NEWS

Residents, businesses and visitors are being invited to have their say on the future of Carrickfergus, as a major £42.2 million regeneration scheme moves into its next phase with a new public consultation event later this month. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has confirmed it will host a free drop-in session on Thursday 23 April 2026 at Carrickfergus Museum & Civic Centre , giving the public an opportunity to view the latest designs for the Carrickfergus City Deal Regene

Cullybackey College’s current school premises on Pottinger Street Ambitious plans to completely redevelop Cullybackey College with a new 700-pupil post-primary campus and major road upgrades have moved into the public consultation stage, marking a significant step forward for long-awaited improvements to education facilities and traffic infrastructure in the village. The proposal, centred on lands to the north, south and west of No. 41 Dreen Road and including No. 130 Dreen R

Concept drawing of Roe Park House demonstrating how the property would look if Galgorm Collection planning proposal approved. Galgorm Collection’s multi-million-pound transformation of Roe Valley Resort has taken another visible step forward, with plans submitted to restore the original Georgian entrance of historic Roe Park House. A Listed Building Consent application has been lodged with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council seeking approval to reinstate the former main

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has received plans for a new 154-caravan extension at Skerries Holiday Park in Portrush. The council’s planning department has recently received an application for 154 new static caravan pitches, along with associated amenity space, parking, and landscaping, on lands at and to the south-west of the existing park at 126 Dunluce Road. According to an accompanying Design and Access Statement , the site includes the access and front portio

How the new proposed buildings will look on North Street, Carrickfergus Planning permission has been granted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the construction of new apartments in Carrickfergus town centre on the site of a former pub. The approved proposal will see The Northgate bar and restaurant, at 59–63 North Street, demolished and replaced with an apartment block comprising 17 social housing units. The development includes four one-bedroom general-needs apartme

Extensive Trust Ford garage proposed by Turkington for Ballee Playing Fields site. Fresh development proposals for the former Ballee Playing Fields have reignited one of Ballymena’s most closely watched local controversies, with local businessman Josh Mulholland issuing a strongly worded open letter warning the town’s future is at stake. The latest plans, now entering pre-application community consultation, outline a mixed-use development including drive-thru restaurants, a

Leighinmohr House Hotel Planning permission has been granted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for a rooftop spa and a new bridal cottage at the Leighinmohr House Hotel in Ballymena. A development management officer’s report said the proposed spa will be located on the first floor, with alterations at ground-floor level to accommodate a lift at the Leighinmohr Avenue premises. Planners received eight objections raising concerns about potential noise pollution, external

CGI of proposed new Home Bargains store in Antrim Residents are being invited to have their say on plans for a new Home Bargains store in Antrim, as a formal community consultation process gets underway ahead of a planning application. Developers behind the proposal have launched a Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) on plans to redevelop the former Townparks car showroom site on Ballymena Road, just southeast of the Springfarm Roundabout. The consultation allows me

CGI image of the proposed new Lidl store at St Patrick’s Link Road / Broughshane Road, Ballymena Why would a global supermarket chain choose a specific piece of land in Ballymena for what could become one of its largest stores in Northern Ireland? Planning documents submitted for the proposed Lidl development at St Patrick’s Link Road provide a detailed answer — pointing to soaring local demand, strategic transport links and a wider £500 million expansion across Northern Irel

A consultation is launching on the proposed site of mix use development on former publicly owned land at Ballee Playing Fields, in Ballymena . A new chapter in the long-running debate over the future of Ballee Playing Fields in Ballymena is about to begin, after Mid and East Antrim Borough Council approved a Planning Application Notice (PAN) for a major mixed-use development on the site. The land off Ballee Road West — formerly owned by the council — could be transformed into

Front and side elevation of the proposed tourist accommodation facility at a former rectory in Armoy Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has received plans for tourist accommodation at a former rectory in Armoy. The council recently received a planning application seeking permission to convert and reuse existing stables, including the addition of an extra floor, to create two two-bedroom tourist accommodation units near Ballinlea Road in the village. According to an acco

Cotter’s Park glamping site near Randalstown An annual indoor entertainment licence application for a glamping site outside Randalstown has been deferred following discussion at a meeting of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Operations Committee at Antrim Civic Centre on Monday evening. The application relates to dancing, singing and music – entertainment of a “like kind” – at Cotters Park on Clonkeen Road, operating Thursday to Sunday from 2.00pm until 1.00am, for

Slemish Market Garden, Ballymena A planning application for the retention of a farm shop, car park extension and change of use of an existing office and former retail unit to storage in Ballymena has been approved by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee. Members granted permission at a meeting on Thursday (February 26) for works at Slemish Market Garden, located within the grounds of the Ecos Nature Park at Kernohan’s Lane. The approval also covers a new s

The location of a proposed HMO property on Galgorm Road, Ballymena A proposed change of use from a dwelling to a house in multiple occupation (HMO) at 46 Galgorm Road, Ballymena, has been refused. The application was turned down by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee at a meeting in The Braid, Ballymena, on Thursday, despite a recommendation to approve. A planning officer told the meeting the proposal involved the change of use of a five-bedroom, three-st

Plans for a new 3G pitch and stand at Ballymena Showgrounds A planning application for a new full-size 3G football pitch and spectator stand at Ballymena Showgrounds has been approved by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee. A planning officer told the committee, which met at The Braid in Ballymena on Thursday, that the existing grass pitch (number seven) is one of several within the Ballymena Showgrounds complex. In addition to upgrading the pitch to a 3G

CGI of Lidl’s proposed new store on St Patrick’s Link Road, Ballymena. A significant new retail investment is being proposed for one of Ballymena’s busiest gateway locations — with plans submitted for a large-format Lidl foodstore at the junction of St Patrick’s Link Road and Broughshane Road. The planning application is supported by a detailed Planning, Design and Access Statement setting out proposals for a purpose-built store with a gross internal floor area of 2,560 squar

Galgorm Castle, Ballymena A bold £14 million regeneration plan promises to breathe new life into one of Ballymena’s most historic estates — with a boutique hotel, arts venues and more than 200 jobs at its heart. Galgorm Castle Education and Preservation Limited (GCEP) , custodian of Galgorm Castle, has submitted a full planning application for what it describes as a landmark restoration and renewal programme. If approved, the ambitious scheme would not only rescue the estate

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

CGI of proposed new home at site of a former nuclear monitoring bunker in Kilrea Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has received plans for a new home and wine cellar at the site of a former nuclear monitoring bunker in Kilrea. The planning application proposes the renovation and extension of the redundant Royal Observer Corps (ROC) monitoring bunker at Blackrock Road in the village. According to the accompanying Design and Access Statement , the upper ground floor of th

The former banking centre in Belfast approved for change of use to a Transitional Care Centre A former banking call centre in Belfast is to be transformed into a Transitional Care Unit following a decision at City Hall. Elected representatives on Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee unanimously approved an application on Tuesday (February 17) for the proposed change of use from offices to a short-term Transitional Care Unit at Santander House, 1 Mays Meadow, Belfast, clo