Ashe elected first ‘Chair’ of Mid & East Antrim

The new 40-member Mid & East Antrim 'Super Council' for Ballymena, Larne and Carrickfergus. (Absent from photo are Cllrs Mark McKinty and James McKeown).

He was elected to the position, officially titled ‘Presiding Councillor’ on Tuesday night at the inaugural meeting of the new ‘Super’ authority in the Braid, Ballymena, where Ballymena TUV Councillor Timothy Gaston was elected Deputy Presiding Councillor.

Also on the agenda for the 40 new councillors, were a number of key items of business, including interim governance arrangements, nominating Chairs and Deputy Chairs of a number of committees, and the issue of applying for borough status for the new Council.

The new council will exist alongside Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne Borough Councils, operating in shadow form until March 31, 2015.

This transition period will focus on putting in place the building blocks of the new Mid and East Antrim Council, which will begin delivering services to citizens on April 1, 2015, when the existing councils will wind up.