Mid-Antrim District Council?
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Ballymena Borough Council will be renamed Mid-Antrim District Council if local government boundary changes are given the go-ahead.
Under proposals unveiled last week by Local Government Boundaries Commissioner Dick MacKenzie, Ballymena would be expected to amalgamate with Carrickfergus and Larne.
Where there are more than two borough councils involved in the re-grouping, new district council names such as Mid-Antrim, Causeway Coast or Mid-Ulster will appear.
There will now be an eight week period for the submission of written comments.
This will be followed by 11 public hearings until the end of November, and the final say on the project rests with the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Announcing the plans, Commissioner MacKenzie, said his report was only at its first stage and had not taken any political considerations into account.
The number of councils will fall from 26 to 11, and only one representative can be elected per ward, with 40 wards per council.
Belfast will incorporate a total of 60 electoral wards.
Mr McKenzie said, "The proposed boundaries of the districts are based on the amalgamation of the existing councils, with the exception of Belfast for which I am recommending a revised boundary to reflect the expansion of the city over the years."
“The publication of my report is the first stage of a process which is designed to establish the district and ward boundaries for a completely new configuration of local government in Northern Ireland."
If agreed, Belfast will take in parts of Lisburn, such as Twinbrook and Poleglass, and areas of Castlereagh council.
Parts of County Down will also be affected when they become Newry City and Down.
Antrim will now be named Antrim and Newtownabbey District Council.
Mayor of Ballymena, Councillor Maurice Mills welcomed the proposals but expressed his concern that the status of Borough and Royal Charter seemed to be overlooked.
This was something that needed addressed, he added.
Cllr Mills said, "I am glad to see that the Commissioner has decided to make it one councillor per ward, as I believe, for the public's sake, it allows them to identify with the representative.
“There is still a lot to be discussed regarding the new make up and with relation to Ballymena, Larne and Carrickfergus, it's up to councillors in those areas to decide their future."
