All,

Three of the Directors of Friends of Exploris Trust met with Officers
of Ards Borough Council in Exploris on Wednesday 12th March. The
Officers outlined the work that has been done with the business plan
for Exploris since the last Council meeting in February. The plan had
been presented to and approved by the Statutory Transitional Council.
Council Officers had met with officials of the Department of the
Environment the previous week and had been asked to make further
amendments. The business plan was returned to DOE on Monday 10th and
by Tuesday afternoon a list of further amendments to be made had been
emailed back to the Council. On each of these occasions the Council
was told that once these amendments had been made the business plan
would be forwarded on to the Department of Finance and Personnel and
to the Executive. On each occasion the goalposts appeared to change.

Friends of Exploris is impressed by the effort that the Council has
put into developing this plan and believe that the Council is doing
its utmost to meet all the demands being made by the civil servants at
the Department of the Environment. The Council Officers have been very
frank with us and are insistent on ongoing direct communication with
Friends of Exploris Trust. The Council also hopes to continue to work
with Friends of Exploris Trust in the future development of Exploris.
Friends of Exploris Trust has agreed to continue to support the
Council by lobbying and in any other way that we can in order to save
Exploris.

Elaine Roddy
Secretary
Friends of Exploris Trust

Dear Friends,

Dear friends

The business plan for the future of Exploris, prepared by Ards Borough Council, has been examined by the Department of the Environment and was returned to Ards BC for minor clarifications, last month. This was to be corrected and a more final version returned to the Executive in Stormont, who are being asked to fund a refurbishment of facilities in Exploris. 
We believe that this has not been followed through, and the revised business plan has never been sent back to the Executive.

Time is running out — there are only 2 weeks left till the next Council meeting — and this is extremely urgent. If Ards Borough Council has not got funding *confirmed* from the Executive before 26 March, they will proceed to close and dispose of Exploris. This funding depends on the business plan being finalised and returned to Stormont!

Please help! Pressure Ards Borough Council to act on this. DOE has already promised funding, and more is available from the Executive, if we only follow due process. 

We are asking everyone to phone, email, and tweet 
Mayor Stephen McIlveen – (028) 9187 1441 / councillor.stephen.mcilveen@ards-council.gov.uk / @StephenMcIlveen 
Mr Ashley Boreland (chief executive) – (028) 9182 4004 / ards@ards-council.gov.uk 

Thank you for your support

Dr Julia Sigwart
Chair, Friends of Exploris Trust

Latest from the Friends of Exploris :

Dear friends

Dr Julia Sigwart
Chair, Friends of Exploris Trust

From Friends of Exploris:

Dear friends

As you may have heard, Ards Borough Council decided last Wednesday to delay closure of Exploris by one more month, and to ask Executive departments in Stormont to financially support a new business plan for Exploris.

The new business plan for Exploris has been accepted and praised by the Council; however it is very dependent on capital funding for a major refurbishment, at an estimated cost of £900,000.

There is a lot of frustration that such funding has not yet been firmly committed, but on a positive note there have been supportive indications from the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and also the Department of Environment. (DOE has already committed to fund the costs of the seal sanctuary including refurbishment costs.) The business plan has only been submitted for consideration to those departments in mid-January.

It is important to bear in mind that the decision to “close and dispose” still stands, from September. So with no funding uk place by the end of February the Council could then begin to act on that and close Exploris.

The public support for Exploris has been crucial in this process, and your voices have been heard. Everyone now wants to see this finally resolved and a better future for our Exploris aquarium. The fate now lies in the hands of the Executive so please write to your own local MLA to express your support and to Minister Foster in DETI.

Best wishes,

Dr Julia Sigwart
Chair, Friends of Exploris Trust

To find your MLA – http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Your-MLAs/

Mrs Arlene Foster
Enterprise, Trade & Investment
Parliament Buildings,
Ballymiscaw,Stormont,
Belfast, BT4 3XX

From the ABC facebook page:

The Council has tonight agreed a business plan to keep Exploris open, subject to confirmation of funding from the NI Executive.

At its meeting this evening (Wednesday 29th January), the Council accepted a business plan, extended the stay on closure for a further month to allow the Executive to review the proposals and make firm offers of finance, and also agreed to write directly to the Ministers of the Environment and Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

The document, which sets out plans aimed at making Exploris a sustainable operation, would mean the aquarium continues to be owned and managed by the Council, while expenditure is reduced to what it believes to be an acceptable level – from around £500,000 each year to £200,000.

A reduced financial burden on the local ratepayer is, however, only possible if the Northern Ireland Executive now formally accepts the business case and agrees a financial package, to include revenue for the Seal Sanctuary from the Department of the Environment, together with a substantial one-off capital grant of approximately £900,000.

“The Council has now agreed what it believes to be a viable way forward which can enhance and sustain Exploris as a significant regional visitor attraction, but only with regional funding,” said Mayor of Ards, Councillor Stephen McIlveen. “We have done our part and are ready to continue the work to make this happen. We now need the DoE and the Northern Ireland Executive to confirm their funding to make the redevelopment and retention of Exploris a reality”.

Under the plan, substantial refurbishment of the aquarium would take place, with investment in new exhibits, enhanced visitor facilities, upgrades to visitor information and increased marketing and promotion.

Crucial also to the plan’s successful implementation are working in partnership with other interested parties and the adoption of commercial management practices to include a more affordable, flexible, and therefore reduced, staffing structure, potentially based on the introduction of seasonal opening hours.

“The plan requires some tough decisions and if it proceeds will affect our staff at the aquarium. Throughout this difficult and uncertain period, they have shown great dedication to their jobs and to Exploris. They are to be commended for their commitment”.

Should the central government financial package be confirmed, the Council will begin the process of developing plans and appointing design teams and contractors. Exploris would remain open for the spring/summer 2014 peak season, closing temporarily from October 2014 for approximately 6 months to allow redevelopment work to take place.

The business case will now be considered by central government and Exploris continues to welcome visitors.

Update letter from The Friends of Exploris Trust:

Dear all

Exploris the only public aquarium and seal sanctuary in Northern Ireland. Its future has been uncertain for the last four months.

On Wednesday evening this week, Ards Borough Council’s Development Committee was to be presented with a business plan to map out the future of Exploris aquarium. There has been a lack of communication from Ards Borough Council following that meeting. Friends of Exploris Trust must assume that the Council has not yet made a firm long-term commitment to Exploris.

There has been a huge amount of public concern over the future of Exploris since Ards Borough Council voted to “close and dispose” of the attraction in September 2013. That decision still stands, although its implementation was delayed. The final outcome will be decided next Wednesday 29 January.

Exploris is a world class aquarium that showcases the natural diversity of Strangford Lough and Northern Ireland, and is dearly loved.

We invite everyone concerned about Exploris to show their support at Ards Borough Council offices, Newtownards, on Wednesday 29 January at 6:30pm (fish fancy dress optional).

Warm regards,

Dr Julia Sigwart
Chair, Friends of Exploris Trust