Ballymoney (borough)
| Ballymoney Borough | |
| Geography | |
 |
|
| Area - Total |
Ranked 17th of 26 418 km² |
|---|---|
| Admin HQ | Ballymoney |
| ISO 3166-2 | GB-BLY |
| ONS code | 95D |
| Demographics | |
| Population - Total (2010) - Density |
Ranked 25th 30,600 73 / km² |
| Community | Catholic: 31.8% Protestant: 63.1% |
| Politics | |
| Control | No overall control DUP: 8 Sinn Féin: 3 UUP: 2 Independent: 1 SDLP: 1 TUV: 1 |
| MLAs | North Antrim DUP: 3 Sinn Féin: 1 TUV: 1 UUP: 1 |
| MPs | Ian Paisley, Jr. (DUP) |
| Meeting place | |
| Website | |
| http://www.ballymoney.gov.uk | |
Ballymoney is a local government district with borough status in Northern Ireland. It is 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 |
Creation [edit]
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 [edit]
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 [edit]
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 [edit]
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 [edit]
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 [edit]
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 [edit]
Ballymoney is Northern Ireland's fastest-growing town in terms of population[citation needed]. 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[citation needed]. 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[citation needed].
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 [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971
- ^ Northern Ireland elections are postponed, BBC News, April 25, 2008, accessed April 27, 2008
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b c d "Ballymoney Council members". Ballymoney Borough Council. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Minutes of Annual General Meeting 19 June 2008". Ballymoney Borough Council.
- ^ "Minutes of Annual General Meeting 18 June 2009". Ballymoney Borough Council.
- ^ "RIR given freedom of Ballymoney" BBC News 12 May 2012
- ^ "152 Tpt Regt RLC(V) given freedom of Ballymoney" Ballymoney Times 5 September 2012
- ^ Life Expectency
External links [edit]
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