NEWS

(L-R) Tina McMullan, Business and Improvement Advisor ETTNI, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick and Jessica Smyth, Business Development Project Officer LMP Fully funded programme offers local electrical professionals qualifications in solar PV, battery storage, and EV charging installation Fifteen qualified electricians from the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough are set to benefit from a groundbreaking new training initiative designed to prepare the l

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford pictured with Joan Burney Keatings MBE with cast and crew from Cinemagic Placement Insights Programme. Young filmmakers from across Mid and East Antrim have taken centre stage after seeing their work showcased on the big screen at a special short film screening held at the Ecos Hub. A group of 23 talented young people, aged between 17 and 24, attended the screening of The Friendship Garden, an original short film develo

Bryson Recycling has apologised to householders following widespread disruption to recycling collections, as councils across Mid and East Antrim and Antrim and Newtownabbey move to address growing public frustration. The waste contractor issued a statement online on Friday, 16 January , acknowledging recent service delays and outlining steps being taken to restore normal collections. “Disruptions to our collection services recently are a result of staff shortages, weather co

Planning permission was refused for a change of use for a property at Waveney Road, Ballymena Planning permission for a proposed House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) in Ballymena has been refused following a closely contested vote at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee. The decision was taken at a meeting of the committee held on Thursday 15 January 2025, where elected members voted five against , four in favour of the application, and two left the room , o

Aerial views of the proposed new leisure centre in Ballymena Plans for a long-awaited £25 million leisure, health and wellbeing centre in Ballymena have been formally approved by councillors, marking a significant milestone in efforts to replace the town’s ageing Seven Towers Leisure Centre. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee gave the green light on Thursday 15 January 2025 for the major development, which will be located on 1.7 hectares of land at the S

Castle Street 3 car park, Ballymena CCTV has been installed at a Ballymena town centre car park following a series of reports of antisocial behaviour, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has confirmed. The Church Street 3 car park, which can be accessed from both Castle Street and the Larne Road Link, has become a regular meeting point for young drivers during night-time hours. While the area is commonly used for parking, concerns have been raised due to its close proximity t

Inset: Braid Ulster Unionist Councillor Alan Barr Braid Ulster Unionist Councillor Alan Barr has strongly criticised ongoing failures in Bryson Recycling’s kerbside collection service, warning that residents across Mid and East Antrim are being left frustrated and short-changed despite paying for a service that is “simply not being delivered”. The councillor says he has been inundated with complaints from households reporting repeated missed collections, damaged bins and re

Local UUP Councillor Brian Thompson with Rosie Orr and a number of other local residents launch Stop The Build Community Group as they deliver a strongly supported petition and letters of opposition to council’s planning director at Ardeevin, Ballymena. Opposition is continuing to grow against a proposed housing development close to the Braid River Walk in Ballymena, with residents from across the wider Tullygarley and Galgorm Road areas joining forces to protect what they de

A less-than-pleased resident shared their frustration of the new kerbside recycling system implemented by Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council Antrim and Newtownabbey councillors have highlighted ongoing concerns over missed bin collections, despite a recovery plan having been agreed last week between contractor Bryson Recycling and the borough council. In an update on Monkstown and surrounding areas, Threemilewater DUP councillor Mark Cooper said in an online post: “Despit

Staff from The Harbourview Hotel, Carnlough, who exhibited on the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council stand at the Balmoral Show 2025. Food and drink producers and visitor experience businesses across Mid and East Antrim are being offered the chance to showcase their products to tens of thousands of visitors at the Balmoral Show 2026. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has opened Expressions of Interest for local businesses to take part in the NI Food Pavilion at the Balmora

A recovery plan has been agreed between Bryson Recycling and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in a bid to address missed bin collections across the borough. Bryson Recycling reported a “positive meeting” with the council’s chief executive, Richard Baker, earlier this week to discuss ongoing problems with the collection service. A spokesperson for Bryson Recycling said: “We discussed the issues being raised and also the actions required to get our service back to a st

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has called for a new bridge in Kilrea in the wake of the prolonged closure of the village’s Bann bridge. At January’s full council meeting, members approved a cross-party motion proposed by UUP councillor Richard Holmes and seconded by Sinn Féin councillor Sean Bateson and DUP alderman Michelle Knight-McQuillan . The motion stated: “This council notes the recent closure of Kilrea’s Bann Bridge due to maintenance issues and the detri

Site location highlighted in red for proposed 57 apartment development in Galgorm, Ballymena A planning application has been lodged with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for 57 new apartments outside Ballymena. The application has been submitted by an agent on behalf of David McGroggan of Galgorm Homes Limited. The proposal seeks permission for 57 apartments with associated car parking on a vacant site opposite Galgorm Industrial Estate, located between the River Maine and

A meeting is due to take place this week between Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s chief executive, Richard Baker, and his counterpart at Bryson Recycling over missed bin collections across the borough. Councillors were told at a meeting of the council’s Operations Committee, held at Antrim Civic Centre on Monday evening, that service issues will be discussed on Wednesday, ahead of a further meeting with members in the council chamber later this month. Airport Sinn Fé

Marking work starting on the £5 million redevelopment of Cathedral Gardens are (from left to right): Professor Duncan Morrow from Ulster University, Tzvetelina Bogoina from Cathedral Quarter BID, Reverend Cameron Mack from St Anne’s Cathedral and Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Tracy Kelly. Work has officially begun on the £5 million redevelopment of Cathedral Gardens, marking a significant milestone in Belfast City Council’s long-term vision to regenerate the city centre. Loca

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough councillors are demanding a meeting with contractor Bryson Recycling following complaints from residents about missed bin collections. Members were given an update on the roll-out of the council’s triple-stack wheelie box bins in the Antrim area at a meeting of the local authority at Mossley Mill on Monday evening. A council director said the roll-out had been completed “within schedule and on budget” to more than 25,000 households, with “mini

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has announced a series of festive service changes to ensure bin collections, recycling centres and key public facilities continue running smoothly over the Christmas and New Year period. A Council spokesperson said the temporary adjustments have been introduced “as we come together to celebrate the season,” adding: “These temporary adjustments to bin collections, recycling centres and public facilities will help ensure our services continu

The spa at Antrim Forum An additional charge to use the spa at Antrim Forum leisure centre has been approved by councillors. Members of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Operations Committee agreed at a meeting in Antrim Civic Centre on Monday evening to introduce a £10 “bolt-on” charge per person for use of the facility. A report to the committee stated: “The introduction of a £10 per person spa bolt-on at Antrim Forum reflects the facility’s status as a premium, lu

A Northern Ireland council is to examine the feasibility of providing sustainable burial grounds in the city, with a view to establishing sites for so-called green or “natural” burials. Elected members at a Belfast City Council committee meeting this week agreed to commission a report on a motion brought forward by the Alliance Party’s Michael Long , exploring the possible introduction of green burials in woodland or meadow areas, or on land beside cemeteries deemed unsuitabl

Inset: North Antrim MLA Paul Frew North Antrim MLA Paul Frew has raised fresh concerns over ongoing delays in the collection of recycling boxes by Bryson Recycling, as households across Ballymena and the wider Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area continue to report prolonged disruption. Mr Frew said he had been “contacted numerous times over the last number of weeks” by residents frustrated at waiting days beyond their normal schedule for collections to be completed. Som