NEWS

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council  has agreed a below-inflation District Rate increase of 3.35% for the 2026/27 financial year, following a Special Council meeting held on 12 February 2026. The decision means householders in the borough will pay an additional £20.58 per year — equivalent to £0.40 per week — based on a domestic property with a rateable value of £124,728. The Council said both officers and elected members had “worked diligently” to deliver a smaller tha

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Northern Ireland’s Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has reaffirmed his commitment to delivering a 3.3% consolidated pay uplift for NHS staff from 1 April 2026, following the latest recommendation from the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB). The proposed pay rise would apply to all Agenda for Change (AfC) pay points across Health and Social Care (HSC), impacting thousands of frontline staff including nurses, paramedics, healthcare assistants and administrati

The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed the Regional Rate for 2026/27, confirming a 5.0% increase for domestic properties and a 3.0% increase for non-domestic properties. The decision means the domestic regional rate element of the average household bill will rise by 63p per week. The regional rate forms part of the overall rates bill and is used to fund public services across Northern Ireland. The Executive confirmed it has taken the same approach as 2025/26 in setting the

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 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

Petrol prices in Northern Ireland have dropped to their lowest level in almost five years, providing welcome relief for motorists as the average cost of fuel at forecourt pumps continues to fall, according to the Consumer Council. Following a period of relative stability over the past 12 months, the average price of petrol has now fallen to 124.2 pence per litre, the lowest level recorded since May 2021. Diesel prices, meanwhile, remain unchanged at an average of 131.9 pence

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

Mossley Mill, County Antrim Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has agreed one of the lowest district rate increases in Northern Ireland, striking a 2.99% rise for the 2026/27 financial year at a Special Council Meeting held on Monday 9 February. The modest increase, which is lower than the current rate of inflation, will apply across the borough and equates to an additional £14.67 per year, or 28 pence per week, for an average household. One of the lowest rates increase

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

Pictured: Colin Magee, Non-domestic Consumer Protection Manager at the Utility Regulator New electricity and gas licence rules come into force to improve transparency, fairness and switching rights The Utility Regulator has introduced new licence measures to strengthen protections for Northern Ireland’s small business electricity and gas consumers, with changes taking effect from 4 February 2026, aimed at improving transparency, fairness and engagement in the non-domestic ene

The Utility Regulator has confirmed that a formal review of regulated gas tariffs in Northern Ireland is now under way, covering domestic and small business customers supplied by SSE Airtricity Gas Supply and Firmus Energy , while electricity prices for Power NI customers remain under ongoing monitoring. The review applies to customers in the Greater Belfast and West gas areas, supplied by SSE Airtricity Gas Supply, and the Ten Towns area, supplied by Firmus Energy. The regu

The cost of a UK TV licence will increase to £180 a year from 1 April 2026, the Government has confirmed, in line with inflation and the terms of the existing BBC funding settlement. The £5.50 rise – equivalent to an extra 46p a month – follows the methodology set out in the 2022 Licence Fee Settlement, which links annual increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) until the end of the current BBC Charter period in 2027. Ministers said the increase is intended to provide the

Council’s Interim Chief Executive, Valerie Watts Fresh upheaval has emerged at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council following the sudden termination of a senior management contract, a move that has raised questions over governance, transparency and potential financial implications for ratepayers. Love Ballymena understands that Valerie Watts , who has been Council’s Interim Chief Executive since June 2022, has ended the contract of the interim Director of Operations with imme

The Ulster Unionist Party has warned that Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector faces a critical threat following the publication of draft Reval 2026 valuations, with concerns mounting that sharp increases in rateable values could lead to job losses, reduced investment and business closures. Figures released by Land & Property Services (LPS) provide businesses with their first sight of new Net Annual Values (NAVs), which will be used to calculate non-domestic rates from 2026

More than 75,000 non-domestic properties across Northern Ireland have been revalued following the publication of the draft valuation list for Reval 2026 by Land & Property Services (LPS). The draft list, released this week, will form the basis for business rates from 1 April 2026, and LPS is urging ratepayers to review their new valuations now to ensure accuracy before the list is finalised. Non-domestic rates apply to a wide range of premises, including shops, offices, wareh

Northern Ireland is set to introduce statutory miscarriage leave and pay from April 2026, marking a significant extension of workplace protections for parents experiencing pregnancy loss. Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has published the Department for the Economy’s consultation response on introducing statutory miscarriage leave and pay, confirming the creation of new legal rights for employees affected by miscarriage or other forms of pregnancy loss at any stage. The

One of the fake £20 Bank of England notes that was passed to a local retailer Businesses across Ballymena are being urged to remain vigilant following reports of a significant rise in counterfeit bank notes circulating in the town over the past fortnight. Several local traders have contacted Love Ballymena to warn fellow business owners after discovering fake notes being passed during everyday transactions, particularly in busy retail settings. According to reports received,

Land & Property Services has launched a new digital service designed to make it easier for ratepayers across Northern Ireland to manage their rates accounts online. The new Rates Online platform allows customers to view account details, report changes, make payments and raise queries through a single online portal. Users can also opt to receive their rates bills electronically, reducing paperwork and offering faster access to important information. The service forms part of a