Cllr McDowell seconded a motion calling on the Council to support the offer of funding, which was passed unanimously. Last month, Ards Borough Council supported an Alliance motion calling on the Council to support the letter of offer, which was approved despite a number of DUP members not supporting the motion.
Cllr Alan McDowell said: “This is tremendous news that the shadow North Down and Ards Council has accepted the Department of the Environment’s letter of offer for both Exploris and the Seal Sanctuary.
“Exploris is a unique tourist attraction that is a valuable asset for the Ards Peninsula economy. There would be devastating consequences for the local area if it were to close.
“I would like to commend all those involved in the ‘Friends of Exploris’ campaign, their hard work is finally paying off.
“This issue should have been resolved months ago, it should not have taken over a year for the Executive to provide funding for Exploris or for the DUP to finally support the aquarium.”
ENDS