Botanic is one of the ten district electoral areas (DEA) in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Final Northern Ireland super council recommendations, BBC News, 13 December 2013, accessed 24 May 2014 The district elects five members to Belfast City Council and contains the wards of Blackstaff; Central; Ormeau; Stranmillis, and Windsor.Belfast City Council Elections, 2014, ARK, accessed 24 May 2014 Botanic, along with neighbouring Balmoral, forms the greater part of the Belfast South constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament. It covers large parts of the centre and southern parts of the city.
It was created for the 2014 local elections, largely replacing the Laganbank DEA, which had existed since 1985. The DEA is named after Belfast's Botanic Gardens.
Education Botanic is the location for several of the city's most important education establishments, including Queen's University Belfast, Stranmillis University College and Union Theological College. The location of these institutions in close proximity saw the area's popularity among students increase, particularly in the Holyland area.
The area is also home to some of the most prominent schools, including Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School, Methodist College Belfast and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.
Culture
The portion of Botanic to the west of the River Lagan, based around Queen's University, forms the Queen's Quarter, and contains many of the key cultural facilities within the city. The Quarter is home the Brian Friel Theatre, the Crescent Arts Centre, the Elmwood Hall, the Lyric Theatre, the Naughton Gallery at Queen's, the Queen's Film Theatre and the Ulster Museum.
As well as the Queen's Quarter, there are a number of important cultural attractions within the wider DEA section of the city centre, including the Grand Opera House, the Linen Hall Library, the Ulster Hall, the Ulster Orchestra and the Waterfront Hall.
Other amenities
Other noteworthy amenities in the Botanic district electoral area include:
Belfast Grand Central, Botanic, Belfast Lanyon Place and City Hospital railway stations Belfast City Hall Belfast City Hospital Broadcasting House (BBC Northern Ireland) Crown Liquor Saloon Europa Hotel Queen's University Belfast Students' Union Royal Courts of Justice St George's Market St Malachy's Church Victoria Square Shopping Centre
Councillors Election Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party) Councillor (Party)February 2024 Co-Option Conor McKay (Sinn Féin) Gary McKeown (SDLP) Emmet McDonough-Brown (Alliance) Áine Groogan (Green Party) Tracy Kelly (DUP)2023 John Gormley (Sinn Féin) January 2020 Co-Option 2019 Deirdre Hargey (Sinn Féin) June 2017 Defection Declan Boyle (SDLP)/ (Independent) Ruth Patterson (DUP)/ (Independent) Graham Craig (DUP)/ (UUP) October 2016 Defection November 2015 Defection 2014
2023 Results
2019: 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Green, 1 x SDLP
2023: 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Green
2019–2023 Change: No change
2019 Results 2014: 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
2019: 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Green
2014-2019 Change: Green gain from UUP
2014 Results 2014: 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
References