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Strangford Lough Crossing — Practical Community Outcomes: 25 Towns and Villages

The report covers communities across both Local Government Districts in the following geographic groupings:

Immediate crossing communities: Portaferry and Strangford — with detailed reference to the 848 cancelled sailings recorded in the Ards and North Down Borough Council Annual Report 2024/25 and the 34% capacity utilisation figure.

Ards Peninsula (north to south): Donaghadee, Bangor, Holywood, Comber, Newtownards, Greyabbey, Kircubbin, Ballywalter, Portavogie and Ballynahinch — drawing on Census 2021 demographic data and the Sub-Regional Economic Plan Technical Annex findings on wages and productivity.

Down coast and hinterland: Strangford, Killyleagh, Ardglass, Downpatrick, Crossgar, Saintfield, Clough, Saul, Dundrum, Ballykinlar, Castlewellan, Newcastle and Annalong — referencing healthcare constraints from the Open Letter to Health Minister Nesbitt MLA (18 October 2024) and the GAA Centre of Excellence access issue from the correspondence to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD (23 July 2025).

Wider economy: Newry — referenced in the context of the Shared Island Fund and cross-border export intensity data.

Public Transport section identifies six specific viable routes (A through F) that become operationally justifiable with a permanent crossing, cross-referenced to the DfI Public Transport Operations Directorate Briefing (DFI 20250054) and Translink’s statutory obligations under the Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.