Exploris Aquarium To Close For Refurbishment

Ards Borough Council’s Policy and Resources committee on (16 October 2014), agreed to temporarily close the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry in order for capital refurbishment work to take place.

This decision is subject to ratification at the next Council meeting on Wednesday 29 October.

Ards Borough Council will instigate its Redundancy Policy and begin consultation with affected employees, relevant trade unions and related parties, with Exploris employees being offered voluntary redundancy or redeployment opportunities within the Council.

The Mayor of Ards, Councillor Philip Smith said:xa0“The Council is hopeful that Exploris employees will avail of redeployment opportunities within the Council or volunteer for redundancy at the enhanced rate being offered and is meeting with staff and working closely with Trade Unions to mitigate the need for compulsory redundancies.”

The Council proposes to temporarily close the Exploris facility from mid-November, to reopen in Summer 2015 with new improved facilities and exhibitions, planned to include tropical fish, jellyfish, rainforest (reptile) and seal displays, as well as a new café with the addition of a small children’s play area.

The Development Of The Exploris Position To Date

Ards Borough Council has owned and operated the aquarium since 1987. It began life as the Northern Ireland Aquarium to showcase the diverse marine life that exists around Strangford Lough and the Irish Sea. The Council extended and re-opened the aquarium, known as Exploris, in 1994. Prince Charles performed the opening ceremony. The Seal Sanctuary, which provides for the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, orphaned and injured seal pups, was opened in 1999. Since 1992, the Council has invested £10.8M (net).

The Council currently employs 18 permanent staff, equating to approximately 15 Full-Time Equivalents and a number of casual workers.

Decision timeline to date:

* xa0In September 2013, the Council agreed that a decision to close Exploris would be stayed for two months, to allow for firm proposals for alternative funding to come from central government departments – Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), Environment (DoE) and Education (DE). This followed news that the company which was to manage the facility, Livingstone Leisure, withdrew from the process, after confirming that, under the rules which apply in Northern Ireland, it was unable to put in place the broadly comparable pension scheme required for existing staff.

* xa0In November 2013, in light of the potential funding from Central Government – the Environment Minister had offered a one-off grant to upgrade the facility, subject to an appropriate business plan, and had also made a commitment to fund the seal sanctuary – the Council agreed to extend the stay of execution on the decision about Exploris to the end of January 2014 to allow officers to produce a business plan.

* xa0In January 2014, the Council agreed a business plan to keep Exploris open, subject to confirmation of funding from the NI Executive.

* xa0In February 2014, Environment Minister, stated that he was unable to make any firm offer of funding in time for the Council’s February meeting, as the Council’s business case had not yet been approved by his Department’s economist, and that approval was now also required from the Department for Finance and Personnel (DFP). The Minister also asked that the North Down and Ards Statutory Transition Committee approve the business case before he took a final case before the Executive in March. This was subsequently approved.

* xa0In March 2014 the Council agreed to extend the stay on closure for a further 2 months, expressing disappointment and concern that no financial package had been forthcoming from the Executive, after the Council submitted its business case.

* xa0In May 2014 the Council agreed to commence a formal consultation process and equality impact assessment on the potential closure of the facility. In making its decision the Council called on the Department of Environment Minister and the wider Executive to formally respond to its bid for financial support.

* xa0In August 2014 the Council agreed, in principle, to accept the NI Executive’s offer of £914K capital funding and up to £120K revenue funding, for the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry. This agreement was subject to receiving detailed terms and conditions from the Department of the Environment to allow the Council to re-invigorate the facility, and is also conditional upon gaining the necessary approval from the North Down and Ards District Council.

* xa0North Down and Ards District Council has approved Ards Borough Council’s decision to accept the NI Executive’s offer of £914K capital funding and up to £120K annual revenue funding for the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry. This approval, which was necessary to allow Ards Borough Council to officially accept the Executive’s funding offer, was based on assurance from the Department of Environment (DOE) that capital funding not spent this financial year will be amongst the Minister’s top priorities to be met from next year’s Departmental budget.