Council officers back controversial Ballymena riverside housing plan despite huge community backlash

Views across Tullygarley bridge toward the proposed housing development site near the River Braid

Planning officers have recommended approval for a controversial housing development beside Ballymena’s Braid River Walk despite months of fierce opposition from residents, environmental concerns and a petition backed by hundreds of people.

The proposal, which has triggered one of the most emotionally charged local planning disputes in Ballymena in recent years, would see 28 new homes built on lands close to the River Braid near Tullygarley, accessed through Dunluce Park and Kenbane Crescent.

Residents from Dunluce Park, Grange Road, Dans Road, The Rosses and surrounding areas have campaigned aggressively against the development, arguing it threatens wildlife, increases flood concerns and could fundamentally alter one of Ballymena’s best-loved riverside green spaces.

Despite that backlash, planning officials at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council have concluded the scheme complies with planning policy and should be approved.

The recommendation now places the final decision in the hands of councillors on the Planning Committee, setting up what is likely to become a highly scrutinised and politically sensitive vote in the weeks ahead.

What the proposal actually means

Proposed site plan for a controversial housing development site near the River Braid in Ballymena

The application, submitted by Toomebridge-based JFM Construction, seeks outline planning permission for:

• 28 homes

• access through existing approved developments

• a pumping station

• landscaping and associated site works

Crucially, this is an application for outline planning permission only — meaning the council is currently being asked to approve the principle of housing on the site rather than the final detailed design.

That means no construction could begin immediately even if councillors approve the application.

Developers would still need to return with a separate “reserved matters” application covering detailed layout, house designs, drainage, landscaping, access arrangements and other technical elements before development could proceed.

Planning officers repeatedly emphasise throughout the report that many finer details would only be assessed at that later stage.

However, campaigners fear that granting outline approval would effectively establish the principle of development beside the river corridor — something they say should not happen at all.

Braid River Walk becomes emotional centre of dispute

House design drawings for a proposed controversial housing development site near the River Braid in Ballymena

The Braid River Walk has become the emotional heart of the controversy, with campaigners describing it as far more than simply a pathway beside the river.

Residents say the route is one of Ballymena’s most important shared outdoor spaces — used daily by walkers, runners, anglers, dog owners, families and people seeking quiet green space close to the town centre.

For many residents, particularly following the Covid pandemic, the riverside corridor became an important space for physical activity, mental wellbeing and connection with nature.

Campaigners insist opposition extends well beyond Dunluce Park itself, with regular users of the Braid River Walk travelling from across Ballymena and surrounding areas.

The proposed site sits directly beside the River Braid and is bounded by mature vegetation and trees.

Planning officers state the concept layout retains the existing riverside path and positions development away from the immediate river edge.

The report says:

“The concept layout has respected the existing open space provision along the riverside path by locating the development to the north of the site.”

But residents opposing the scheme argue the issue is not simply whether the path physically remains open, but whether the character, environment and tranquillity of the wider riverside area can survive another major housing expansion.

Hundreds objected to plans

Local concerned residents and supporters who handed in a petition in January to Council opposing the housing development proposal along the River Braid.

Council documents reveal the scale of opposition formally lodged against the development.

Planning officers confirmed the council received:

• 53 formal letters of objection

• one petition containing 885 signatures

Residents campaigning against the development have previously stated their wider campaign gathered more than 1,200 signatures alongside protest letters and political support from representatives across the political spectrum.

The officer’s report summarises the main objections raised by residents as:

• inadequate and unsafe road infrastructure

• loss of open space

• building on a flood plain

• concerns around the proposed pumping station

• impact on wildlife and ecology

However, officers ultimately concluded none of those issues justified refusal under planning policy.

Traffic concerns rejected by Roads officials

Traffic and access concerns became one of the biggest flashpoints in the campaign.

Residents warned Dunluce Park and surrounding residential streets were never designed to accommodate years of heavy construction traffic or a significant increase in daily vehicle movements.

Concerns were repeatedly raised about large construction vehicles travelling through residential streets where children play and families walk to nearby schools and amenities.

Despite that, DFI Roads raised no objection after reviewing traffic assessments submitted as part of the application.

The report states:

“The applicant’s traffic consultant provided a robust analysis on the intensification of the existing access and demonstrated that it was within acceptable design parameters.”

Planning officers concluded the proposal “will not prejudice road safety or significantly inconvenience the flow of road users”.

That conclusion sharply contrasts with the position adopted by residents and several local political representatives who have publicly backed the campaign against the development.

Wildlife concerns dismissed by statutory consultees

Environmental and wildlife concerns have also played a central role in the campaign.

Residents say the area supports protected species including otters, bats and badgers alongside dozens of bird species using the riverside habitat.

Planning officers confirmed ecological reports and mitigation measures formed part of the application process.

The report states that NIEA Natural Environment Division reviewed the proposal and raised “no concerns, subject to conditions”.

The site is also hydrologically connected to protected environmental designations linked to Lough Neagh and Lough Beg.

A Habitats Regulations Assessment carried out on behalf of the council concluded the project “would not have an adverse effect on the integrity of any European site”.

The report acknowledges approximately 16 metres of hedgerow would be removed but says around 180 metres of compensatory hedging is proposed.

Conditions attached to the recommendation would require further environmental controls, including:

• pollution prevention measures

• water quality monitoring

• sustainable drainage systems

• spoil management plans

• environmental emergency procedures

Floodplain and sewage concerns remain contentious

Flood risk and wastewater infrastructure remain among the most sensitive issues surrounding the proposal.

Planning officers confirmed that part of the western side of the site lies within the 1-in-100-year floodplain, including climate change allowances.

However, the report states the proposed homes themselves would sit outside the floodplain on elevated land.

The floodplain section would remain as open space under the concept layout.

Concerns were also raised about the proposed pumping station replacing an earlier wastewater treatment proposal.

NI Water raised no objection subject to a developer-funded infrastructure upgrade.

Planning officers stated any emergency wastewater discharge would remain subject to separate NIEA controls and statutory regulation.

Housing need emerges as major factor

One of the most significant aspects of the planning report is the scale of housing demand identified in Ballymena.

According to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Ballymena currently has an unmet need for 362 social housing units between 2024 and 2029.

The report also states that 839 households were classified as being in housing stress as of September 2025.

As a result, planning officers say any future detailed application would need to provide at least 20% affordable housing.

That issue adds another layer of tension to the debate, placing growing housing demand against strong local opposition to further expansion beside the river corridor.

Long planning history behind site

The lands involved already have a lengthy planning history stretching back more than a decade.

Council records show multiple residential permissions have previously been approved around the Dunluce Park area dating back to 2014.

Those earlier permissions included detached homes, semi-detached homes, townhouses and apartments.

The current proposal forms part of continuing residential expansion in the wider Tullygarley and Dans Road area.

Final decision still rests with councillors

Despite the recommendation for approval, the development has not yet been formally granted planning permission.

The final decision now rests with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee, where elected councillors can either approve or refuse the outline application.

If councillors approve the proposal, developers would still need to return with a reserved matters application before any homes could actually be built.

That future stage would involve further scrutiny of detailed designs, layout, landscaping, drainage and environmental mitigation measures.

But for campaigners trying to protect the Braid River Walk and surrounding green space, the upcoming committee decision is increasingly being viewed as the defining moment in a battle that has already united residents from across Ballymena behind one of the town’s most high-profile grassroots planning campaigns in recent years.