NEWS

Knockan Road Play Park in Broughshane on Tuesday, January 27, when Storm Chandra brought heavy rainfall leading to the River Braid bursting its banks. Four weeks after floodwater tore through Broughshane, families are still waiting for their local play park to reopen — and questions are now being asked at Stormont level. North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew  has raised concerns over the continued closure of Broughshane Play Park on Knockan Road following severe storm damage last mo

Elected members of the DUP party group on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Party says below-inflation rise safeguards services and delivers long-term investment The DUP has defended its decision to vote in favour of a 2.95% rates increase at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, arguing the move was necessary to protect frontline services while enabling significant long-term investment across Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne. The DUP party group includes elected members R

21-year-old Chloe Mitchell who was murdered in June 2023 in Ballymena North Antrim elected representatives have called on the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) to grant a dispensation in its ongoing strike action to allow the trial of the individual charged with the murder of Chloe Mitchell to proceed as planned. The appeal comes as a deadline to prevent further delays in the Chloe Mitchell trial is fast approaching. Six representatives — Sian Mullholland MLA, Timothy Gaston MLA

Two Ballymena schools have secured funding for new synthetic sports pitches following successful applications to the Department of Education, a move welcomed by North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew as a significant boost to sports provision in local schools. Cambridge House Grammar School and Slemish College have both been approved for new facilities under Department of Education capital programmes, aimed at strengthening physical education, sport and wider wellbeing as part of t

North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew Paul Frew MLA has welcomed assurances from Education Minister Paul Givan that changes are planned to end the disadvantage currently faced by working families in the allocation of funded pre-school places, while warning that existing funding and capacity levels are still falling short of what families need. The North Antrim DUP representative said parents across his constituency continue to experience real difficulty securing funded pre-school

Plans are being developed to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Ballymena in 2026, following confirmation from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council that work is under way to mark the town’s historic milestone. North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew said he had received confirmation from the Council after writing to senior officials to enquire about preparations for the anniversary year. The landmark date marks 400 years since King Charles I granted the Ballymena Estate to the Adair f

Leaders of Unionism, (L-R) Gavin Robinson MP (DUP), Jim Allister MP (TUV), and Jon Burrows MLA (UUP). The debate over Unionist co-operation has intensified following a call from Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson MP for closer working between pro-Union parties — a proposal that has drawn cautious and, in the case of Traditional Unionist Voice, sharply critical responses. In a message to party members and supporters, Mr Robinson described 2026 as a pivotal year

The former DUP Advice Centre on Church Street, Ballymena More than £5,000 in unpaid rates remains outstanding on premises linked to a DUP advice centre in Ballymena, the Northern Ireland Assembly has been told. The issue was raised during Assembly questions on Monday, January 12, when TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston asked the Minister of Finance to outline the current position regarding the rates bill for 9–11 Church Street, Ballymena — an office previously associated wi

Work has officially begun on a long-awaited new Park and Ride facility at Ballymena Bus and Train Station, marking a significant milestone in a campaign that has spanned more than a decade. The North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew has welcomed confirmation from Translink that construction is now underway on a 387-space Park and Ride expansion, an issue he says he has been actively pursuing since 2013. Speaking following the announcement, Mr Frew said: “I am delighted that Translin

DUP Leader Gavin Robinson shared a family photo with wife Lindsay and son Reuben The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Gavin Robinson MP, has used his New Year message to call for a renewed focus on economic stability, public services and “common sense” politics as Northern Ireland enters 2026. Setting out what he described as a clear choice for the year ahead, Mr Robinson said Northern Ireland stood “at a junction”, urging political leaders to prioritise delivery ove

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

Principals Sandra Sheeran (Ballykeel Primary), Karen McMaster (Camphill Primary), and Neil McCullough (Harryville Primary), governors, counsellor and parent representatives, with Minister Gordon Lyons, DUP North Antrim MLA Paul Frew, and Indeoendent Ballymena Councillor Lawrie Philpott. The Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons , visited North Antrim on Wednesday following intervention from DUP MLA Paul Frew that helped secure continued funding for a counselling and therap

North Antrim MLA Paul Frew at Chestnutt Hall North Antrim MLA Paul Frew has welcomed the completion of long-awaited road and footpath works at the Chestnutt Hall development in Ballymena, following concerns raised by local residents. Mr Frew said he had been approached by a number of homeowners in the estate who reported issues including raised ironworks and incomplete road and footpath surfaces. After visiting the site, he said it was clear the situation was causing difficu

DUP North Antrim MLA Paul Frew, and Councillor Reuben Glover at the junction of Dans Road and Galgorm Road DUP MLA Paul Frew has urged authorities to act swiftly to address what he describes as the “much higher than would be expected” number of road traffic accidents on a key stretch of the Galgorm Road in Ballymena. Mr Frew and Alderman Reuben Glover have been approached by numerous concerned residents regarding safety issues on the section between Cambridge Avenue and the D

North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew Welcomes the reinstatement of street lights in Thornbrooke in Ahoghill North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew has welcomed the reinstatement of several street lighting posts in the Thornbrooke estate, Ahoghill, following concerns raised by local residents about safety and security. Mr Frew said he was pleased to see the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) take swift action after he raised the issue directly on behalf of those living in the estate. He st

North Antrim MLA Paul Frew on Galgorm Road, Ballymena, near Cambridge House Grammar School North Antrim MLA Paul Frew has welcomed confirmation from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) that a pedestrian crossing near Cambridge House Grammar School on Ballymena’s Galgorm Road will be considered in future traffic management works. Mr Frew said the development follows years of concerns raised by local residents about safety on the busy road, particularly for schoolchildren

North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew speaking today in the Northern Ireland Assembly A motion led today (Thursday 5 November) by North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew to support service leavers, veterans, and their families through the Armed Forces Covenant has been passed in the Northern Ireland Assembly, receiving cross-party backing. The motion gained support from the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) and the Alliance Party, marking a rare instance of cross

North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew during a visit to Thornbrooke in Ahoghill North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew has renewed his call for the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to urgently address the ongoing removal of street lighting across the North Antrim area, warning that the lack of illumination poses serious safety and security risks as the darker winter months approach. Mr Frew said he has been engaging with residents in several affected communities and visiting areas where

North Antrim MLA Paul Frew has welcomed action taken by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council to remove illegally dumped materials and a burnt-out vehicle from rural roads near Corkey and Glenaan. The DUP representative said he had been contacted by local residents concerned about the growing problem of illegal dumping along the Altnahinch Road, including discarded electrical goods and piles of waste, as well as a burnt-out vehicle along the Glenaan Road and the repeated d

Deputy Mayor of Mid & East Antrim, DUP Councillor Tyler Hoey The Deputy Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, DUP Councillor Tyler Hoey, has publicly offered his support to a Portglenone man who has been issued a Noise Abatement Notice by council officers for practising the Lambeg drum. Councillor Hoey explained that the constituent, Gary, had been contacted him at the start of September regarding the noise complaint. “At the start of September, I was contacted by a constituent of mi