THERE were gains for Alliance in Ards and North Down at the expense of the DUP and UUP in Ards and North Down.
The DUP won 14 seats, down from 17 at the last council election in 2014, while the UUP lost one seat.
In contrast the Alliance claimed an extra three seats, taking the party total on the countil to 10.
The Greens, meanwhile, held steady with three candidates returned. The SDLP's Joe Boyle retained his seat in Ards Peninsula. The long-serving councillor polled 1,621 first-preference votes, more than double the next candidate's figure, while Robert Adair of the DUP topped the poll with 2,189 votes.
It was a day of surprises in Ards and North Down after an Alliance councillor was the first to be elected and an independent candidate drew a record number of votes.
With less than half of the eligible electorate turning out to vote (43.6 per cent), it had been expected to be a day that brought relatively little change to the unionist-dominated council.
However, as counting got underway at the Aurora Aquatic Centre in Bangor, it became clear that both the Alliance and Green Party had polled very well.
The first councillor elected on to the council was Alliance candidate Karen Douglas in Bangor Central.
The mother-of-two, who works in health and social care, topped the poll with 1,346 first preference votes.
Ms Douglas said she was "absolutely delighted" to have won the first election she had ever fought, having been co-opted on to the council two-and-a-half years ago.
"Very clearly the residents of Bangor Central demand change," she said.
She was quickly followed by the Green Party’s Stephen Dunlop, who was just six first preference votes off the quota. He then benefited from some of Ms Douglas' hefty transfers.
It was the first time the 60-year-old father-of-three had stood in an election.
Mr Dunlop, who works as a chartered surveyor, said the “arts and regeneration of Bangor centre” would be his “primary focus”.
However, it was news of Jimmy Menagh’s first preference vote performance that led conversation at the café.
Polling a huge 2,138 votes – a record for an independent – the councillor described the result as “unbelievable”.
“I’m so over the moon,” said the 70-year-old former Shorts worker, who was elected to the former Ards council in 2011.
Mr Menagh, who credited his grass roots approach to politics for his success, said his focus would now be on health, anti-social behaviour and job creation for Newtownards.
All eyes were also on Tom Smith, a former DUP representative on the council who last year broke ranks with the party and supported the LGBT community.
Standing as an independent this time around, Mr Smith polled 765 first preference votes in Bangor East and Donaghadee. While not enough to initially meet the quota, as counting continued, he secured his seat.
In Holywood and Clandeboye Alliance's Andrew Muir topped the poll with 1,397 first-preference votes, followed by the Green Party's Rachel Woods with 1,211 and Gillian Greer of Alliance with 1,249. All polled more than the quota. The fourth seat went to Stephen Dunne of the DUP who with 1,139 first-preference votes was only one vote below the quota.
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Ards and North Down Borough Council
40 seats
Change since 2014:
DUP 14 (-3), All 10 (+3), UUP 8 (-1), Green 3 (-), SDLP 1 (-), TUV 1 (-), Ind 3 (+1)
Turnout: 45 per cent
Ards Peninsula (6 seats, Quota 1,120)
Robert Adair (DUP) 2,189
Joe Boyle (SDLP) 1,621
Angus Carson (UUP) 832
Lorna McAlpine (All) 832
Eddie Thompson (DUP) 821
Nigel Edmund (DUP) 735
Michele Strong (Green) 319
Matt Davey (Ukip) 234
Murdoch McKibbin (SF) 196
Tim Mullen (Con) 58
Elected
Robert Adair (DUP) 1st count
Joe Boyle (SDLP) 1st count
Nigel Edmund (DUP) 2nd count
Eddie Thompson (DUP) 4th count
Angus Carson (UUP) 6th count
Lorna McAlpine (All) 7th count
Bangor Central (6 seats, Quota 1,052)
Karen Douglas (All) 1,346
Stephen Dunlop (Green) 1,046
Wesley Irvine (DUP) 878
Alastair Cathcart (DUP) 787
Craig Blaney (UUP) 757
Ian Henry (UUP) 542
Ray McKimm (Ind) 503
Noelle Robinson (Ind) 423
Maria Lourenco (Ind) 362
James Cochrane (DUP) 255
John Montgomery (Ukip) 215
Frank Shivers (Con) 210
Gavan Reynolds (Ind) 33
Elected
Karen Douglas (All) 1st count
Stephen Dunlop (Green) 2nd count
Alastair Cathcart (DUP) 7th count
Craig Blaney (UUP) 9th count
Wesley Irvine (DUP) 10th count
Ray McKinn (Ind) (without reaching quota)
Bangor East and Donaghadee (6 seats, Quota 1,086)
Mark Brooks (UUP) 1,327
Gavin Walker (All) 1,303
David Chambers (UUP) 963
Peter Martin (DUP) 902
Tom Smith (Ind) 765
Bill Keery (DUP) 764
Hannah McNamara (Green) 735
Janice Macarthur (DUP) 702
Paul Leeman (Con) 137
Elected
Mark Brooks (UUP) 1st count
Gavin Walker (All) 1st count
David Chambers (UUP) 3rd count
Peter Martin (DUP) 6th count
Bill Keery (DUP) 7th count
Tom Smith (Ind) 8th count
Bangor West (5 seats, Quota 952)
Connie Egan (All) 1,151
Jennifer Gilmour (DUP) 990
Marion Smith (UUP) 982
Barry McKee (Green) 949
Alan Graham (DUP) 749
Scott Wilson (All) 703
Ben English (Con)114
Kieran Maxwell (SF) 71
Elected
Connie Egan (All) 1st count
Jennfier Gilmour (DUP) 1st count
Barry McKee (Green) 1st count
Marion Smith (UUP) 1st count
Scott Wilson (All) 3rd count
Comber (5 seats, Quota 1,088)
Deborah Girvan (All) 1,516
Philip Smith (UUP) 1,082
Robert Gibson (DUP) 985
Trevor Cummings (DUP) 843
Stephen Cooper (TUV) 695
John Montgomery (DUP) 643
Ricky Bamford (Green) 372
Michael Palmer (UUP) 318
John Sloan (Ind) 73
Elected
Deborah Girvan (All) 1st count
Phlip Smith (UUP) 2nd count
Robert Gibson (DUP) 5th count
Trevor Cummings (DUP) 5th count
Stephen Cooper (TUV) 6th count
Holywood and Clandeboye (5 seats, Quota 1,140)
Andrew Muir (All) 1,397
Rachel Woods (Green) 1,211
Gillian Greer (All) 1,249
Stephen Dunne (DUP) 1,139
Roberta Dunlop (DUP) 677
Carl McClean (UUP) 507
Tim Lemon (UUP) 416
Andrew Turner (Con) 141
Elected
Andrew Muir (All) 1st count
Rachel Woods (GRN) 1st count
Gillian Greer (All) 1st count
Stephen Dunne (DUP) 2nd count
Carl McClean (UUP) 7th count
Newtownards (7 seats, Quota 1,043)
Jimmy Menagh (Ind) 2,138
Naomi Armstrong (DUP) 1,232
Nick Mathison (All) 1,091
Stephen McIlveen (DUP) 898
Richard Smart (UUP) 736
Alan McDowell (All) 574
Colin Kennedy (DUP) 570
Ian Dickson (UUP) 481
Maurice Macartney (Green) 374
Paul Corry (Ukip) 223
Ben King (Ind) 24
Elected
Jimmy Menagh (Ind) 1st count
Naomi Armstrong (DUP) 1st count
Nick Mathison (All) 1st count
Stephen McIlveen (DUP) 2nd count
Colin Kennedy (DUP) 6th count
Richard Smart (UUP) 7th count
Alan McDowell (All) (without reaching quota)
