Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has been recognised for its leading work meeting planning targets across the region.

New Department for Infrastructure (DfI) statistics revealed the Council is the only local authority in Northern Ireland within the major application target of 30 weeks with an average of 25.1 weeks.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council also meets the target of 15 weeks for local applications, with an average time of 13.2 weeks, and attracted the largest increase in applications at 24.2%.

The Borough, which is already recognised for its strong commercial base and attractive investment location, has attracted a number of regionally significant announcements at Global Point in Newtownabbey. Working closely with Invest NI, the Council has also secured interest from Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) and Sensata Technologies. Added to this is the £90 million investment through the Belfast Region City Deal for the Queens University Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) all of this demonstrates significant confidence in the Council's efficient Planning service.

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Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Alderman Stephen Ross said: "I am delighted that once again our Planning Team have come out on top as the only council in Northern Ireland to exceed their targets. The Council provides a complete package of support to investors and our prime location and suitably zoned sites are central to our investment proposition. As a result we are well on track to attract over £1BN of investment and create 2000 jobs by 2025."

Chair of the Planning Committee Dr Alderman Fraser Agnew MBE commented: "The Council's planning team continue to consistently outperform targets which is welcome news to any investor. With other major proposals in the pipeline I look forward to many more global businesses investing in our Borough."