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NORTH DOWN POLICING PLAN

The Police Service has launched its 2009/10 local Policing Plan for North Down.

The plan has been developed after extensive consultation with the District Policing Partnership, the community and local police officers, and sets the Police a broad range of targets for this financial year.

Speaking at the launch, Area Commander for North Down, Chief Inspector Mark McEwan said: “This local plan is central to helping us deliver a professional policing service for the people of North Down.

“Working with partner organisations and the community, we have developed the plan to identify local priorities on which Police will concentrate resources and operations in the coming year. The targets are set against police performance in the preceding 12 months.

“My job is to ensure that we listen to the community and that the community receive an efficient, effective, progressive and professional policing service tailored for the needs of this area. This can best be achieved through the community and ourselves working closely in partnership.

“We have been making good progress in partnership with the community, which is reflected in the reduction in Domestic Burglary which fell by 5.4% between April 2008 and February 2009, compared to the same period the previous year. In addition, Offences Against The Person have decreased by 15.6% during the same time frame. These reductions have helped to contribute to the overall crime decrease of 8.9%. However we must not become complacent and will continue to work closely with the community and partner agencies to help make North Down a safer place

“It is the role of the District Policing Partnership to monitor our targets on behalf of all of the community at regular public meetings throughout the year, and we will work with them and support them in doing this.

C/I McEwan said that the last 12 months had been challenging and very rewarding with significant decreases in domestic burglaries and criminal damage. He added: “The new plan will push those boundaries even further and will only be achievable with the help and support of the local community and our key partners.” New to the 2009/2010 Plan is the priority to reduce the availability of illegal drugs. This reflects the importance placed on this issue by the Community, Police and the DPP.

“The more we work together, the more we can achieve and hopefully improve the quality of life for the residents of North Down,” C/I McEwan concluded.

The Chair of North Down District Policing Partnership,Councillor Mrs Marion Smith, said: “I’m delighted to launch the Local Policing Plan. We are pleased to see that the local police have included our suggested targets and areas of concern, which were highlighted by members of the public during extensive public consultation. It is through the work conducted by the DPP that the local policing plan is truly reflective of the needs of the local community and will addresses their concerns regarding the policing of the area.

“North Down DPP robustly monitors Police effectiveness against these targets, both at private and public meetings. I would encourage members of the public to attend and participate in our meetings in public.”

Crime Stoppers number is 0800 555 111

North Down District Policing Partnership

Tel: 028 91278054

E Mail dpp@northdown.gov.uk

Google Street Map of Groomsport

Belfast Lough Tide Tables for 2009

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Photo by Tommy Shannon

The following entry is taken from Marcus Patton, Historic Buildings Groups of Buildings Areas of Architectural Importance in Bangor and Groomsport, p. 64, published by Ulster Historical Heritage Society in 1984 when the house was being run as a hotel: 'built around 1850. Situated in once-generous grounds at the east of the village overlooking Cove Bay, this is a two-and-a-half-/three-storey cream sandstone building in Jacobethan style with shouldered gables, mullioned windows with label moulding and tall octagonal chimney stacks; cantered bays to seaward side with quatrefoil fretwork; porch has gothic openings and octagonal corner pillars. There is a good interior with encaustic tiles and ribbed vaulting in the hall, spacious stairhall with good panelled doors, and ornate cornices to main rooms.
'Built for R. Percival Maxwell, JP, the house has much in common with the Wards contemporary but much granter Bangor Castle. It has even more in common with one of the sketches of "William Walker, architect" for Bangor Castle in the Public Record Office in Belfast; is it possible that it was the construction of Groomsport House that necessitated Walker setting up office in Bangor during the decade 1856?'
'The charming lodge … shares the shouldered gable and octagonal chimney stacks of the main house, to which it adds a gable porch with escutcheon over the Gothic doors'.
In the same publication Patton writes of 'The Lodge', opposite the parish church, (p. 64): 'Two-storey building fronted in sandstone ashlar with ornate fretted barge boards to gables and porch, mullioned windows, tall octagonal chimney stacks; rear construction in yellow brick. Apparently it was built as a rectory by John Percival Maxwell of Finnebrogue, but when he died shortly before its completion it became a dower house for his wife and children'.
Groomsport house was built as a jointure [dower] house for Mrs. Waring Maxwell but was largely used as a summer home by the Maxwells (Catherine Anne Wilson, (1994), A New Lease on Life, McGill-Queens University, Canada, p. 98).