Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council Policy and Governance Meeting Highlights March 2026

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Policy and Governance Committee met on Tuesday 3 March, with a mix of policy decisions, finance updates and performance reports on the table.

While some of the business dealt with internal council processes, there were still several points that local residents may want to know about, including disability strategy feedback, payment performance, dual language street sign applications in Newtownabbey, attendance figures, customer service issues and preparations around domestic abuse leave.

Here is a clear round-up of the main talking points.

One of the main decisions of the evening was the approval of the council’s response to the Northern Ireland Disability Strategy 2025 to 2035 consultation.

The strategy is a 10-year plan aimed at improving life for Deaf and Disabled people by tackling barriers, improving access and supporting fuller participation in society.

Council supported the overall direction of the strategy, though members said there needed to be more clarity around what role local councils would play in delivering it and what resources would be made available.

For residents, this matters because it links to how accessible public spaces, services, transport, information, leisure and employment opportunities may be shaped over the next decade.

Members also approved a revised Risk Management Policy.

That may sound dry on the surface, but it plays a part in how the council identifies problems, manages uncertainty and makes decisions across services. The updated version reflects newer Treasury guidance and gives more detail on how much risk the council is prepared to accept in different areas.

In plain terms, it is about how the council keeps control of major decisions and avoids problems becoming expensive ones.

The committee approved the Quarter 3 Performance Progress Report for 2025 to 2026.

This sits under the council’s wider improvement plan and is part of how it measures whether services are meeting targets. The report itself was not debated in great detail during the meeting, but its approval shows the committee is satisfied enough for it to move forward.

For residents, this is one of the ways the council tracks whether it is actually delivering on promises rather than simply making them.

There was also some good news on the night, with the council confirmed as a finalist in three categories at the MJ Awards 2026.

The shortlisted teams were:

The committee agreed to reserve a table at the awards ceremony in London in June, with the Mayor, committee chairs or their nominees, along with relevant officers, attending on approved duty.

Some residents may welcome the recognition, especially where services are making a visible difference locally. Others may focus more on the cost of attendance. Either way, the decision was agreed as part of the council’s existing budget.

One of the more useful figures for local businesses came in the update on prompt payment performance.

Between 1 October and 31 December 2025, the council paid 5,644 invoices worth just over £17 million.

According to the report, 90 percent of invoices were paid within 30 calendar days and 80 percent were paid within 10 working days. That meant the council hit both of its payment targets for the quarter.

That is worth noting for suppliers and contractors working with the council, as payment times can have a real effect on cash flow, especially for smaller firms.

The report also showed the 10-day target had bounced back after dipping slightly in the previous quarter, while the 30-day target has now been met for seven quarters in a row.

The council also reported a positive outcome from its AccessNI compliance audit, which took place in January.

The audit found the organisation was sufficiently compliant and made no recommendations for improvement.

Strengths highlighted included good understanding of the law, solid identity checking and strong record keeping.

That may be seen as reassuring for anyone applying for roles or volunteering opportunities involving checks through the council.

A less positive update came in the managing attendance report.

The council’s annual target for absence is 14 days lost per employee. By the end of Quarter 3, the figure stood at 12.26 days per employee, which was above the target level expected by that stage in the year.

An action plan is already in place, but it remains an issue the council is still trying to bring under control.

For ratepayers, staffing levels and sickness absence can have a knock-on effect on how quickly some services are delivered, even if that is not always visible from the outside.

The Quarter 3 customer services report was also noted by members.

One point raised during discussion was complaints linked to waste harmonisation in the later part of 2025. The Head of Organisation Development said complaints received by Customer Services had been resolved and would be followed up with the Waste team to make sure they had all been closed.

That is likely to catch the eye of residents who have been affected by changes to bin collections or related waste service arrangements.

It suggests the issue was serious enough to be mentioned at committee level, even if officers believe the complaints have now been dealt with.

Dual language street signs remain a topic that attracts attention locally, and the latest update included two new applications in Newtownabbey.

The streets listed at Stage 1 were:

At this stage, the petitions are still being verified by the Electoral Office. No applications were listed at Stage 2 or Stage 3.

So, for now, this is an early step rather than a final decision, but it is one to watch for residents living in those areas or those following the wider issue across the borough.

Members were also updated on Section 75 and rural screenings completed between November 2025 and January 2026.

A range of policies were screened, including ones linked to internal audit, staff social media use, festive recycling arrangements, dog control orders, a dementia safeguarding scheme, entertainment licensing and the Corporate Performance and Improvement Plan for 2026 to 2027.

All were screened with no mitigation required.

That may not grab headlines, but it shows the council continuing to review whether policies could have an impact on different groups in the community.

Another item likely to interest staff and residents was an update on the Domestic Abuse Safe Leave Act in Northern Ireland.

Although the law was passed in 2022 and provides for at least 10 days of paid safe leave for victims of domestic abuse, it has not yet come into operation because supporting regulations have not been finalised.

The meeting heard that implementation is anticipated by May 2027.

In the meantime, the council said it is preparing a draft Domestic and Sexual Abuse Policy, and any requests for domestic abuse-related leave will continue to be handled on a case-by-case basis until the law formally starts.

As often happens, part of the meeting moved into confidential session.

In private, members were updated on the council’s procurement pipeline and spend analysis. The minutes show that 44 procurement exercises had been completed since April 2025, with a further 16 expected before the end of March 2026.

There were also three more tenders expected to be awarded for contracts starting on 1 April 2026.

While the detail was not made public, the figures give a sense of the amount of purchasing activity moving through the council.

This was not a meeting packed with dramatic decisions, but it did include a steady run of updates that connect to everyday council business.

For local people, the standout points were the disability strategy response, ongoing waste-related complaint follow-up, the new dual language sign applications in Newtownabbey, payment performance for suppliers, staff absence levels and early work around domestic abuse safe leave.

It was also a reminder that a lot of council work happens through policy, reporting and monitoring long before residents see the effect on the ground.

If you like seeing plain-English summaries of local council meetings, this is exactly the kind of discussion that shapes everyday services often without much public attention.

Read the full minutes of the March 2026 Policy & Governance Committee Meeting.

Source: Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council