NEWS

Ballymena shoppers are set to get a major new retail addition next week as The Food Warehouse opens its doors at Braidwater Retail Park on Tuesday 14 April, bringing an expanded range of grocery and household products, a jobs boost for the area, and a series of opening-day giveaways. The new large-format store, part of Iceland Foods, is expected to create 23 additional jobs for the local community and marks a significant expansion of the retailer’s presence in the town, wher

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has received plans for a new 154-caravan extension at Skerries Holiday Park in Portrush. The council’s planning department has recently received an application for 154 new static caravan pitches, along with associated amenity space, parking, and landscaping, on lands at and to the south-west of the existing park at 126 Dunluce Road. According to an accompanying Design and Access Statement , the site includes the access and front portio

Maire Claire Reid, Managing Director of TST Group, Ballymena Maire Claire Reid, Managing Director of TST Group , has been shortlisted for the prestigious EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland 2026 programme, placing her among a select group of business leaders recognised for exceptional growth, innovation and leadership across the island of Ireland. The announcement marks a significant milestone for Reid and the international logistics business she co-founded with her family,

(L-R) Steven Kane, Senior Quality & Standards Advisor at Tourism NI pictured with Emma and Pete Hathaway, owners of Peatlands. A luxury countryside retreat near Ballymoney has received a major tourism boost after being awarded four stars by Tourism Northern Ireland’s Quality Grading Scheme, recognising the high standards, comfort and distinctive experience it offers visitors to the North Coast area. Peatlands, a secluded family-run accommodation business set within three acre

JF Travel, Ballymena Award-winning travel agency JF Travel is celebrating its first anniversary in Ballymena, marking a significant milestone for the growing independent business as it continues to expand its presence across Northern Ireland. The anniversary marks another step forward in the company’s steady growth journey, from a small office launch nearly a decade ago to a multi-branch business now serving customers across the region. A growing local success story Led by di

McCarroll McConnell & Co. Ltd In Pennybridge, Ballymena One of Ballymena’s longest-established insurance brokers has been acquired by a major UK insurance broking group, with customers told their cover, contacts and local branches will remain unchanged. McCarroll McConnell & Co. Ltd confirmed this week that the business has been recently acquired by Adler Fairways Insurance Group, marking a significant new chapter for the long-running local firm which has served the area for

Ulster Unionist Party Leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows with Deputy Party Leader and Economy Spokesperson Diana Armstrong outside Mr Burrows’ constituency office in Ballymena The strength and growth ambitions of businesses across North Antrim were brought into sharp focus following a day of constituency engagements led by Ulster Unionist Party Leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows  alongside Deputy Party Leader and Economy Spokesperson Diana Armstrong . The visits, w

McKeever Hotel Group has strengthened its senior leadership team with two strategic appointments as the hospitality business moves to support what it describes as an accelerated growth trajectory and an expanding operational scale. The appointments mark a significant step for the hotel group as it continues to build capacity across its seven-strong portfolio, with both newly created roles focused on driving commercial performance, brand strength and long-term growth. New role

Winnie with her three daughters pictured outside Winnie’s 1975, in Broughshane. A much-loved Broughshane café and gift shop is entering a new chapter this week as the family behind Winnie’s 1975 prepares to hand over the keys after ten years at the heart of village life. In an emotional statement issued today, Wednesday 1 April, Winnie, owner of Winnie’s 1975 on Main Street, confirmed that the family has made the difficult decision to step away from the business, with new ow

Church Street in Ballymena Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has backed a motion calling for a town centre taskforce to be established across the borough. The motion was proposed by Coast Road DUP Councillor Andrew Clarke at a council meeting in The Braid, Ballymena, on Monday evening, and seconded by party colleague Larne Lough Cllr Gregg McKeen . Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Clarke said: “I feel passionate about our town centres and that we should be giving it everythi

Inset: North Antrim MP Jim Allister North Antrim MP Jim Allister has formally intervened in the planning process surrounding Ballymena’s proposed new Lidl store, writing directly to a planning officer at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to urge that the application be refused. In a strongly worded letter addressed to senior planning officer Kyle Patterson, Mr Allister said he was writing to “endorse the opposition of local residents” to the proposed St Patrick’s Link Road

Claire McNaughton, Accommodation Certification Manager at Tourism NI with Anne Christie, Owner of The Railway Sleeper, which has been certified by Tourism NI   A historic railway building in Cullybackey that lay derelict for more than four decades has reached another major milestone after securing official certification from Tourism Northern Ireland. Set within the grounds of Cullybackey Railway Station, first opened in 1856, The Railway Sleeper stands as a remarkable example

The Ballymena Business Centre team Ballymena Business Centre has paid a heartfelt tribute to one of the figures who helped shape its story, while unveiling ambitious plans aimed at driving fresh energy into the town centre and supporting future business growth across the wider area. At its 2026 Annual General Meeting, the organisation reflected on its legacy, honoured the late Honorary Chairman PJ McAvoy , and set out a forward-looking vision centred on regeneration, enterpri

North Antrim MP Jim Allister at the wheel of a Wrightbus electroliner vehicle. North Antrim MP Jim Allister has sharply criticised the decision to award the bulk of a £45 million Scottish Government contract for zero-emission buses and coaches to a Chinese manufacturer, describing the move as “outrageous” and warning it represents a failure to support UK industry. The intervention comes as pressure continues to mount over the allocation of public funding away from domestic ma

Extensive Trust Ford garage proposed by Turkington for Ballee Playing Fields site. Fresh development proposals for the former Ballee Playing Fields have reignited one of Ballymena’s most closely watched local controversies, with local businessman Josh Mulholland issuing a strongly worded open letter warning the town’s future is at stake. The latest plans, now entering pre-application community consultation, outline a mixed-use development including drive-thru restaurants, a

Jo Bamford, Wrightbus The owner of Ballymena-based Wrightbus has launched a sharp attack on the use of taxpayer-funded grants to support overseas manufacturers, branding the move a “national scandal” and warning it risks undermining jobs and investment in Northern Ireland. Jo Bamford, who rescued Wrightbus from administration in 2019 and helped transform it into one of the UK’s leading zero-emission bus manufacturers, spoke out after the Scottish Government allocated the lar

Inset: Independent Councillor Lawrie Philpott  An independent councillor has raised sharp concerns over plans to establish a new task force aimed at regenerating Mid and East Antrim’s three main town centres, warning it risks becoming a “costly talking shop” unless it delivers direct support for local businesses. The issue is set to come before a full meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council on Monday evening, when DUP councillors Andrew Clarke (Coast Road) and Gregg Mc

Louise McClelland, CEO of Dowds Group, with members of the team A major Ballymena employer has unveiled what it describes as a best-in-class employee benefits package in a move aimed at tackling the construction industry’s growing talent crisis and setting a new standard for employers across the UK. Dowds Group, the Ballymena-headquartered construction and engineering specialist, today announced a landmark rewards and benefits package designed to support its 230-strong workfo

Marks & Spencer has reaffirmed its long-standing support for Northern Ireland’s farming community, announcing its return as Platinum Sponsor of the Balmoral Show — a move that reinforces the retailer’s deep ties with local producers and the agri-food sector. With more than 25 years of backing behind it, the partnership signals continued investment in an event widely regarded as the heartbeat of rural life in Northern Ireland, bringing together farmers, food producers and thou

A new generation of young entrepreneurs has taken its first bold step into the world of business — selling products, pitching ideas, and impressing judges in a high-stakes, Dragons’ Den-style challenge in Ballymena. Primary school pupils from across Mid and East Antrim swapped classrooms for commerce as they launched their own mini companies, culminating in a lively trading event at the Fairhill Centre and a competitive pitch finale at The Braid. The initiative, part of the B