Down District Council facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Down District |
|
|---|---|
,_August_2009.JPG) Sign bearing Down District Council logo |
|
 |
|
| Area | 647 km2 (250 sq mi) Ranked 7th of 26 |
| District HQ | Downpatrick |
| Catholic | 62.5% |
| Protestant | 32.1% |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| Councillors |
|
The Down District Council was a local government council in County Down, Northern Ireland. It was responsible for managing local services and making decisions for the people living in its area. In April 2015, this council joined with the Newry and Mourne District Council. Together, they formed a new, larger council called the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
The main office for the Down District Council was in Downpatrick. Other towns in the area included Ardglass, Ballynahinch, Castlewellan, Dundrum, Killough, Killyleagh, Newcastle, Saintfield, Seaforde and Strangford.
Contents
How the Council Worked
The Down District Council area was divided into 4 smaller parts called electoral areas. These were Ballynahinch, Downpatrick, Newcastle, and Rowallane.
In the last election in 2011, 23 councillors were chosen to represent these areas. These councillors came from different political parties. The SDLP had 9 councillors, and Sinn Féin had 5. The DUP and the UUP each had 3. There was also 1 councillor from the Alliance Party, 1 from the Green Party, and 1 Independent councillor.
For the 2011/2012 council term, Councillor Dermot Curran (SDLP) was the Council Chairman. Councillor Liam Johnston (Sinn Féin) was the Vice Chair.
When people voted for members of the Westminster Parliament (the main parliament for the UK), the Down area was part of two different voting areas. These were the Strangford constituency and the South Down constituency.
What the Council Did
The Down District Council helped to fund important local places. For example, it regularly provided money to keep the Saint Patrick Visitor Centre in Downpatrick open. This centre is a popular place for visitors.
The council also paid for a big project to improve the promenade in Newcastle. A promenade is a paved public walk, usually by the sea. This new promenade won several national awards, including a Civic Trust Award for its excellent public design.
Changes to Local Government
There was a plan called the Review of Public Administration (RPA). This plan aimed to combine the Down District Council with the Newry and Mourne District Council in 2011. The idea was to create one larger council for a bigger area.
The first election for this new, combined council was supposed to happen in May 2009. However, on April 25, 2008, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shaun Woodward, announced a change. He said that the council elections planned for 2009 would be put off until 2011. This was when the eleven new, larger councils were meant to start.
But in 2010, the plan to create these new councils was stopped. So, the most recent election in May 2011 happened using the old council boundaries. The merger eventually happened later, in 2015.
Population of the Area
According to the 2011 Northern Ireland census, the area covered by the Down District Council had 69,731 people living there.
