“We can’t just give up”: Councillors push plan to revitalise town centres across Mid and East Antrim

McKillen’s on Church Street closed its doors earlier this month after 100 years of trading as a family business in Ballymena town centre

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is being urged to establish a taskforce to develop a strategic action plan aimed at supporting the borough’s three main town centres.

The proposal is due to be brought before a full meeting of the council at The Braid in Ballymena on Monday evening by Coast Road DUP Councillor Andrew Clarke, seconded by party colleague, Larne Lough Councillor Gregg McKeen.

Elected members are being asked to back the business community in what is described as an urgent effort to address the “decline” of town centres across the borough.

Brian McRandal, chair of Larne Business Forum, has called for a co-ordinated response to what he described as the “accelerating decline of town centres across Mid and East Antrim”.

In a letter to elected representatives, Mr McRandal said:

“Across Mid and East Antrim, our town centres face the same pressures: rising costs, reduced footfall, increasing vacancy and a lack of sustained investment. The result is visible and worrying decline.”

The motion calls on the local authority to establish a town centre taskforce comprising elected members, council officers, representatives from the retail and hospitality sectors, business organisations, town centre partnerships and other relevant stakeholders.

The proposed taskforce would undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the borough’s three town centres, including footfall patterns and consumer behaviour, infrastructure, accessibility and public realm considerations, as well as opportunities for diversification and investment.

It would also review existing town centre boundaries, assessing whether these should be reduced or redefined to better reflect current economic activity and support more targeted regeneration.

This could include proposals for the creation of enhanced zones within each town centre, where focused interventions such as public realm improvements, business support initiatives, marketing campaigns or investment incentives could be prioritised.

The taskforce would aim to bring forward a strategic action plan outlining short-, medium- and long-term measures to support local retail and strengthen town centre resilience.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Councillor Clarke said:

“I work in the centre of Larne, and so I am passionate about bringing our town centres back to life. It is about more than shopping: a town centre sustains jobs and livelihoods; it is a community bringing people together, a place of heritage and tradition.

“While online shopping has had a devastating impact, we cannot just give up. This taskforce will bring everyone together, pooling resources and ideas. We all have a role to play in turning the tide: the council must seek the lowest possible rates for businesses; owners must provide the best possible experience they can, while residents can make an effort to shop local.”

Councillor McKeen added:

“Strengthening our town centres has never been more important. As shopping habits change and online retail continues to grow, we must ensure our high streets remain vibrant, competitive and welcoming places for people to live, work and spend time.

“Establishing a town centre taskforce will allow us to take a strategic, evidence-based approach, bringing together local businesses, community partners and the council to plan for the future.

“By reviewing how our town centres function today and identifying opportunities for investment, innovation and improved accessibility, we can help create resilient, attractive town centres that support local jobs and sustain our retail and hospitality sectors for years to come.”