Every rule that governs your project, in one place.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Employment land and premises are essential to the future economic prosperity and growth of our Borough. The identification of a wide range of suitable opportunities is therefore a key role for the LDP

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The attractiveness of our Borough's town centres and commercial areas is also a vital component of economic and social activity within our Borough. Their continued vitality and viability is therefore

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Tourism is a key growth sector within the Borough's economy. The quality of tourism attractions, facilities and accommodation is integral to the performance of this sector and the delivery of the Coun

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Establish Antrim and Newtownabbey as a premier business location where both existing and new, innovative, cultural and creative enterprise can prosper.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Provide a range and quality of land and premises to facilitate business growth, promote economic diversification and protect our strategically important employment locations including the Regional Gat

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Support the development of sustainable tourism and enhanced tourism infrastructure.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

EMPLOYMENT A Place of Economic Opportunity 5

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Establish Antrim and Newtownabbey as a premier business location where both existing and new, innovative, cultural and creative enterprise can prosper.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Provide a range and quality of land and premises to facilitate business growth, promote economic diversification and protect our strategically important employment locations including the Regional Gat

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Promote development and regeneration of our town centres and commercial areas.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Support the development of sustainable tourism and enhanced tourism infrastructure.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

As part of the Council's commitment to enhanced prosperity in our Borough, the role of the Local Development Plan (LDP) is to facilitate continued employment growth that meets the needs of our Borough

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council has identified existing strategically located industrial/employment sites (generally of 10 hectares or greater in size) as Strategic Employment Locations (SEL). These sites are listed in T

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council also considers two new SELs are required, one in Antrim and, one in Ballyclare to meet the long-term industrial and business needs of these places. The location and boundaries of these sit

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

As the primary employment sites serving our Borough the Council will operate a presumption against the alternative use of land and premises in SELs to safeguard them for future employment purposes.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Metropolitan Newtownabbey Global Point, Monkstown Industrial Estate, Church Road, Mallusk, South of Antrim Road (Mallusk), North of Antrim Road (Mallusk), Antrim Rathenraw Industrial Estate, Newpark I

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Until such time as the boundary of the SEL at BIA is identified, the Council will operate a presumption in favour of a wide range of industrial, business, airport related and other complementary emplo

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

In addition to SELs the Council will, where appropriate, identify other established industrial and business areas in Metropolitan Newtownabbey and our Borough's towns as Local Employment Sites. The lo

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Whilst these sites will continue to facilitate current local employment needs and be safeguarded for such use, it is recognised that there may be potential for mixed-use redevelopment schemes to deliv

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will support the ongoing operational needs of our Borough's agricultural sector and facilitate appropriate farm diversification schemes.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will operate a town centre first approach in considering the development of retail and other main town centre uses across our Borough. This will be achieved by: (a) Applying the hierarchy

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will support homeworking where the nature of the activity proposed has minimal impact on neighbours and remains ancillary to the residential use of the property and as such does not result

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Developers should note that Major Planning Applications and other significant employment generating schemes and uses provide important opportunities for employment training and skills development with

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Economic Strategy has assessed employment trends in the future and forecasts that employment in our Borough could increase from 67,000 to 76,000 jobs up to 2030; a potential growth of up to 9,000

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Much of the development associated with these sectors has taken place within identified employment sites in our larger settlements. It is clear that in order to meet the Strategic Objectives of the LD

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

This approach accords with regional policy in the Regional Development Strategy (RDS) that seeks to ensure an adequate and available supply of land to facilitate sustainable economic growth. The RDS a

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Beyond Metropolitan Newtownabbey and our Borough's towns, the Council is not proposing to designate employment lands in the interests of flexibility; rather proposals in our villages and rural area wi

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

In conjunction with the Council's Economic Strategy an Employment Land Evaluation Report (ELER) was undertaken in support of the Plan Strategy. This has provided a robust analysis of our Borough's emp

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

BIA is a critical regional gateway into Northern Ireland and one of the most significant employment locations in the Borough. As a strategically important transport interchange, BIA is and will contin

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

In addition to SELs, the Council intends to identify other more locally important employment sites within Metropolitan Newtownabbey and our towns. Whilst these remain an important employment resource,

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Figure 5: Hierarchy of Centres in our Borough

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will protect these strategic sites and resist proposals for alternative uses except where the development is ancillary to an existing use of the site or comprises a suitable sui generis em

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will support proposals for the expansion of businesses on Local Employment Sites (LES) or their redevelopment with more modern facilities for employment use where these accord with other r

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Proposals for alternative uses within these sites will only be considered favourably by the Council where: (a) The site or building in question has been disused for at least 12 months; (b) It is demon

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will also consider favourably a firm proposal for the comprehensive mixed use redevelopment of a LES where it is demonstrated that this will deliver significant community, employment, plac

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Proposals for business and employment-related development in other locations within settlements will be acceptable where these are in accessible locations and of a scale and nature appropriate to the

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Proposals for the redevelopment of individual business premises that are not zoned for employment use will be assessed on their individual merits against other relevant policies of the LDP.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will support a range of employment uses in the countryside where the scale and nature of the proposal respects the rural character and appearance of the local area, and will not adversely

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will support employment use associated with a suitable farm diversification proposal in accordance with Policy DM 5.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will support proposals for the conversion and reuse of a redundant non-residential rural building for an employment use where the nature and scale of the proposal is appropriate to its cou

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The development of tourism attractions, amenities and recreational facilities will also be supported where these accord with Policy DM 9.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will support the development of a small rural enterprise project on a site outside a village or hamlet, but clearly associated with it, where it is demonstrated there is a firm proposal su

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Policy DM 3: Economic Development – Incompatible Uses DM 3.1 The Council will operate a presumption against development near an existing or approved economic development use that would be incompatibl

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will support proposals for a new agricultural building(s), forestry development or other development ancillary to the operation of an active farm business where it is demonstrated that: (a

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

In assessing proposals, it will normally be expected that the business has been established and active for a minimum of 6 years. Exceptionally, a lesser period may be acceptable, but only where the ap

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

DM 4.3 Exceptionally the use of a suitable alternative site away from the existing buildings on the holding may be acceptable where: (a) It is essential for the efficient functioning of the farm or fo

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

DM 4.4 Development proposals involving intensive farming, forestry or animal husbandry must demonstrate that they will not result in any significant adverse health or environmental effects, particular

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

5.37 The aim of this policy is to facilitate sustainable diversification schemes that will allow farmers to supplement the income they receive from farming. This aim has taken account of and is consis

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

The Council will encourage and support a diverse range of retail and complementary town centre uses[4] within our Borough's identified centres provided these support rather than detract from the succe

Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)

Proposals that would result in the loss of retail units will only be permitted where it is demonstrated that the retail use of the unit is no longer viable (e.g. evidence to show that despite marketin