Bangor BID

Welcome to the website for the new proposed Business Improvement District (BID) for Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Located just 14 miles along the coast from Belfast, Bangor has many assets including a stunning coastline, beautiful parks, excellent road and rail links to the capital, and an airport on its doorstep.

Bangor has a rich history dating back to the establishment of Bangor Abbey in the 6th century, and during the Victorian era it became a major seaside resort known as The Brighton of Ireland. It is now the third largest conurbation in Northern Ireland and in 2021 was awarded City status.

In recent decades central Bangor suffered from a loss of its seaside identity and economy, with high retail vacancy rates and increasing dereliction and deprivation. For many years it became effectively a dormitory town for Belfast.

But many of us feel that Bangor is now at a tipping point with major change ahead. Two infrastructure projects are planned for Bangor seafront – the Queens Parade development and the Bangor Waterfront Plan as part of the Belfast Region City Deal. These will bring significant disruption but also potential opportunities for local businesses.

A group of traders recently got together to talk about a Business Improvement District (BID) for Bangor City centre. We agreed to explore the idea further, so together we have created an outline area for a BID and set up a steering group that represents different sectors, including arts, hospitality, retail, transport and leisure.

There are more than 700 businesses in central Bangor, most of them small independents run by passionate local entrepreneurs. A BID can help support traders by delivering a marketing strategy for the city centre, introducing initiatives such as a Bangor Gift Card, and by investing in events and public realm projects. The BID will also work alongside other stakeholders to ensure the Waterfront Regeneration delivers for everyone who works in, lives in or visits Bangor City centre.