NEWS

(L-R) Antrim and Newtownabbey Sinn Féin councillors Taylor McGrann, Maighréad Ní Chonghaile, and Eamonn McLaughlin. Tuesday 29 September 2026 Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has voted to refer three Sinn Féin councillors to a standards watchdog over allegations relating to their presence near a protest at Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The proposal passed by 20 votes to seven, with seven abstentions, at a full council meeting in Mossley Mill on Monday evening, 28 Septemb

CGI showing the newly approved Warehouse set to bring investment and jobs in County Antrim with the arrival of James Latham Timber PLC Tuesday 22 September 2026 A new £10 million warehouse and distribution facility has been approved for County Antrim, with the investment expected to create around 10 jobs and contribute an estimated £2.76 million a year to the local economy. The development at Houston’s Corner, Newtownabbey, will become a new facility for James Latham Timber P

The historic White House building Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Community Development Committee has approved a further one-year lease for the historic White House in Newtownabbey. The Dalaradia Group, a men’s community group, has leased the landmark from the council since 2021, delivering historical interpretation and visitor services as well as providing training and meeting facilities. Centuries of local history The White House is one of the area’s oldest surviv

Antrim Castle Gardens will be transformed into a festive wonderland for almost four weeks this Christmas as the popular Enchanted Winter Garden returns with bigger displays, new features and four additional nights. The outdoor illuminated experience will run from Wednesday 2 December until Monday 28 December 2026, with discounted admission available to residents of Antrim and Newtownabbey borough. Organisers say visitors can expect bigger and brighter lights as they follow th

An Antrim couple have been handed suspended prison sentences and banned from keeping animals for five years after a severely malnourished dog was found living in filthy conditions without access to water. Jason Gallagher and Aleshia McLaverty, both of Islandbawn Drive, Antrim, were sentenced at Antrim Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 26 August after pleading guilty to separate offences relating to the welfare of a terrier-cross dog. Gallagher pleaded guilty to failing to ensur

Dog owners across Antrim and Newtownabbey are being urged to check the rules before exercising their pets in council-managed parks and open spaces, as new colour-coded signage is installed across the borough. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is carrying out the work in phases, with priority locations being targeted first. The signs are designed to make it clearer where dogs can be exercised freely, where they must be kept on a lead and where they are prohibited — with

CGI of the approved new DHL distribution centre in Co Antrim. Tuesday 25 August 2026 Plans for a new £15 million DHL distribution centre in Newtownabbey have been approved, paving the way for an overall £18 million investment in the local economy and the creation of 80 new full-time jobs. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Planning Committee has given the go-ahead for the development at Ballyearl Business Park, which will provide a substantial new storage and distribut

Site plan for proposed 37 home development in Toomebridge, refused by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Tuesday, 4 August 2026 A proposed residential development of 37 new homes at Loughview Drive in Toomebridge has been refused planning permission by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Planning Committee following significant local opposition, including 176 objections. The application sought permission for nine detached houses, 18 semi-detached houses and 10 apar

A planning application has been lodged with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for a proposed second phase of a solar farm at Dublin Road, outside Antrim, which developers say could generate enough electricity to power more than 5,000 homes. The proposal is for a 20MW solar farm and associated infrastructure, including ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on support frames, two transformer cabins, fencing, CCTV cameras, an internal service road, landscaping, and

A planning application has been lodged with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for a proposed new social housing development comprising 14 dwellings in Toomebridge. The application for full planning permission has been submitted by an agent on behalf of JAMDAC Developments Ltd, of Hillhead Road, Toomebridge, for lands to the rear of 36-42 Main Street. The proposal includes the demolition of an existing property at 42 Main Street and the creation of a new access road to s

The young collie dog that was punched and abused by its Antrim owner. An Antrim man has been banned from keeping animals for a decade after a court heard he repeatedly punched a young collie, twisted her neck and slammed her to the ground in an attack captured on video. Dan Hustiu, from the Antrim area, was sentenced at Antrim Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, June 25, after previously pleading guilty to charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and failing to ensu

Antrim Town Scoops Top Town Award in All Ireland Awards. Pictured (L-R): Trevor Edwards, President of the NI Amenity Council; Paul Mawhinney, Head of Parks at Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council; Minister Dara Calleary, Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (RoI); Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cllr Henry Cushinan and Doreen Muskett MBE, Chair of the NI Amenity Council. Antrim has officially been named the best kept town anywhere on the island

Rea’s Wood at Loughshore Park, Antrim Bathers are being advised to stay out of the water at Rea’s Wood on Lough Neagh this summer after the site was again classified as “poor” for water quality due to faecal contamination and recurring blue-green algae. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has advised against bathing at Rea’s Wood on Lough Neagh in Antrim, councillors have been told. A report presented to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick pictured alongside the son of Stoker Sammy Bannister, Andy Bannister at a special memorial plaque at Hazelbank Park. A deeply personal chapter of Northern Ireland’s naval history has been permanently commemorated in County Antrim following the unveiling of a new memorial honouring local sailors caught up in one of the Royal Navy’s most dramatic post-war incidents. Family members travelled from across the UK and beyo

Design drawing showing elevations of proposed new social homes in Antrim A planning application has been lodged with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for a proposed new social housing development in Antrim’s Ballycraigy estate. The application for full planning permission has been submitted by an agent on behalf of 10 Main Street Ltd for the demolition of Hazeldene Flats at Newpark Road South and the construction of 30 new units. If approved, the development will consi

A young people’s group is to be given a key role in helping shape plans for a new skate park in Antrim. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has approved proposals for a new “granite-style skate plaza” with floodlighting at the Peace Play Park beside Antrim Forum. Councillors backed the project during a meeting of the local authority’s Operations Committee last month. A report presented behind closed doors said the project would “adopt the design and engagement approach us

Doagh Primary School is helping protect local wildlife with the installation of three new swift nest boxes and a caller system. L–R: Cllr Archibald‑Brown, Edward McKee, Esther McKee, Cllr Stewart, the Outgoing Deputy Mayor Cllr Gilmour, Kate McAlister, George Acheson and school principal Mrs Brown. Front row: P5 pupils from Doagh Primary School. Seven new Swift nesting boxes have been installed at sites in Doagh and Ballyclare as part of a growing effort to protect one of the

New Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Sinn Féin Councillor Henry Cushinan A political milestone has been marked in Antrim and Newtownabbey after Councillor Henry Cushinan was officially appointed as the borough’s first Sinn Féin Mayor. The historic appointment was confirmed during the council’s Annual Meeting on Monday evening, June 1, marking the first time Sinn Féin has held the mayoral chain in the borough since local government reorganisation created Antrim and Newtownabb

Design image for the proposed new £5.3 million filling station and retail development in Ballyclare Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has received a planning application for a proposed new £5.3 million filling station and retail development in Ballyclare, prompting dozens of objections from nearby residents. The proposal is for the construction of a petrol filling station with a forecourt featuring three pump islands, alongside two retail units and a hot food unit, bulk

*Stock image A dog owner has been banned from keeping dogs for 20 years after a series of attacks involving an unlicensed French Bulldog left three women injured — including victims who suffered severe facial injuries. The case, which was brought before Laganside Magistrates’ Court earlier this month, followed three separate attacks between October 2024 and April 2025 that triggered a major investigation by enforcement officers from Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. Co