NEWS

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, pictured with children from Moorfields Primary School, along with community representatives, contractors, councillors and council staff. Two much-loved play parks in Mid and East Antrim have officially reopened, unveiling safer, more inclusive and fully refreshed spaces designed to bring families together for years to come. The completion of refurbishment works at Moorfields in Ballymena and Beachlands Play Park in Car

The site for a proposed boat shed at Bay Road, Carnlough on the Antrim coast. A planning application for the construction of a boat shed in Carnlough has been refused by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. The proposal sought retention of a concrete slab and permission to erect a boat shed to replace an existing store at Bay Road. The proposed structure would measure approximately 5 metres by 2.8 metres and stand 2.85 metres high. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Rive

Tributes have been paid following the passing of former Ballymena Mayor and long-serving councillor PJ McAvoy, a respected public figure who dedicated three decades to serving the people of the town. Mr McAvoy, who sadly passed away on Thursday 19 February, was widely recognised for his commitment to public life and his efforts to foster cooperation and mutual respect within local government. Three decades of public service The former SDLP councillor was first elected to Ball

Children from Carniny Primary School and St. Colmcille’s Primary School taking part in the Top Children's Author Election in 2025 Almost 1,800 primary school pupils across Mid and East Antrim will head to the polls on World Book Day as part of a special ‘Top Children’s Author Election’ marking Democracy Week 2026. Seventeen primary schools from across the borough are participating in the initiative, which sees ten Northern Ireland children’s writers vying for the votes of you

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council looks set to join a neighbouring authority in restricting commercial use of household recycling centres (HRCs). The issue was discussed behind closed doors at Monday’s meeting of the borough council at The Braid in Ballymena. At last month’s meeting of the council’s Environment and Economy Committee, councillors were asked to “reinstate the system used during Covid” , which restricted access by commercial vehicles and limited use of househo

The former Ruby’s Bar on Old Glenarm Road, Larne Planning permission has been approved by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the demolition of a public house and the construction of new housing on Old Glenarm Road in Larne. The development proposal by applicant Harry Diamond of Ruby Homes (NI) Ltd relates to the site of Ruby’s Bar and includes a mix of social and private “market” housing. The scheme proposes 24 dwellings comprising 12 three-bedroom houses, eight one-bed

Elevations of proposed apartment complex Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s planning department is considering two separate housing proposals in the town centre area of Ballymena. A planning application has been lodged with the local authority for the construction of a four-storey apartment building to the rear of Broughshane Street. The application has been submitted by an agent on behalf of Galgorm Developments for four two-bedroom apartments, a communal hallway and amen

Mid and East Antrim Deputy Mayor, Councillor Tyler Hoey, pictured with author and illustrator Kelsey Carroll and children who took part in the workshop A new children’s storybook celebrating Ballymena 400 has been officially launched at Mid-Antrim Museum in the Braid, offering young readers an engaging introduction to the town’s history. The launch event took place on Saturday 7 February as part of the Playful Museums Festival, supported by the Northern Ireland Museums Counci

Inset: Independent Councillor Lawrie Philpott Independent Councillor Lawrie Philpott has explained why he voted against Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s decision to strike the district rate for 2026/27 at a special council meeting, citing concerns over City Deal costs, long-term financial pressures and potential alternative savings for residents. On Monday night at a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in The Braid, Ballymena, elected members voted 19 to 17 in

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

Elected members of the TUV party group serving on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) group on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has confirmed it opposed the district rate increase approved at Monday night’s council meeting, arguing that greater steps could and should have been taken to reduce the financial burden on households and businesses across the borough. The TUV group includes Councillor Matthew Armstrong (Ballymena), Councillo

Sinn Féin councillor in Ballymena, Bréanainn Lyness A Sinn Féin councillor in Ballymena has abstained from voting on a 2.95 per cent rates increase, breaking with party colleagues who supported the rise at Monday night’s rates-setting meeting. Bréanainn Lyness said he could not “in good conscience” back the increase, citing the continued decline of Ballymena town centre and the impact rising costs are having on local businesses and traders. During last night’s vote DUP, All

Mid and East Antrim’s Ulster Unionist Party Group on Council The Mid and East Antrim Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Group has voted against the Council’s decision to increase domestic and non-domestic district rates by 2.95 per cent. The vote was taken at a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council on Monday 9 February, when councillors approved the rates increase for the coming financial year. The group includes (in alphabetical order), Councillor Alan Barr (Braid), Counc

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has agreed a 2.95 per cent district rates increase for the 2026/27 financial year, following a closely contested vote at a special meeting held on Monday 9 February. The increase was approved by 19 votes in favour, 17 against, with one abstention, highlighting divisions among elected members over the scale of the rise and how funding is allocated within the council’s capital programme. Love Ballymena understands that the initial figure prop

Mid and East Antrim Council chamber Mid and East Antrim Borough Council will hold a special meeting this evening (Monday, 9 February) to strike the domestic and non-domestic rate for the 2026/27 financial year. For a second consecutive year, the local authority is expected to strike a single rate for households and businesses. Last-minute negotiations are likely to continue behind closed doors at The Braid in Ballymena, following a series of rates workshops held in recent mon

North Antrim MP Jim Allister KC The closure of McKillen’s on Church Street has been described as a devastating blow to Ballymena town centre, with North Antrim MP Jim Allister KC warning that rising overheads and business rates are “strangling” local retailers and accelerating the decline of the high street. In a strongly worded statement, Mr Allister said the loss of the century-old family business, coming shortly after the closure of Wyse Byse, marked a critical moment fo

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, has announced Creative Industries Week 2026 which will run from the 16 February with a programme of events taking place. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has announced the return of its Creative Industries Week, a borough-wide celebration of creativity, innovation and opportunity, running from 16 February 2026. Designed to support people at every stage of their creative journey, the week will feature a diverse progr

The public toilets in Portglenone have now been closed by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Mid and East Antrim councillors have agreed a scheme to enable visitors to Portglenone to “spend a penny”, with the support of local businesses. The borough council’s Environment and Economy Committee, which met at The Braid in Ballymena on Monday evening, January 26, approved the delivery of a proposed community toilet scheme following the closure of the public toilets on Main Str

TJ Morris Ltd, owner of Home Bargains, has acquired the former car showroom site in Antrim and plans to expands its retail footprint Discount retailer Home Bargains is planning a significant expansion in Antrim, with proposals lodged to convert a former car showroom into what would be its 33rd store in Northern Ireland. TJ Morris Ltd, the Liverpool-based company behind the popular discount chain, has submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to Antrim and Newtownabbey

Wellington Street in Ballymena town centre Mid and East Antrim councillors have agreed to double funding for the Town Centre Revamp Refresh initiative after almost 100 businesses across the borough applied for support. A report presented to the borough council’s Environment and Economy Committee at a meeting in The Braid, Ballymena, on Monday evening revealed there were 47 applications from Ballymena, 28 from Carrickfergus and 22 from Larne. The report stated that £40,000 wa