Pottinger was one of the nine district electoral areas (DEA) in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 1985 to 2014. Located in the east of the city, the district elected six members to Belfast City Council and contained the wards of Ballymacarrett, Bloomfield, Orangefield, Ravenhill, The Mount, and Woodstock.

The wards of Ravenhill and Woodstock were part of the Belfast South constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament, while the other four were part of the Belfast East Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies.

The district was bounded to the west by the River Lagan and the Ormeau Road, to the north by the Newtownards Road, to the east by Greenville Park and North Road and the Borough of Castlereagh to the south.

At the 2001 census the district had a Protestant majority, however there was also a large Catholic minority, particularly in areas such as the Short Strand, which is separated from the mainly unionist Cluan Place by one of the many peace lines in the district.

History The DEA was created for the 1985 local elections, when it largely replaced the former electoral Area A. Five of the six wards came from Area A with the Bloomfield ward added from Area B.

It was abolished for the 2014 local elections, when all of its wards except Orangefield formed part of a new Titanic district electoral area. The Orangefield ward became part of a new Lisnasharragh district electoral area.

Amenities

Amenities in the Pottinger district electoral area include: Ormeau Golf Club Ormeau Park Ravenhill Stadium, home of the Ulster Rugby team

Wards

Map Ward Population (2011 Census) Catholic Protestant Other No religion Area Density NI Assembly UK Parliament Ref 1 Ballymacarrett 4,908 51.4% 41.2% 1.4% 6.2% 0.78 km2 6,292 /km2 Belfast East Belfast East 2 Bloomfield 5,453 16.1% 69.7% 1.7% 12.5% 0.74 km2 7,369 /km2 Belfast East Belfast East 3 Orangefield 5,619 11% 77% 1.4% 10.6% 1.46 km2 3,849 /km2 Belfast East Belfast East 4 Ravenhill 6,041 39.7% 46.9% 2% 11.5% 1.88 km2 3,213 /km2 Belfast South Belfast South 5 The Mount 5,591 16.1% 68.3% 1.3% 14.3% 0.75 km2 7,455 /km2 Belfast East Belfast East 6 Woodstock 5,445 19.4% 63.3% 2.8% 14.5% 0.56 km2 9,723 /km2 Belfast South Belfast South Pottinger 33,057 25.3% 61.2% 1.8% 11.7% 6.17 km2 5,358 /km2

Councillors

Election Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) 2011 Máire Hendron (Alliance) Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Féin) Adam Newton (DUP) May Campbell (DUP) Gavin Robinson (DUP) John Kyle (PUP) 2005 Reg Empey (UUP) Margaret McKenzie (DUP) Sammy Wilson (DUP) David Ervine (PUP) 2001 Joseph O'Donnell (Sinn Féin) Margaret Clarke (UUP) Harry Toan (DUP) 1997 Mervyn Jones (Alliance)Robert Cleland (DUP) 1993 Sandy Blair (UUP) Jim Walker (DUP) 1989 Margaret Clarke (UUP) Dorothy Dunlop (Independent Unionist) 1985 Frank Leslie (DUP)

2011 election

2005: 3 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Alliance

2011: 3 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x PUP

2005-2011 change: Sinn Féin gain from UUP

2005 election

2001: 3 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Alliance

2005: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Sinn Féin

2001-2005 change: DUP and Alliance gain from UUP and Sinn Féin

2001 election

1997: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Sinn Féin

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

1997-2001 change: Sinn Féin gain from Alliance

1997 election

1993: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance

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

1993-1997 change: PUP gain from DUP

1993 election

1989: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 Independent Unionist

1993: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance

1989-1993 change: DUP gain from Independent Unionist

1989 election

1985: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance

1989: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 Independent Unionist

1985-1989 change: Independent Unionist gain from DUP

1985 election

1985: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance

See also Belfast City Council Electoral wards of Belfast Local government in Northern Ireland Members of Belfast City Council Belfast Pottinger (UK Parliament constituency) Belfast Pottinger (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency) Belfast Willowfield (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency) 2011 Northern Ireland local elections#Belfast 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