Councillor highly critical of decision to sell off Exploris

Councillor highly critical of decision to sell off Exploris

28 November 2012

PORTAFERRY councillor Joe Boyle has spoken for the first time about his anger about plans to privatise Exploris Aquarium in the village.

Mr. Boyle had been forbidden from speaking out about the privatisation plans by Ards Council because of commercial sensitivities.

But this week, he has been frank about his disgust for the plans, which will see the local aquarium pass from council ownership into private hands in a bid to save £550,000 a year for the ratepayer.

Livingstone Leisure Limited will take over control of the local attraction from Ards Council early next year and has plans for a major redevelopment of the facility.

Despite the potential cost savings for the council, Mr. Boyle said he believed the plans would have a negative impact on the wider community and would be a blow to tourism.

He warned the decision was also likely to lead to job losses in a community, which he said was already struggling through the recession due to its dependence on the construction industry.

“This is something that my social conscience is very uncomfortable with and I simply cannot accept,” he said.

“I cannot be party to implementing unnecessary decisions that result in creating further unemployment in the area.”

Mr. Boyle said he was also dubious about the council’s determination that it would save £550,000 through the privatisation plans and said he believed rates would go up regardless of the future management of Exploris.

He also highlighted that the savings would only equate to 18 pence per week for ratepayers, while creating extra hardship for businesses and tourism.

“By adopting this recommendation of privatisation, the council will contribute to even higher levels of unemployment and further hardship for families and ratepayers,” he said.

“This is a decision that has not particularly come as a shock to me or indeed the Portaferry and wider community, it does however in my view border on being a convenient rather than a necessary decision.

“It is no secret that some elected members have for a number of years adopted a talking down of this facility, which has not been either encouraging or helpful to either the facility or the staff who have had to work under a cloud of uncertainty.

“In fact it demonstrates a significant withdrawal of council interest and services to the Portaferry area, and this is something that has not gone unnoticed within the locality.”