Ards Borough Council is a Local Council in County Down, Northern Ireland. Its headquarters is in Newtownards. Other towns include Portaferry, Comber, and Donaghadee and the population of the area is about 73,000.

Ards Borough Council area has four electoral areas: Newtownards, Ards West, Ards East and Ards peninsula from which 23 members are elected. At the 2001 election members were elected from the following political parties: 9 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 8 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 4 Alliance Party, 1 Independent Unionist and 1 Independent Nationalist. The current Mayor is Councillor Hamilton Gregory (DUP) and the Deputy Mayor is Councillor Angus Carson (UUP).

The next election is due to take place in May 2005.

Strangford Lough is at the heart of the area, and is the largest inlet in the British Isles with internationally renowned wildlife. The Irish Sea coast stretches from Donaghadee to Portaferry. Mount Stewart , a National Trust property on the shore of Strangford Lough is in the area, as well as Northern Ireland’s only aquarium, Exploris, in Portaferry and Grace Neill’s, holder of the Guinness Book of Records title of the oldest pub in Ireland.

In elections for the Westminster Parliament it is split between the North Down constituency and the Strangford constituency.

See Also: Local Councils in Northern Ireland

External Links: Kingdoms of Down Tourism