Ards Peninsula is one of the seven district electoral areas (DEA) in Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland.Final Northern Ireland super council recommendations, BBC News, 13 December 2013, accessed 24 May 2014 The district elects five members to Ards and North Down Borough Council and contains the wards of Ballywalter, Carrowdore, Kircubbin, Loughries, Portaferry and Portavogie., ARK, accessed 8 July 2023 Ards Peninsula forms part of the Strangford constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
It was created for the 1985 local elections, replacing Ards Area A, which had existed since 1973, and originally contained seven wards (Ballywalter, Donaghadee North, Donaghadee South, Kircubbin, Millisle, Portaferry and Portavogie). For the 1993 local elections it was reduced to five wards, gaining Carrowdore but losing Donaghadee North, Donaghadee South and Millisle to the new Ards East DEA. For the 2014 local elections, it was increased to six wards, regaining Millisle while Donaghadee moved to the new Bangor East and Donaghadee DEA.
Councillors Election Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party)2023 Lorna McAlpine (Alliance) Joe Boyle (SDLP) Pete Wray (UUP) Robert Adair (DUP) Nigel Edmund (DUP) Davy Kerr (DUP) 6 seats2014–present 2019 Angus Carson (UUP) Eddie Thompson (DUP) June 2016 Co-Option 2014 Kellie Armstrong (Alliance) 2011 Kieran McCarthy (Alliance) Colin Kennedy (DUP) 5 seats1993-2014 2005 Jim Shannon (DUP) Robert Drysdale (DUP) 2001 Daniel McCarthy (SDLP) 1997 Paul Carson (UUP) 1993 William Sheldon (Alliance) Robert Ambrose (UUP) James McMullan (Independent) 1989 Clifford Auld (Alliance) Mervyn Rea (DUP) John Shields (UUP) Ronald Ferguson (UUP) 1985 Thomas Byers (Independent) Oliver Johnston (DUP) Gladys McIntyre (UPUP)
2023 election
2019: 3 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2023: 3 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2019–2023 change: No change
2019 election
2014: 3 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2019: 3 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2014-2019 change: No change
2014 election
2011: 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP
2014: 3 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2011-2014 change: DUP gain due to the addition of one seat
2011 election
2005: 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP
2011: 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP
2005-2011 change: No change
2005 election
2001: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
2005: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
2001-2005 change: No change
2001 election
1997: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP
2001: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP
1997-2001 change: No change
1997 election
1993: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
1997: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP
1997-2001 change: DUP and SDLP gain from Alliance and Independent
1993 election
1989: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance
1993: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
1989-1993 change: UUP (two seats) and DUP loss to Independent and due to the reduction of two seats
1989 election
1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UPUP, 1 x Independent
1989: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance
1985-1989 change: UUP and Alliance gain from UPUP and Independent
1985 election
1985: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x UPUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent
References