Ards and North Down Borough Council approved a new stadium for Ards FC on March 3. The Planning Committee unanimously backed the project at 61 Portaferry Road in Newtownards, County Down. The site sits 100 metres east of Newtownards Airport on former landfill.

The club has lacked its own ground for 25 years. It last played at Castlereagh Park in Newtownards in December 2001 before selling the site to pay debts. Since then, Ards FC shared facilities, primarily at Clandeboye Park in Bangor.

Plans call for a 2,000-capacity venue with two spectator stands, matchday areas, an administration office, and function rooms. Developers proposed a 3G artificial pitch, floodlights, boundary fencing, and hardstanding. Vehicle access comes from two entrances on Portaferry Road.

Parking includes a smaller lot with 40 spaces for players and officials behind the main stand. A larger area offers 228 standard spaces and four for coaches, with a turnstile for fans. The council will lease the land and use the parking for public needs outside match days.

Council officers advised approval, noting consistency with development plans for recreational use. Statutory bodies raised no issues, though one objection letter arrived. DUP Alderman Stephen McIlveen welcomed the decision, citing policy compliance and a solid travel plan for parking and transport.