New figures reveal where 260 homes were built across Mid & East Antrim as housing land capacity tops 6,500

A total of 260 new homes were completed across Mid and East Antrim during the financial year from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, according to a new council report.

Presented to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee at The Braid in Ballymena on Thursday, the Housing Land Availability Report shows Ballymena accounted for 41 per cent of all new homes completed during the year, ahead of Carrickfergus (13 per cent) and Larne (almost 12 per cent).

The report also indicates that around one-third of completions took place in the borough’s small towns, villages and small settlements.

Ballymena records increase while Carrickfergus sees sharpest decline

A total of 173 homes were completed across the borough’s three main towns during the period, down from 210 in the previous financial year.

The largest decline was in Carrickfergus, where completions fell from 80 to 35.

In Larne, the number of new homes decreased from 36 in 2024/25 to 31 in 2025/26.

However, Ballymena bucked the overall trend, with completions rising from 94 to 107 over the same period.

Growth in small towns but fewer village completions

The number of new homes completed in the borough’s small towns doubled from 28 in 2024/25 to 56in 2025/26.

These included:

• 32 in Cullybackey

• 12 in Ahoghill

• Seven in Greenisland

• Five in Whitehead

By contrast, completions in the borough’s villages fell sharply, from 78 to 30.

The highest number of village completions was recorded in Ballycarry (12), followed by Portglenone (eight), Cargan (six), and Kells and Connor (four).

Among the borough’s small settlements, there was one new home completed in Cairncastle during the year.

More than 6,500 homes could still be built

The housing monitor identifies land with capacity for 6,521 potential new homes across Mid and East Antrim, with almost 278 hectares of land remaining for residential development.

This figure includes sites that already have planning permission but have not yet been developed, as well as developments currently under construction.

The report states there is “significant housing capacity remaining in each of the three main towns.”

Current estimated capacity includes:

• Ballymena: almost 1,700 homes

• Carrickfergus: 1,868 homes

• Larne: 1,802 homes

Additional capacity also exists across the borough’s smaller towns, villages and settlements.

Infrastructure remains a major obstacle

The figures come as concerns continue over Northern Ireland’s ability to deliver enough new housing.

Chair of the Northern Ireland Housing Council, Alliance Councillor Aaron Skinner, recently told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that one of the biggest barriers to increasing housing supply is the lack of wastewater infrastructure.

He suggested that allowing Northern Ireland Water to operate independently of the Department for Infrastructure would enable it to borrow the money needed to invest in upgrading wastewater systems.

“There is unlikely to ever be enough money in the Northern Ireland budget to do what needs to be done. That would allow us to build the wastewater infrastructure we need to build the houses we need. Until we get more houses, we are going to keep having a housing crisis.”

Housing demand remains high

Despite the available land identified for future development, demand for housing remains significant.

At the end of March 2025, there were 3,248 applicants on the Housing Executive waiting list in Mid and East Antrim. Of these, 2,458 were classified as being in housing stress, meaning they were living in unsuitable accommodation.

The Housing Executive has also said that 295 new social housing properties were under construction across Mid and East Antrim during the 2024/25 financial year at a cost of almost £11 million, with a further 195 social housing units planned across the borough.