Just in case you do not know whos behind castlebawn

[BASEL]

6 April 2006

CASTLEBAWN EXPO PROMISES HISTORIC REGENERATION AND 2000 JOBS

Images of a £250 million development in the heart of Newtownards which will create 2,000 jobs
go on show tonight in a public exhibition at Newtownards Town Hall. Images and artists’
impressions of the Castlebawn development behind Court Street show how the ten-acre area
within the historic Bawn Wall will be designed in the Plantation style of architecture which is
typical of old Newtownards.

Fearghal Eastwood, director of Castlebawn Ltd says the development will include a town museum,
access to the Dominican Friary and enhanced Bawn Wall viewing platforms as well as modern
shops, cafes and restaurants.

“Newtownards is a historic town whose heritage has been neglected,� says Mr Eastwood. “What
we are planning is a regeneration of the Court Street area which is rich in history and which
will be attractive to visitors and shoppers. We are also paying for a major road system which
will relieve the dreadful congestion in Newtownards centre by linking the Belfast and Portaferry
roads south of the town.�

“We have made significant progress in Castlebawn in recent months and along with the Chamber
of Trade have established the principle of an eight-metre breach in the Bawn Wall at Court Street.
We enjoy the unstinting support of MP Iris Robinson and many members of Ards Borough
Council. In undertaking this public exhibition we are fulfilling another commitment we made
to the council at the start of the year,� says Mr Eastwood.

“There is still, however, much to do and I would urge the people of Newtownards to come out
and see for themselves just how much Castlebawn promises to deliver to their town,� he says.
Any comparisons to out-of-town developments are misleading as the Castlebawn development
will provide 2000 car parking spaces and pedestrian access directly into the heart of the town,
says Mr. Eastwood.

“This proposal is a town-centre and edge of town proposal, not an out-of-town shopping centre
which would be detrimental to Newtownards. Ards Borough Council has indicated its support
for the proposal as have the political representatives of the area. We have discussed our proposals
face to face many times with the Chamber and many of its members have indicated to us their
enthusiasm for the plans.

“Naturally there are some concerns and we understand that any new development and any
change no matter how positive will always face some degree of resistance.
schemes, the town’s traders risk being left behind,� says Mr Eastwood.
www.castlebawn.co.uk

“But unless Newtownards keeps apace of its competitor towns’ developments and regeneration
schemes, the town’s traders risk being left behind,� says Mr Eastwood.
The Castlebawn public exhibition will be held over two days including today (Thursday April
6 from 6.00pm until 9.00pm) and tomorrow (Friday April 7 from 10.00am until 4.30pm). Ends

Media contact:
Joris Minne, JPR, tel: 028 9076 0066 or
Chris Harrison, JPR, tel: 028 9076 0066 or chris.harrison@jprni.com
Editors’ notes:
• Castlebawn Ltd was created jointly by Eastwood Property and R& A Group who have worked
together for the last seven years to acquire the land in Newtownards.

•å Fearghal Eastwood, BJ Eastwood, Adam Armstrong and Bill Rush are the Castlebawn
development principals.

•å Belfast-based Eastwood Property owns and manages prime retail property in towns and cities
across the UK.

•å R&A Group is best known for residential development, primarily in North Down. Active for
over 20 years and formerly based in Donaghadee, the R&A Group now operates from Jubilee
Road, Newtownards.

•å Eastwood Property owns the Tower Centre in Ballymena

Ã¥ WDR&RT Taggart are the architects for the Castlebawn project. They also designed the
successful town centre developments of Lisburn Square and Coleraine’s Diamond Centre.
CASTLEBAWN AND THE BENEFITS FOR NEWTOWNARDS

• £250m investment which will reposition Newtownards as a prime shopping and cultural
destination

• 2000 permanent jobs to be created when Castlebawn is fully operational

•å Reinvigoration of Newtownards’ town centre shopping offer

•å Brand new ring road to relieve the town’s crippling congestion

•å Up to 2000 free parking spaces within a short walk of town centre

•å Marks the 400th anniversary of Newtownards with the start of the biggest regional town
centre and edge of town centre development in Northern Ireland.



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