NEWS

Church Street in Ballymena town centre where one of the council’s 19 cameras is located. Tuesday 20 October 2026 Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has confirmed there are 19 CCTV cameras in Ballymena but has refused to reveal how many are currently operational, following questions raised by court evidence that cameras covering part of Church Street were not working. The council disclosed the total number of cameras in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from

Friday 16 October 2026 Ballymena town centre is preparing for a frightfully fun afternoon this Halloween, with free treats, spooky characters, fancy dress and family entertainment all part of a popular event returning for 2026. The Ballymena Halloween Trail is back on Friday 30 October, this time with a Haunted Harvest theme that will send families exploring the town centre, collecting treats from participating businesses and showing off their best Halloween costumes. Organis

Models (ACA) who lit up the catwalk on Friday night at the Ballymena Fashion Show Tuesday 13 October 2026 Ballymena Town Centre took centre stage on Friday evening as more than 200 fashion enthusiasts gathered for a sold-out Autumn/Winter Fashion Show, celebrating local retailers while raising £1,340 for charity. Returning to The Braid on 9 October for its fourth year, the popular event brought together independent boutiques, department stores and high street favourites to sh

The newly launched Women’s Aid shop in Ballymena Monday 05 October 2026 Women’s Aid has officially opened a new shop in Ballymena, giving local people another way to support its work with women and children experiencing domestic abuse. The new store at 23–25 Henry Street will sell new and nearly new women’s clothing and accessories alongside books, furniture and other donated items, with proceeds helping support the charity’s services. New town centre shop Mayor of Mid and Ea

The former Halifax bank building on Main Street, Larne at the centre of a proposal for a new coffee shop and galateria. Wednesday 30 September 2026 Plans have been submitted to turn Larne’s former Halifax bank into a coffee shop and gelateria. An agent acting on behalf of Assemble Brunch Company has applied to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for a change of use at 33 Main Street. The proposal would bring the vacant premises back into use as a coffee shop and ice cream bus

Site for Lidl’s proposed new concept store in Ballymena Thursday 24 September 2026 Plans for one of Northern Ireland’s largest Lidl stores have come under fresh scrutiny after independent retail experts said they are not yet satisfied that the need for the major Ballymena development has been demonstrated — or that it would avoid significant adverse impacts on the town centre. The findings are contained in a detailed independent Retail Audit commissioned by Mid and East Antri

Tuesday 22 September 2026 Ballymena’s Merchant Fish and Chips has been named among the UK’s top 40 fish and chip takeaways, putting the local business back in contention for one of the industry’s biggest national honours. The Merchant is one of just four Northern Ireland businesses to make the longlist for Takeaway of the Year at the National Fish & Chip Awards, which are now in their 39th year. Ballymena chippy back in national spotlight The recognition continues a strong ru

Asda’s Ballymena store on Broughshane Street Police are appealing for witnesses after a quantity of alcohol was stolen during a burglary at commercial premises in Ballymena town centre. The break-in happened at the Asda premises on Broughshane Street in the early hours of Thursday 10 September, with police receiving a report at around 4.30am. Two suspects seen leaving scene Two male suspects were seen making off on foot following the burglary. Police said both were wearing ba

CGI image of how the new development could transform the streetscape in Ballymena town centre. Final design drawings with a full planning permission application have not yet been submitted. Image: © Love Ballymena 2026 Plans for a major redevelopment in the heart of Ballymena have been unveiled, proposing 79 new apartments alongside refurbished Church Street shops, a community hub and a landscaped pedestrian route through the town centre. The emerging “Meeting House Mews” sch

Photos from 2025 Fashion Show, featuring local models and professional models from ACA Modelling Agency. ACA will be partnering with organisers again for this year’s show. Ballymena’s Autumn/Winter Fashion Show is returning for a fourth year next month, promising a night of new-season style, live music and entertainment following a sell-out event in 2025. The popular annual event will take over The Braid on Friday 9 October, bringing independent boutiques and high street reta

Councils are set to receive stronger powers to tackle dangerous buildings, abandoned properties and neglected land after new Northern Ireland-wide legislation cleared its final Assembly stage. The Dilapidation Bill will allow councils, including Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, to intervene earlier and issue enforcement notices requiring property owners, occupiers or others with a relevant interest to carry out remedial work. Where a council is forced to undertake the wor

The new soon-to-open arcade and coffee shop in Ballymena town centre A new coffee shop and amusement arcade planned for Ballymena town centre could operate around the clock under an application submitted to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. The premises at 41–43 Church Street already have planning permission to change from a vacant retail unit into a coffee shop and amusement arcade. The approved operating hours are 9am to 9pm from Monday to Saturday and 11am to 9pm on Sun

CGI of the proposed new 12,300 sq. ft JD Sports store at Fairhill Shopping Centre Tuesday 1 September 2026 JD Sports is to relocate within Ballymena’s Fairhill Shopping Centre after exchanging contracts for a new 12,300 sq ft store. The sportswear and footwear retailer will move from its existing Fairhill shop into a newly formed unit occupying a prominent corner location within the centre. The agreement secures JD Sports’ continued presence at Fairhill and marks another ste

The scene of the single vehicle collision at an apartment complex in Ballymena Monday 31 August 2026 A 39-year-old man has been charged with three driving offences after a car crashed in Ballymena, leaving extensive damage to railings and a road sign immediately outside an apartment building. The single-vehicle collision happened in the Broughshane Road area, in the early hours of Sunday, 30 August. A photograph taken following the collision shows metal railings badly buckled

Ballymena newsagent Eugene Diamond on Sunday as he serves his last day from his shop on Broughshane. Eugene retires after 47 years at the heart of local community. Sunday 30 August 2026 Every morning, for 47 years, while much of Ballymena was still sleeping, Eugene Diamond was already beginning his day. At 5am, the lights would go on inside his small shop on Broughshane Street. Before long came the factory workers heading for early shifts, followed by familiar faces Eugene ca

Ballymena’s business community has helped turn the town’s historic 400th birthday into several days of celebration, generosity and community spirit — with families entertained, shoppers surprised with gifts and prizes, and £850 raised for charity. From a packed End of Summer Street Party on Greenvale Street to businesses creating their own giveaways, discounts and birthday surprises for the official Charter Day, Ballymena BID says the response showed just how strongly local b

Ballymena Town Hall, and (inset) North Antrim MP Jim Allister Ballymena’s 400th anniversary has been marked at Westminster, with North Antrim MP Jim Allister tabling a House of Commons motion celebrating four centuries of the town and the generations of people who have helped shape it. The parliamentary recognition comes on a landmark day for Ballymena — exactly 400 years since King Charles I granted the charter on 25 August 1626 which established the foundations of the marke

Ballymena BID is bringing businesses across the town centre together for a major birthday celebration tomorrow as Ballymena marks its historic 400th anniversary. Shops, cafés, restaurants and other businesses will roll out special offers, £400 giveaways, discounts, competitions, parties and treats on Tuesday 25 August, while the Ballymena BID team will be out on the streets handing out nostalgic party bags — with some containing extra surprises. The “Birthday Bonanza” is desi

Ballymena BID is bringing businesses, families and visitors together for two major days of town-centre celebrations as Ballymena prepares to mark its 400th birthday. An End of Summer and Ballymena 400 Street Party will take over Greenvale Street on Saturday 22 August, before businesses across the town join the official birthday celebrations on Tuesday 25 August. The programme, with support from Department for Communities (DfC), will run alongside a number of anniversary event

The success of the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann has strengthened plans for more pedestrianisation in Belfast city centre, with Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins confirming that proposals will go before the public within weeks. More than 1.6 million visits were recorded across the eight-day festival, when a number of city centre streets were closed to traffic to accommodate crowds, performances and events. The temporary arrangements have intensified the debate over how Belfast’