Campaigners in Bangor have put forward a new seafront design concept aimed at ending a planning dispute over a proposed car park. The Save Marine Gardens group, working with professional architects, has drawn up the Bangor Boulevard proposal.

The concept would preserve green space at the western end of the Marine Gardens development, in front of a row of historic terraced houses. Investment planned for removal of that green space would instead be redirected to transform Queen's Parade into a tree-lined landscaped boulevard. The original £14 million gardens scheme would be able to proceed under the proposal.

The boulevard would provide more than 70 premium parking spaces and a hotel arrival concourse. A second element would increase parking beside the West Pavilion from around 10 spaces to more than 30. Together the two areas could offer more than 100 spaces, including more accessible parking and cycle provision, without removing the approved pirate-ship play park.

The campaign group says centralising parking would increase footfall and strengthen links to Bangor city centre. The proposal is intended to give developer Bangor Marine a way to generate income from paid parking while retaining public green space.

The dispute began when Bangor Marine announced plans to build a car park on the site. Ards and North Down Council backed the request. Residents opposed the plan, submitting a petition with 5,000 signatures and more than 500 objections to the planning application.

The car park was proposed to serve a £1 million children's play park. Bangor Marine would charge motorists and hold a 125-year lease.

The seafront regeneration scheme began last September when diggers removed the car park area to create Marine Gardens. It is the first phase of the wider Queen's Parade city centre redevelopment. The new car park plans still require planning approval, with objections to be considered.