Mid and East Antrim expands bin lorry fleet as housing growth drives demand

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, and Rowan Moore, Director of Place at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, are pictured at Slemish alongside a few of the new vehicles joining the Council’s refuse collection fleet.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is investing in ten new refuse collection vehicles as pressure grows on waste services across a rapidly expanding Borough.

The major fleet upgrade includes a mix of smaller rural-access vehicles and larger high-capacity units aimed at improving reliability, cutting downtime and preparing for future population growth across local towns and villages.

Council officials say the investment is designed to strengthen day-to-day bin collection services for households while replacing ageing vehicles that have become increasingly costly and difficult to maintain.

New fleet designed for rural and growing communities

The latest order includes:

• Three 16-tonne refuse collection vehicles designed to access narrower rural roads and harder-to-reach areas

• Seven larger 26-tonne units for standard collection operations across the Borough

The new vehicles form part of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s wider vehicle replacement programme, which has focused on modernising frontline operational services.

The Council said the upgraded fleet will help improve route coverage, reduce operational disruption caused by breakdowns and support a more sustainable approach to waste management.

The move comes as demand on local services continues to increase alongside housing development and population growth across areas including Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne.

Council says investment will improve reliability

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, said maintaining a modern refuse fleet was essential to ensuring residents continue receiving dependable collection services.

He said:

“This investment ensures we can continue delivering a high standard of waste collection service to the public.

“The addition of these new RCVs strengthens our fleet, supports our staff, and reflects our pledge of continuous improvement to all homes in Mid and East Antrim.

“It is vitally important our fleet remains fit for purpose to deliver an efficient, reliable and sustainable service.

“The expansion of our RCV fleet gives us greater flexibility to respond effectively to future service demands as new homes are developed and the population in the Borough grows.”

Safety technology added to upgraded vehicles

The Council said the replacement programme has also allowed older vehicles to be phased out in favour of newer models equipped with improved safety systems.

Advanced safety technologies installed in the new refuse collection vehicles are intended to help reduce the risk of workplace injuries and road traffic incidents involving crews and members of the public.

The investment reflects increasing pressure on councils across Northern Ireland to modernise ageing operational fleets while maintaining essential public services amid growing demand and tighter budgets.

For residents, the practical impact is expected to be fewer service interruptions, improved reliability during busy collection periods and greater resilience during mechanical breakdowns or adverse weather conditions.

Fleet rollout underway across the Borough

The new vehicles are now being deployed across Mid and East Antrim service areas and are expected to be fully integrated into operations by early summer.

The expansion marks another significant infrastructure investment by the Council into one of its most visible frontline public services, affecting thousands of households across the Borough every week.