Exploris aquarium progress at last

Exploris aquarium progress at last

2 December 2015

A REVAMPED Exploris aquarium is expected to open this summer with over £1m worth of Stormont funding.

At a meeting in the Market House in Portaferry on Wednesday, Environment Minister Mark H Durkan told the audience his department would put £914,000 into the 2016/17 budget for Exploris.

An additional £150,000 was also pledged to go towards the renovation of the outside of the building and parking area.

Earlier this year it had been reported that £214,000 of the money set aside by the DOE may be at risk due to a confusion over when the money was to be spent.

Exploris remained closed over the summer following the funding setback.

The meeting took place with stakeholders from the town, representing local businesses and community organisations, aimed at discussing regeneration in the town.

Several of the representatives who attended the meeting say they were told the facilities would open in July.

The centre will continue to be owned by the council but a private operator will run the facility and seek to make it profitable.

Johnny Andrews, from the Northern Ireland Conservatives, welcomed the funding development.

“It is most welcome to hear that a private sector operating company has been appointed to run the facility,” he said.

“For too long this facility and Portaferry town have been neglected by successive Ards councils. Buildings are run down, footpaths are in disrepair and there is no business activity to provide the town with a basic minimum level of business and services .

“The long delay in reopening Exploris, the hotel closure and general lack of private sector activity in the peninsula is now so serious that there are few employment prospects for the youth in Portaferry and its surrounding area.

“This renovation is long overdue and it is encouraging that the new council is adopting a more commercial approach and bringing in a private sector company as the operator.

“Exploris needs new marketing ideas and commerciality offered by a private sector operator to drive up visitor numbers.”