Corporate Plan Update Report - April to September 2025 page 4

Place

Our ambition:

By 2028, Mid and East Antrim will be widely recognised as an ideal place to live, visit, work and do business.

We will have vibrant, clean, and harmonious shared spaces, designed to showcase our natural, and built, heritage and assets.

Our tourism offering will be filled with diversity and richness of culture, history, and heritage, attracting visitors on a global scale.

Businesses, new and existing, will have the required support to grow and prosper, leading to an economically innovative and sustainable borough, offering stable employment, inclusive growth and an ideal place to invest.

To achieve this, we will:

Support the development of a sustainable, dynamic, and prosperous local economy that helps businesses to grow, and promote the borough as an ideal place to do business for both new and existing companies.
Help drive sustainable economic growth by promoting the borough as a leading visitor and cultural destination, utilising our natural, and built, heritage and assets.
Support our towns and villages to help regenerate and stimulate economic activity, while protecting and conserving our natural and historic landscape.
Enhance and expand our amenities, parks, open spaces, and built heritage, making sure they meet the needs of all, while encouraging their respectful and mindful use.
Conduct Council business in a way that encourages economic prosperity within the borough.

Under this theme, we have 30 measures. Of these:

90% have been achieved or are on track (27 of 30 measures)
3.3% are delayed but progressing (1 of 30 measures)
3.3% were not achieved (1 of 30 measures)
3.3% does not yet have available data (1 of 30 measures)

What you’ll see

Outcome 1	Deliver the Go Succeed service.
Measure 1	240 participants supported via Engage and Foundation by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	204 participants supported during the reporting period.
Measure 2	97 businesses supported to Grow and Scale by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	56 businesses supported during the reporting period.
Measure 3	165 jobs promoted/created by 31 March 2026. (Engage, Foundation & Enterprise Pathways and Growth/Scale)
Status: On track	88.5 jobs promoted during the reporting period. 60 via Engage and Foundation and 28.5 via Growth and Scaling. This figure is subject to verification.

Outcome 2	Develop and deliver new business growth programmes.
Measure 1	3 new tailored programmes delivered by 31 March 2026.
Status: Achieved	4 programmes of support developed during the reporting period. These include Green to Grow, Digital Edge, INI Supply Chain series, and Digital Transformation Flexible Fund Workshops.
Measure 2	150 businesses supported by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	67 businesses supported during the reporting period.

Outcome 3	Promote entrepreneurship, creative thinking and innovation to encourage more residents of all ages to consider enterprise as a future career pathway.
Measure 1	825 participants engaging in enterprise outreach activities by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	440 participants engaged during the reporting period.
Measure 2	25 economically inactive participants engaged in pre-enterprise activity by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	17 participants engaged during the reporting period.
Measure 3	5 economically inactive participants starting a business by 31 March 2026.
Status: Data not available yet	Data is not yet available and will be provided in our next update.

Outcome 4	Deliver a year-round programme of vibrant public events.
Measure 1	Attract 33,000 attendees to events by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	10,850 attendees recorded during the reporting period, across events including Broadway Beats, Evening Concert, Sunday Funday, Summer Serenades, Carrick Coastal Vibes, Irish Guards, and more.

Outcome 5	Sustain a high level of attendance in the Council's commercial Arts and Culture programme.
Measure 1	Attract 15,000 attendees to the Braid Theatre Programme by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	8,247 attendees during the reporting period.

Outcome 6	Drive footfall to Strategic Visitor Attractions.
Measure 1	60,000 visitors to be welcomed annually (56,000 to Carrickfergus Castle and 4,000 to Ancestral Cottages/US Rangers Museum) by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	53,848 visitors recorded during the reporting period. (50,538 at Carrickfergus Castle and 3,310 at Ancestral Cottages/US Rangers Museum).

Outcome 6

Drive footfall to Strategic Visitor Attractions.

Measure 1

60,000 visitors to be welcomed annually (56,000 to Carrickfergus Castle and 4,000 to Ancestral Cottages/US Rangers Museum) by 31 March 2026.

Status: On track

53,848 visitors recorded during the reporting period.

(50,538 at Carrickfergus Castle and 3,310 at Ancestral Cottages/US Rangers Museum).

Outcome 7	Progress the Revitalise Town Centre Programme.
Measure 1	Deliver the Shopfront Improvement Scheme by 31 March 2027.
Status: On track	Funding has been secured and an open call for applications was launched on 13 October.
Measure 2	Festive lighting upgrades installed in Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne by 31 November 2025.
Status: On track	On track for delivery.
Measure 3	Deliver the Christmas lighting trail in Shaftsbury Park, Carrickfergus, in December 2025.
Status: On track	On track for delivery in December.
Measure 4	Deliver 3 street art projects (Ballymena - landmark features, Carrickfergus - Youth Engagement Programme, and Larne - Street Art Jam) by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	The Larne project was delivered in August. Carrickfergus is scheduled for delivery mid-February 2026, and Larne by 31 March 2026.
Measure 5	Install a Pop-up Park in Larne by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	An architect has been appointed. The community consultation is underway and is due to close at the end of November.
Measure 6	Complete Dunluce Street clean-up (renew hoardings, paint facades etc.) by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	Funding has been secured, and the procurement documents are currently being drafted for contractors. Subject to funder approval, this will go to tender in the coming months.

Outcome 8	Develop a strategy to address Town Centre dereliction and vacancy to enable programme start in 2026/27.
Measure 1	Programme designed and application for funding submitted to DfC by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	The business survey has been completed, the results analysed, and the findings report drafted. Engagement with DfC on programme design has begun.

Outcome 9	Deliver Public Realm Improvements
Measure 1	Progress actions to complete public realm works at Ballymena Civic Spaces by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	The procurement for a design team has been completed and contract awarded.
Measure 2	Progress actions to complete public realm works at Braid River Walkway by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	The procurement for a design team has been completed and contract awarded to prepare a feasibility study and concept designs.
Measure 3	Complete design for Phase 2 of Point Street Public Realm Scheme Larne by 31 March 2026.
Status: Delayed but progressing	This project is facing delays which could impact the completion date; however, discussions are ongoing with DfC and DfI regarding scheme design and it is hoped that a design team will be in place by early 2026.

Outcome 10	Deliver Town Centre events to increase footfall and attract visitors to the borough.
Measure 1	15 events or activities held within Ballymena, Carrickfergus, and Larne town centres by 31 March 2026.
Status: Achieved	21 events were delivered during the reporting period, including Artisan Markets, Cirque de Carrickfergus, Broadway Summer Carnival, Feel Good Friday sessions, Ballymena Summer Carnival, Food Safety training, and Ballymena Fall Fashion Show. High participation and strong footfall were reported across all 3 towns.

Outcome 10

Deliver Town Centre events to increase footfall and attract visitors to the borough.

Measure 1

15 events or activities held within Ballymena, Carrickfergus, and Larne town centres by 31 March 2026.

Status: Achieved

21 events were delivered during the reporting period, including Artisan Markets, Cirque de Carrickfergus, Broadway Summer Carnival, Feel Good Friday sessions, Ballymena Summer Carnival, Food Safety training, and Ballymena Fall Fashion Show.

High participation and strong footfall were reported across all 3 towns.

Outcome 11	Progress the Cullybackey to Galgorm Greenway project.
Measure 1	Contractors appointed and on-site by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	The Business Case has been completed, and approval is expected by year-end.

Outcome 12	Progress Carnfunnock Country Park project.
Measure 1	Contractors appointed and on-site by 31 March 2026.
Status: On track	Clearance of the site has commenced.

Outcome 13	Deliver the Play Park Investment Framework.
Measure 1	3 play park refurbishments delivered by 31 March 2026.
Status: Achieved	3 playparks have been refurbished. These include Fisherwick in Ballymena, Oakfield in Carrickfergus, and Bardic Drive in Larne.

Outcome 13

Deliver the Play Park Investment Framework.

Measure 1

3 play park refurbishments delivered by 31 March 2026.

Status: Achieved

3 playparks have been refurbished.

These include Fisherwick in Ballymena, Oakfield in Carrickfergus, and Bardic Drive in Larne.

Outcome 14	Efficient payment processes and reduce bad debt.
Measure 1	A minimum of 60% of payments made within 10 working days.
Status: Achieved	During the reporting period 62% of payments were made within 10 working days.
Measure 2	A minimum of 80% of payments made within 30 calendar days.
Status: Achieved	During the reporting period 94% of payments were made within 30 calendar days.

Outcome 15	Achieve statutory Planning Service targets.
Measure 1	Major planning applications processed within an average of 30 weeks by 31 March 2026.
Status: Not achieved	This indicator is based on the median time taken to process a major planning application to a ‘decision’ or ‘withdrawal’. The latest verified data is for the period April to June 2025, when an average processing time of 115.8 weeks was recorded. During this period, no applications were decided, and 1 application was withdrawn, leading to an irregular result. This particularly complex application was first submitted in 2022, and before withdrawal, was significantly delayed due to external factors. Data up to September 2025 represents a more accurate and positive picture of processing time performance. This result will be published in our next update, following verification.
Measure 2	Local planning applications processed within an average of 15 weeks by 31 March 2026.
Status: Achieved	The latest available data is for the period April to June 2025, when a median processing time of 7 weeks was recorded. During this time, 143 applications were decided and 9 were withdrawn. 80.3% of cases were processed within 15 weeks, against a Northern Ireland council average of 42.9%. Data up to September 2025 will be published in our next update, when verified.
Measure 3	At least 70% of enforcement cases concluded within 39 weeks by 31 March 2026.
Status: Achieved	The latest available data is for the period April to June 2025, when 46 cases concluded. During this time, 71.7% concluded within 39 weeks, against a Northern Ireland Council average of 73.2%. Data up to September 2025 will be published in our next update, when verified.

Corporate Plan Update Report - April to September 2025