionist loss due to the reduction of one seat

1989 Election

1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Protestant Unionist, 1 x Independent Unionist

1989: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Protestant Unionist, 1 x Independent Unionist

1985-1989 Change: No change

1985 Election

1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Protestant Unionist, 1 x Independent Unionist

See also

Shankill Road Belfast City Council Electoral wards of Belfast Local government in Northern Ireland Members of Belfast City Council

Elections

2019 Belfast City Council election 2014 Belfast City Council election 2011 Belfast City Council election 2005 Northern Ireland local elections § Belfast 2001 Northern Ireland local elections § Belfast 1997 Northern Ireland local elections § Belfast 1993 Northern Ireland local elections § Belfast 1989 Northern Ireland local elections § Belfast 1985 Northern Ireland local elections § Belfast

References