District HQ Ballymoney Sovereign state United Kingdom Website www.ballymoney.gov.uk Catholic population 31.8% Province Ulster | Country Northern Ireland EU Parliament Northern Ireland Area 418 km² Protestant population 63.1% Capital Ballymoney | |
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Councillors MLAs
North Antrim
DUP: 3
Sinn Féin: 1
TUV: 1
UUP: 1
MPs
Ian Paisley, Jr. (DUP) Points of interest The Dark Hedges, Dunlop Memorial Garden, Ballymoney Museum, Dooey's Cairn, Benvarden Gardens | ||
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.
Contents
- Map of Ballymoney UK
- Creation
- Borough council
- Mayor of Ballymoney
- Freedom of the town
- Town twinning
- Parliamentary and assembly representation
- Demographics
- References
Map of Ballymoney, UK
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.
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. The proposed reforms were abandoned in 2010, and the most recent district council elections took place in 2011
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.
In 1977 Ballymoney District Council successfully petitioned for a grant of a charter of incorporation, constituting the district a borough.
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.
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.
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.