Allister warns Ballymena’s high street is being strangled by crushing overheads

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 for Ballymena’s retail core and highlighted what he described as systemic failures in how town centres are supported.

McKillen’s, which traded for 100 years on Church Street, has been widely regarded as one of Ballymena’s longest-established independent retailers and a cornerstone of local commerce.

‘A retail massacre for Church Street’

Reacting to the closure, Mr Allister said the cumulative impact of recent business losses amounted to a crisis for the town centre.

“The double blow of McKillens’ closure following hard on the heels of Wyse Byse is nothing short of a retail massacre for Church Street,” he said.

“For 100 years, McKillens has stood as a pillar of Ballymena’s commercial life, but today it has been driven to the brink by the toxic combination of punitive business rates and a high street left to rot.”

The MP said the disappearance of long-established family businesses should be seen as a warning sign for policymakers and those responsible for economic regeneration.

Pressure on family businesses and local traders

Mr Allister argued that the closure of a business that had endured a century of economic and social change demonstrated the severity of pressures now facing independent retailers.

“It is an absolute disgrace that while bureaucrats dither, the very backbone of our town is being dismantled,” he said.

“When family institutions that survived a century of upheaval are forced to surrender, it isn’t just an economic shift, it is a systemic failure.”

The loss of McKillen’s has implications beyond retail alone, affecting employment, footfall and the character of Ballymena town centre, which has already seen a number of high-profile closures in recent years.

Warning of further decline without action

Mr Allister said urgent action was required to address what he described as “crushing overheads” if further closures are to be avoided.

“If those in power do not wake up and address the crushing overheads strangling our traders, there will be no high street left to save,” he said.

“Ballymena deserves better than empty shopfronts and hollow promises.”

The comments underline growing concern among local representatives and traders about the long-term viability of Ballymena’s high street and the future of independent, family-run businesses in the town.

Rates-setting under scrutiny as council meets behind closed doors

The comments come at a pivotal moment for Ballymena town centre, as Mid and East Antrim Borough Council prepares to set the district rate for the 2026–27 financial year.

Councillors are due to meet behind closed doors this evening (Monday, February 9) at The Braid in Ballymena to agree the district rate, a decision that will directly affect local businesses, including those operating on Church Street and across the wider town centre.

The setting of the district rate is a critical annual process for councils, determining the level of rates paid by households and traders and shaping the operating environment for local businesses in the year ahead.

With Ballymena’s high street continuing to face sustained pressure from rising costs, reduced footfall and recent closures, the outcome of the rates-setting process is being closely watched by retailers and town centre stakeholders.

The meeting takes place against the backdrop of growing concern over the cumulative impact of overheads on independent traders, highlighted by the closure of McKillen’s and other long-established businesses in the town.