Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has announced DOE Planning approval for more than 2,500 square metres of office space in the grounds of historic Galgorm Castle.

The scheme will bring an investment of £3m to the area with high specification offices and workspace units. These are designed sympathetically to complement the Grade A listed Castle and the existing business park that previously won a prestigious Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Award for building restoration of the year.

There are already 20 small businesses in the business park which has attracted international firms including an American engineering company and a South Korean software company.

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This is part of an overall investment of £8m by Galgorm Castle Estate. A championship golf course, due to hold the Northern Ireland Open later this summer is already in place; a new garden centre is currently under construction bringing with it restoration of the original Jacobean walled garden; while plans for the future restoration of Galgorm Castle itself are being advanced.

Mr Durkan said: "This is a real boost for Ballymena. It will attract businesses and therefore jobs to the area – both local and international, as well as creating jobs during the development and construction phases.

"As new Minister, I will be pushing our planners to make the right decisions as quickly as possible. This application was turned around within four months and proves how the planning system can deliver swiftly for local businesses seeking to provide significant investment and employment in their local areas."

(CD/JP)