Northstone has been selected as the contractor to complete the construction phase of the Portaferry Public Realm Project.

The project sees a £2 million investment in Portaferry funded through the COVID Recovery Small Settlements Regeneration Programme, a collaborative approach between the Department for Communities, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Department for Infrastructure who jointly contributed £26.5m to deliver a programme of projects that have been developed in partnership with local stakeholders and which will deliver measurable benefits for citizens across the country.

The Portaferry Public Realm project will deliver environmental improvements to the core of Portaferry, and will support the regeneration of the local area including:

• A revitalised Market Square for community use and events

• Upgraded surfaces and streetscape improvements

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• Amenity lighting, street furniture and planting/landscape design.

Construction will commence in October 2023 with completion expected in the Summer of 2024.

Director of Regional Development Office (DfC) Gerard Murray said: "This significant investment in Portaferry reflects the Department for Communities’ commitment to working in partnership with stakeholders to regenerate our city, town and village centres.

"It is a great example of collaborative working between central government departments, Ards and North Down Borough Council and local community stakeholders. The improvements to the streetscape, enhanced linkages to the ferry and Market Square, and the creation of a bespoke events space will transform the look and feel of the heart of Portaferry. This will facilitate a wide range of events all year round and support this much-loved village to become an even more attractive place to live, work, visit and invest."

Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Jennifer Gilmour said: "I'm delighted that we have reached this milestone and can announce the imminent start of work on site. Portaferry is a significant destination for tourism and leisure in our Borough and the Council’l' aspiration is to deliver a sustainable and sympathetic improvement scheme that is consistent with the village's historic character but will also help to future proof it for current and future generations. As a Council we will be contributing over £400K to the project and we are very grateful to the various Departments for their funding support to this scheme. This investment comes at a significant time for businesses in the area as they continue to recover from the pandemic."