Council to seek Royal Charter status

Ballymena Council have taken the first steps in seeking Royal Charter status for the new Mid and East Antrim Council, which comes into being next year.

Anne Donaghy, Chief Executive of Ballymena Council, said that she would be raising the issue with her counterparts in Carrick and Larne borough councils and the Voluntary Transition Committee of the new combined council.

Speaking at last week’s monthly meeting of council, Ms Donaghy said with all three councils having ‘borough’ status, she was seeking approval to progress an application for Royal Charter status for the new merged council to retain the ‘borough’ status.

Ms Donaghy advised that, subject to the other two councils agreeing, an application would then be made to the Secretary of State for consideration, before it would then come before Her Majesty the Queen.

Councillor Maurice Mills proposed that council agree to allow Ms Donaghy to progress the matter. His proposal was seconded by Councillor Declan O’Loan who said it was “imporatant we move on this.”

The proposal was passed, with two votes of opposition from Cllrs, Monica Digney and Paul Maguire.