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07/08/2014
Council Accepts Exploris Funding
Ards Borough Council has accepted the Executive’s offer of £914,000 capital funding and up to £120K revenue funding to save the threatened Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry, it has been announced.
The move follows a meeting of the council on Wednesday evening, whereupon it was agreed to appoint a specialist contractor to develop the design brief for the rejuvenated facility.
Mayor of Ards, Councillor Philip Smith said: "Ards Borough Council welcomes the NI Executive's decision about funding of the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry, and looks forward to receiving details about the terms and conditions and how to access it.
"The offer of funding is a vindication of the Council’s argument throughout this process that the Aquarium is a regional facility, and not solely the responsibility of this Council or Ards ratepayers and I am delighted that it looks like the facility can be saved, while reducing the financial burden on the ratepayer."
The aquarium has been threatened with closure over funding issues, but since September 2013, the council said it had delayed any decision to close the facility in order to give the Executive time to make the offer of a funding package. This includes revenue for Exploris's seal sactuary and a one-off capital grant of about £900,000.
(IT/MH)
The move follows a meeting of the council on Wednesday evening, whereupon it was agreed to appoint a specialist contractor to develop the design brief for the rejuvenated facility.
Mayor of Ards, Councillor Philip Smith said: "Ards Borough Council welcomes the NI Executive's decision about funding of the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry, and looks forward to receiving details about the terms and conditions and how to access it.
"The offer of funding is a vindication of the Council’s argument throughout this process that the Aquarium is a regional facility, and not solely the responsibility of this Council or Ards ratepayers and I am delighted that it looks like the facility can be saved, while reducing the financial burden on the ratepayer."
The aquarium has been threatened with closure over funding issues, but since September 2013, the council said it had delayed any decision to close the facility in order to give the Executive time to make the offer of a funding package. This includes revenue for Exploris's seal sactuary and a one-off capital grant of about £900,000.
(IT/MH)
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