Balmoral (from the ) is the most southern of ten district electoral areas (DEA) in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The district elects five members to Belfast City Council and contains the wards of Belvoir; Finaghy; Malone; Musgrave; Windsor; and Upper Malone. Balmoral, along with neighbouring Botanic, forms the greater part of the Belfast South constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
The district is bounded to the west and south west by the M1 Motorway, to east and south east by the River Lagan, to the east and north east by the Malone Road and to the north by Belfast City Hospital, Queen's University Belfast and Royal Victoria Hospital.
The Lisburn Road is the main arterial route through the centre of the district, which also contains a number of public facilities including: the King's Hall conference and exhibition centre, the Musgrave Park Hospital, Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park and Windsor Park, the home ground of the Northern Ireland national football team. It is served by the Adelaide, Balmoral and Finaghy railway stations.
History The DEA was created for the 1985 local elections, where it contained five wards. Four of the wards came from the abolished Belfast Area C, which it effectively replaced, with the final ward, Blackstaff, coming from Belfast Area F. From the 1993 local elections to the 2011 elections, the area contained six wards, following the creation of the Musgrave ward. For the 2014 local elections, it lost the wards of Blackstaff and Windsor and gained the Belvoir ward, which had previously been part of the abolished Castlereagh Borough Council. This was as a result of the 2014 Local Government Reform.
Wards (1985–2011)
Map Ward Population (2011 Census) Catholic Protestant Other No Religion Area Density NI Assembly UK Parliament Ref 1 Blackstaff 3,998 15% 71.5% 1.8% 11.7% 1.92 km2 2,082/km2 Belfast South Belfast South 2 Finaghy 4,555 49.2% 42.6% 2.6% 5.6% 2.59 km2 1,759/km2 Belfast South Belfast South 3 Malone 5,555 61.2% 30.3% 2.3% 6.3% 2.18 km2 2,548/km2 Belfast South Belfast South 4 Musgrave 4,927 60.6% 32.9% 1.7% 4.8% 1.78 km2 2,768/km2 Belfast South Belfast South 5 Upper Malone 4,841 29.4% 60.1% 2.5% 8.1% 4.32 km2 1,121/km2 Belfast South Belfast South 6 Windsor 8,141 41.6% 40.7% 5.8% 11.8% 0.92 km2 8,849/km2 Belfast South Belfast South Balmoral 32,017 43.8% 44.8% 3.1% 8.3% 13.71 km2 2,335/km2
Councillors
Election Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) August 2024 Co-Option Sarah Bunting (DUP) Tara Brooks (Alliance) Micky Murray (Alliance) Natasha Brennan (Sinn Féin) Dónal Lyons (SDLP) 5 seats2014-present2023 Geraldine McAteer (Sinn Féin)May 2022 Co-Option Gareth Spratt (DUP)May 2020 Co-Option Kate Nicholl (Alliance)2019 David Graham (DUP)May/June 2016 Co-Options Lee Reynolds (DUP) Jeff Dudgeon (UUP)July 2015 Co-Option Christopher Stalford (DUP) Paula Bradshaw (Alliance)October 2014 Co-Option Claire Hanna (SDLP)2014 Máirtín Ó Muilleoir (Sinn Féin)2011 Ruth Patterson (DUP) Bob Stoker (UUP) Tom Ekin (Alliance) Bernie Kelly (SDLP)2005 Jim Kirkpatrick (DUP) Carmel Hanna (SDLP)2001 Mary Crooks (UUP) Catherine Molloy (SDLP)1997 Harry Smith (DUP)1993 Jim Kirkpatrick (UUP) Philip McGarry (Alliance) Dorita Field (SDLP) John Parkes (DUP)1989 5 seats2014-present Mark Long (Alliance)1985 John Montgomery (Alliance) William Dickson (DUP)
In May 2011, Councillors Tom Ekin, Ruth Patterson and Bob Stoker were appointed as Aldermen by Belfast City Council. Alderman Ruth Patterson also served as Deputy Lord Mayor, 2011–12, while Mairtin O'Muilleoir is serving as Lord Mayor for 2013–14.
2023 Election 2019: 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Fein
2023: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin
2019–2023 Change: Alliance gain from DUP
2019 Election 2014: 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Fein, 1 x UUP
2019: 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Fein
2014-2019 Change: DUP gain from UUP
2014 Election This election was carried out under new ward boundaries, as a result of local government reform.
2011: 2 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin
2014: 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP
2011-2014 Change: SDLP loss due to the reduction of one seat
2011 Election
2005: 2 x SDLP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP
2011: 2 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin
2005-2011 Change: Sinn Féin gain from DUP
2005 Election
2001: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
2005: 2 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2001-2005 Change: DUP gain from UUP
2001 Election
1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
2001: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
1997-2001 Change: No change
1997 Election
1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
1993-1997 Change: SDLP gain from DUP
1993 Election
1989: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1989-1993 Change: DUP gain due to the addition of one seat
1989 Election
1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance
1989: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP
1985-1989 Change: SDLP gain from DUP
1985 Election
1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance
See also Belfast City Council Electoral wards of Belfast Local government in Northern Ireland Members of Belfast City Council
References