Ballymoney (borough)

Ballymoney Borough
Area	418 km^2 (161 sq mi)  Ranked 17th of 26
District HQ	Ballymoney
Catholic	31.8%
Protestant	63.1%
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
EU Parliament	Northern Ireland
Councillors	MLAs North Antrim DUP: 3 Sinn Féin: 1 TUV: 1 UUP: 1
	MPs Ian Paisley, Jr. (DUP)
Website	www.ballymoney.gov.uk
List of places UK Northern Ireland

Ballymoney was a local government district with borough status in Northern Ireland. It was headquartered in Ballymoney. Other towns in the borough include Dervock, Dunloy, Cloughmills and Rasharkin. The borough has a population of 31,224 according to the 2011 census.

In May 2015 it was merged with the boroughs of Coleraine and Limavady to form the Causeway Coast and Glens district.

Creation

Ballymoney is one of twenty-six districts created on 1 October 1973. It took over the areas Ballymoney Urban District Council and most of the surrounding Ballymoney Rural District in County Antrim.^[1]

Borough council

The borough is divided into three electoral areas which between them return 16 members. These are Ballymoney Town (5), Bann Valley (6) and Bushvale (5). Elections are conducted under the proportional representation single transferable vote system, and elections of the whole council are normally held every four years. The election due to take place in May 2009 was postponed in anticipation of the creation of eleven new councils in 2011.^[2] The proposed reforms were abandoned in 2010, and the most recent district council elections took place in 2011^[3]

As of February 2012 the political composition of the council was: 8 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 3 Sinn Féin, 2 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 1 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 1 Traditional Unionist Voice and 1 independent.^[4]

In 1977 Ballymoney District Council successfully petitioned for a grant of a charter of incorporation, constituting the district a borough.^[5]

Mayor of Ballymoney

The charter also created the office of mayor, who is chosen for a one year term at the council's annual meeting.

Year	Name	Political affiliation		Deputy	Deputy's affiliation
1977–81	Mary J. Holmes		Independent	Robert McComb		Independent
1981–84				Charles Steele		DUP
1985–86	Charles Steele		DUP	Joe Gaston		UUP
1986–87	Joe Gaston		UUP	James Patterson		DUP
				Robert Halliday		DUP
1988–89	Cecil Cousley		DUP	William Logan		UUP
1990–93	Joe Gaston		UUP	Samuel McConaghie		DUP
				Cecil Cousley		DUP
				Malachy McCamphill		SDLP
1994–95	Cecil Cousley		DUP	Robert Wilson		DUP
1996–97	Joe Gaston		UUP	Samuel McConaghie		DUP
1997–98	Frank Campbell		DUP	William Logan		UUP
				Samuel McConaghie		DUP
1999–00	William Logan		UUP	Bill Kennedy		DUP
2000–01	Bill Kennedy		DUP	Samuel McConaghie		DUP
				John Finlay		DUP
2002–03	Frank Campbell		DUP	Cecil Cousley		DUP
2004–05	Cecil Cousley		DUP	Ian Stevenson		DUP
2006–07	John Finlay		DUP	Cecil Cousley		DUP
2007 – 08[6]	John Finlay		DUP	Harry Connolly		SDLP
2008 – 09[6]	John Finlay		DUP	Cecil Cousley		DUP
2009 – 10[7]	Frank Campbell		DUP	Cecil Cousley		DUP
2010 – 11[4]	Bill Kennedy		UUP	Cecil Cousley		DUP
2011 – 12[4]	Ian Stevenson		DUP	Thomas McKeown		UUP
2012 – 13[4]	Evelyne L Robinson		DUP	Cecil Cousley		DUP
2013 -[4]	John Finlay		DUP	Ian Stevenson		DUP

Source: Freedom of Information request to Ballymoney Borough Council

Freedom of the town

In 2012 the Royal Irish Regiment and 152 (Ulster) Transport Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps (Volunteers) were awarded the freedom of Ballymoney by the council. On both occasions the regiments held special marches through the town to celebrate the awards. Previous recipients of the award include the Royal Ulster Constabulary,Fire Brigade, Joey Dunlop,his brother Robert and former MP for the area Ian Paisley.^[8][9]

Town twinning

In 2000, Ballymoney Borough Council twinned with the French town of Vanves. Since 2001, the council has been a sister city of Benbrook in Texas and building on its motorcycling history, is also linked to the borough of Douglas, Isle of Man.

Parliamentary and assembly representation

Together with the neighbouring districts of Ballymena and Moyle, it forms the North Antrim constituency for elections to the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.

Demographics

Ballymoney is Northern Ireland's fastest-growing town in terms of population. It is thought that this is because it is one of the most central places in Northern Ireland, being one hour from Belfast and one hour from Derry. Another reason is as a result of high house prices in the Coleraine/Portstewart/Portrush 'Triangle' areas shifting first-time buyers to the less expensive Ballymoney area.

The borough has the highest life expectancy of any area in Northern Ireland, with the average male life expectancy at birth being 79.0 years and 82.6 years for females.^[10]

See also

• Local Councils in Northern Ireland

References

1. Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971
2. Northern Ireland elections are postponed, BBC News, April 25, 2008, accessed April 27, 2008
3. "The executive fails to agree a deal on council reform". BBC News. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
4. "Ballymoney Council members". Ballymoney Borough Council. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
5. Letters Patent bearing date the 18th day of February 1977, have passed the Great Seal of Northern Ireland, granting a Charter of Incorporation to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Ballymoney." The Belfast Gazette: no. 2920. pp. 566–567. 4 March 1977.
6. "Minutes of Annual General Meeting 19 June 2008" (PDF). Ballymoney Borough Council.
7. "Minutes of Annual General Meeting 18 June 2009" (PDF). Ballymoney Borough Council.
8. "RIR given freedom of Ballymoney" BBC News 12 May 2012
9. "152 Tpt Regt RLC(V) given freedom of Ballymoney" Ballymoney Times 5 September 2012
10. Life Expectency

External links

• Ballymoney Borough Council

Coordinates: 55°4′15″N 6°30′28″W / 55.07083°N 6.50778°W