Shaftesbury is an electoral ward of South Belfast. It is named after Shaftesbury Square. The ward was created in 1985 as a merger of the former Cromac and Saint George's wards. The ward ranks high on all measures of social deprivation. It consists of numerous areas affected by the troubles in Northern Ireland such as Sandy Row, The Village, The Markets and The Donegall Pass. Under current proposals for the restructuring of local government in Northern Ireland, Shaftesbury is to be abolished with most of its electorate going to a new City Hall ward.
