Northern Area Plan 2016
Moyle District: Ballycastle Development Strategy

Consistent with Ballycastle’s role as a Local Hub in the RDS and its relatively isolated position in relation to other main settlements, the town has been evaluated as having modest potential for growth.

In the previous Plan there was a significant level of over-provision of housing opportunities, based on the RDS indicator. The rapid physical growth in the past has been of a relatively loose urban form, including considerable undeveloped and under-used areas. The last Plan provided extensive areas of zoned housing land primarily to the west and north of the town, along with areas of undeveloped ‘white land’, that have only partially been developed.

It is considered there is no need to carry forward much of the undeveloped land within the development limit of the North East Area Plan. This assessment is as a consequence of the emphasis of the Regional Strategy on achieving more compact, sustainable urban forms and taking into account the quantity and range of urban capacity sites designated within the urban footprint. Accordingly, many of the uncommitted peripheral sites in the NEAP have been excluded and the town’s development limit has been more tightly defined. The emphasis throughout the Plan period will be on maximising development within the existing urban footprint, and the achievement of an attractive, compact and efficient living environment.

The Plan recognises Ballycastle town centre to be a significant commercial centre for the greater part of Moyle District, meeting many of the retail and other business needs of the local community. In addition, it has a significant specialist, retail and other commercial role, providing a valued service to visitors. The town centre has a range of good quality restaurants and other catering facilities. The Plan aims to protect the vitality and viability of the existing commercial centre. In the context of the modest size of the local shopping catchment, the town centre is particularly vulnerable to the impact of major suburban retail development, which will therefore not be acceptable.

There has been some modest business development in the past 20 years. The Plan will retain the existing industrial zoning at Leyland Road for appropriate business uses.