Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council Meeting Highlights December 2025

The Borough Council met at Mossley Mill on Monday 15 December for the final full council meeting of the year.

While much of the evening followed standard procedure, several important discussions and decisions took place that will directly affect local residents, businesses, and town centres across the borough.

Here’s a breakdown of the main talking points and what they mean for the community.

One of the most significant items of the night was a presentation from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) on the emerging Eastern Transport Plan.

Although discussed behind closed doors at DfI’s request, councillors agreed the issue was important enough to warrant further transparency. As a result:

👉 Why this matters:
Any major transport plan has long-term implications for traffic flow, public transport, road safety, and future development. Councillors are pushing for clarity before decisions are made that could affect daily commuting and local infrastructure.

Residents will be relieved to know that councillors openly raised concerns about ongoing waste collection issues, including:

Council officers confirmed:

There was also agreement to invite the waste contractor to present directly to councillors, giving elected members the chance to relay residents’ concerns face-to-face.

👉 Why this matters:
Waste collection affects every household. Acknowledging problems publicly and committing to stronger oversight is a step toward improved reliability.

Good news for town centres: councillors approved £30,789.72 in new grants under the Town Centre Shop Front Programme (Phase 3).

This funding will support businesses in:

Grants cover up to 80% of costs (max £4,999 per property) for improving shopfronts, helping to:

Since the programme began, over £467,000 has been awarded across the borough.

👉 Why this matters:
Well-maintained shopfronts make towns more welcoming and help support local economies — especially important during challenging trading conditions.

In a strong show of support for road safety, councillors backed a motion supporting Caoimhé’s Law, a proposed piece of legislation aimed at protecting vulnerable road users, particularly children and pedestrians.

The council agreed to:

👉 Why this matters:
This sends a clear message that road safety is a local priority and that councils can play a role in influencing wider legislative change.

Following questions from councillors, it was agreed that a full report on the Chimney Corner Hotel would be brought back to the January council meeting.

👉 Why this matters:
The site has been a long-standing topic of interest locally, and residents will be keen to hear about progress, ownership, or future plans.

To tackle derelict and vacant buildings, councillors approved a contract for the installation of virtual shopfront graphics in town centres including Antrim, Ballyclare, Crumlin, Glengormley and Randalstown.

Up to 27 properties will benefit initially, helping improve the look of empty units while longer-term solutions are explored.

👉 Why this matters:
Empty units can drag down entire streets. This is a relatively low-cost way to improve appearance and boost town centre confidence.

Councillors noted concerns raised by another council regarding the PSNI’s online-only firearms licensing system, particularly its impact on older residents and those without digital access.

While no immediate action was taken, the issue was formally acknowledged.

👉 Why this matters:
Digital services can unintentionally exclude people. Councils are increasingly being asked to flag these issues at a regional level.

While council meetings can sometimes feel remote or overly technical, this December session touched on issues that directly affect daily life — from bins and roads to town centres and safety.

If you’re interested in:

…it’s worth keeping an eye on upcoming meetings, especially January’s session.

📌 We’ll continue to break down council meetings into plain English summaries — so you don’t have to read the minutes.

Source: Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council