NEWS

Planning permission has been approved for a major new sports and community hub at Roger Casement GAC following a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee at The Braid in Ballymena last week. The development at Gortgole Road will include a multi-purpose pavilion, floodlit 4G playing field, play park, spectator terraces, additional car parking, landscaping, fencing and associated site works. The proposal also includes a new access onto Lovers Lane and

Planning image of proposed new National Football Centre near Galgorm A major new National Football Centre proposed for a 50-acre site near Galgorm and Cullybackey is already generating strong local debate, with residents raising concerns over how the large-scale development could transform the surrounding rural area. The proposed Irish Football Association (IFA) complex, submitted to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, would include six football pitches, spectator stands, fl

Pupils form Cambridge House Grammar School try their hand at cupcake decorating under the guidance of chef, Sandra McCooke as the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Councillor Jackson Minford and Colin Johnston, CEO of Galgorm Collection look on. Forty local pupils have been given a behind-the-scenes look at careers in hospitality and tourism as part of a growing Mid and East Antrim programme designed to connect classroom learning with real workplace opportunities.

HMO application refused: 119 Broughshane Street, Ballymena A planning application to convert a dwelling into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Ballymena town centre was refused by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee last week. The proposal related to an end-of-terrace property at 119 Broughshane Street. A planning officer told the committee the property is two-and-a-half storeys high and currently has one on-site parking space. He said the house con

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, and Rowan Moore, Director of Place at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, are pictured at Slemish alongside a few of the new vehicles joining the Council’s refuse collection fleet. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is investing in ten new refuse collection vehicles as pressure grows on waste services across a rapidly expanding Borough. The major fleet upgrade includes a mix of smaller rural-access vehicles and large

Inside Wrightbus during Manufacturing Month tour of its Ballymena site Wrightbus’s rapid expansion and growing global footprint have been hailed as a major economic boost for Ballymena and Mid and East Antrim, as local manufacturing leaders and council representatives toured the company’s flagship production facility during Manufacturing Month. The visit brought renewed focus to the scale of Wrightbus’s impact on the local economy, with the Ballymena-based manufacturer now pr

Smiles all round as Ready2Work Academy students stand outside Tuition Time with teachers and facilitators, celebrating the success of their showcase café event. A group of young people from Larne took a major step towards the world of work this week after stepping behind the counter to run a real café environment as part of a programme designed to help SEN school leavers build confidence and job-ready skills. Ten students from Roddensvale School showcased what they had learne

Residents across the Borough are being encouraged to roll up their sleeves, plant for pollinators and help make local communities greener as the Mid and East Antrim In Bloom 2026 Community Competitions officially open for entries. With 12 free-to-enter categories and prizes available for both winners and runners-up, the annual initiative is once again inviting households, community groups and gardening enthusiasts to showcase the very best of local horticulture while supporti

Browns Bay on the east Antrim coast Visitors to Browns Bay are set to benefit from major new improvements later this year as Mid and East Antrim Borough Council prepares to begin construction of enhanced toilet, shower and accessibility facilities at the popular coastal site. Works are due to begin in early June 2026 and will deliver a significant upgrade for beach users, swimmers, tourists and people with additional needs visiting one of the borough’s best-known seaside loca

Main pitch at Ballymena Showgrounds Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is seeking planning approval for the next phase of redevelopment at Ballymena Showgrounds — including replacing the stadium’s existing natural grass surface with a new full-size 3G/hybrid pitch system. The application, submitted for the council-owned venue on St Patrick’s Link, relates to the main arena at the home of Ballymena United F.C.. It comes just months after the council’s Planning Committee appro

Pictured with Mayor of Mid & East Antrim Borough, Councillor Jackson Minford are local musicians Rodney Beggs and ‘Lacey’. Ballymena is preparing to celebrate a landmark moment in its history as the town marks 400 years since the foundations of the modern settlement were established. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has now unveiled a major programme of Ballymena 400 events for 2026, with organisers promising a year of community celebration, local history, family entertain

Launching the Mid and East Antrim Construction and Scaffolding Academy are: (l-r) Amanda Crossen, Project Manager at CITBNI); Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford; Charlene Earley from Workforce Training) and Steven Douglas of 7 Towers Scaffolding. A new Construction and Scaffolding Academy aimed at helping local people into employment has opened for applications across Mid and East Antrim, offering participants industry-recognised qualifications, practic

Aerial visual of proposed IFA national football centre outside Ballymena A planning application has been lodged with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the development of a proposed national football centre outside Ballymena. The proposal includes six football pitches — five outdoor and one indoor — with three hybrid surfaces and three artificial surfaces. One pitch is earmarked as a community pitch, while three pitches would be floodlit. The plans also include three spe

Mayor Jackson Minford is pictured with Ballymena businessmen (L-R) William Calderwood of Arbuckle and Calderwood; Richard McLaughlin of Wyse Byse; James McNeill of James McNeill Hardware; Eugene Diamond of Diamonds Newsagents; and Thomas McKillen of McKillens. Retailers whose combined service spans more than three centuries have been recognised at a special mayoral reception celebrating Ballymena’s rich trading history. Honouring decades of local service The event, held at Th

Ballymoney Street, Ballymena More than 90 town centre businesses across Mid and East Antrim are set to benefit from a £75,500 grant scheme aimed at improving the appearance of their premises. The ‘Town Centre Revamp Refresh’ grant offers up to 80 per cent of eligible costs, capped at £1,000 per business, councillors were told at a recent meeting of the borough council’s Environment and Economy Committee. A total of 106 applications were submitted, with 13 deemed ineligible du

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Minford Jackson, announces the launch of the new ‘Craft to Commerce’ programme. A new council-backed initiative launching next month is set to give aspiring crafters across Mid and East Antrim a direct pathway from hobby to income, offering hands-on experience, market exposure, and business support in a push to unlock local creative potential. The ‘Craft to Commerce’ programme, beginning in June 2026, is designed to help hobby-craft en

Pictured at the first SNUS Awareness training event at Ballymena Showgrounds are Chair of Mid and East Antrim Policing and Community Safety Partnership (MEA PCSP), Councillor Lauren Gray, alongside Elena Brewer, MPH Training Services Officer at ASCERT, and Chantal Ford, Irish Football Association Safeguarding and Welfare Manager. The growing use of snus and nicotine pouches among footballers and young people in Mid and East Antrim has prompted a targeted community safety resp

Mid and East Antrim councillors have approved the borough council’s response to a Department for Communities (DfC) consultation on draft regulations covering notice-to-quit periods for landlords and tenants in the private rental sector. A report presented to a recent meeting of the council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee outlined that, at present, the minimum notice period landlords must give tenants is four weeks for tenancies of less than 12 months; eight weeks f

Only six fixed penalty notices for dog fouling were issued across Mid and East Antrim during 2025, new figures have revealed, despite continued concerns from councillors and residents about the scale of the problem. The figures, released by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in response to a Freedom of Information request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, show that five fines were issued in Ballymena and one in Carrickfergus over the 12-month period. No p

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford and Maureen Pimley, Chairperson of the Islandmagee Community Development Association with representatives from the Islandmagee Community Gardening Group and the Islandmagee Community Fridge. A memorial stone marking the last witch trial on the island of Ireland has been given a new home in a community garden on the Islandmagee Peninsula, placing a centuries-old story at the heart of a modern space focused on wellbeing,