Northern Area Plan 2016
Ballymoney Borough: Ballymoney Development Strategy

Consistent with Ballymoney’s role as a Local Hub in the Regional Development Strategy, the Plan will provide for the continued expansion of the town’s residential, industrial, commercial, educational and recreational functions. The town has the critical mass of population, and the range of facilities to facilitate sustainable development minimising the need to travel out of the town. It is strategically located on the regional transport corridor with generally good relations between the main communities. The town therefore has a good base for expansion.

The emphasis is on achieving an attractive, compact and efficient living environment. The rapid physical growth in the past has been of a relatively loose urban form, including considerable undeveloped and under-used areas. The North East Area Plan provided extensive areas of zoned housing land along with areas of undeveloped ‘white land’ that have only partially been developed. With the emphasis of the Regional Strategy on achieving a more compact and more sustainable urban form, and the very considerable amount and range of urban capacity sites identified within the urban footprint, it is considered that there is no longer a need for much of the undeveloped land in the last Plan to remain zoned. Accordingly, the town’s development limit has been defined to exclude more peripheral sites, and the Green Belt has correspondingly been modestly expanded.

The Plan focuses on the promotion of the identified town centre as the main retail and commercial centre within Ballymoney Borough. A major retail survey was carried out in the summer of 2003 indicated that 94% of Ballymoney respondents used their local town for shopping, although there were retail sectors such as books, toys and furniture, with considerably lower use of the town. The reasons given for such a high figure include a good atmosphere, friendliness of staff, and most importantly, convenience. The town centre has within it a number of opportunity and target sites, predominately in the area between Linenhall Street and High Street. The development of these will be promoted through the Plan, so that the physical environment is enhanced and the town centre economy is further strengthened.

Ballymoney is adequately provided for in terms of leisure facilities and recreational land. These have been identified and will be protected from unrelated development. Ballymoney Borough Council has spent considerable time and resources in successfully developing the Riverside Park and Riada Playing Fields. Plans are also underway to link the Riverside Park with the grounds of the Joey Dunlop Centre, with a major open space development including a cycleway/footpath.

The Department considers that there is more than sufficient undeveloped industrial land remaining from the last Plan. Consistent with the Regional Development Strategy there should be a generous supply of industrial land, the Plan has retained all the existing industrial zonings with the exception of that land adjacent to Knock Road. Furthermore, Ballybrakes industrial estate is designated for employment purposes. These are expected to provide for any demand for industrial/ business uses.