‘Enough is enough’ over fires at former Ballymena college as NRC sets out sale plans
NIFRS at the scene of the most recent deliberate fire In the former college building in Ballymena
Wednesday 30 September 2026
Another suspected deliberate fire at Ballymena’s former Northern Regional College campus has prompted a call for urgent action to secure the building and clarify its future.
Ulster Unionist representative Colin Crawford said “enough is enough” after firefighters were called to the vacant site on Saturday 19 September, warning that people living and working nearby were facing a recurring problem.
Responding to questions from Love Ballymena, Northern Regional College said it had added perimeter fencing and warning signs to deter unauthorised access and was proceeding with an open-market sale after no public bodies expressed an interest.
Three appliances attend latest fire
Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service was alerted at 5.37pm. Two appliances from Ballymena Fire Station and one from Antrim attended the incident, which NIFRS recorded as being on Demesne Avenue.
A NIFRS spokesperson said:
“Firefighters were called to reports of a small rubbish fire in a commercial building on Demesne Avenue, Ballymena.
“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used one hose reel jet and one jet to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate ignition and Firefighters left the scene at 6.20pm.”
Residents and businesses need answers
Ballymena Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) representative Colin Crawford
Mr Crawford thanked the firefighters who attended the former Trostan Avenue campus but said they should not have to keep returning to the empty site.
“Local residents and businesses are rightly fed up.
“The Department for the Economy needs to get a grip of this situation. This site cannot simply be left to deteriorate while vandalism continues and emergency services are repeatedly called out.”
He called for both immediate security measures and a clear explanation of what would happen to the property.
Call for urgent intervention
“People living and working around Trostan Avenue deserve to know what is happening with this site.
“I am calling on the Department to urgently intervene, properly secure the site and publish clear plans for its future.
“Ballymena deserves better than an empty building being allowed to become a repeated problem for the surrounding community.”
College outlines additional security
Asked by Love Ballymena about the site, a college spokesperson said:
“When the College vacated Trostan Avenue to consolidate provision in its new state-of-the art £55m Ballymena campus, boarding was installed to secure the site.
“The initial boarding has since been supplemented with new security fencing to the perimeter of the Trostan Avenue building in August/September 2026, to deter ongoing vandalism and unauthorised access to the premises.
“Warning signage has been placed on the building and additional signage has been installed on the new perimeter fencing to further deter unauthorised access.”
Former campus moves towards sale
The college said it had first offered public bodies the opportunity to express an interest in the former campus through the public-sector disposal process.
“The College has followed the public sector D1 disposal process for the former campus; no expressions of interest were received from the trawl of public bodies. As a result, the College has proceeded to place the building on the open market for disposal.”
For a site that served generations of local students, a sale could open a new chapter — and the possibility of making a positive contribution to life in Ballymena once again.
