Other News In Brief

Lord Mayor Welcomes Belfast Olympians To City Hall

Belfast-based Olympic medallists Jack McMillan and Rebecca Shorten have been welcomed to City hall by Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray.

The pair met with Councillor Murray where he congratulated them on their historic achievements at the Paris Olympics.

Jack, from Belfast, won gold for Team GB as part of the Men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay team and is a former recipient of Belfast City Council's Support for Sport funding programme. He is also a former winner of the council's Sports Person of the Year award.

Rebecca, also from Belfast, won silver for Team GB in the Women's Coxless Four.

"I am proud to welcome Jack and Rebecca to City Hall to say a huge 'well done' on behalf of the citizens of Belfast," said Councillor Murray.

"This is an amazing achievement for them as athletes, and a great coup for our city to produce three medal winners on the world's biggest sporting stage, together with Philip Doyle, who picked up a bronze medal for Team Ireland in the Men's Double Sculls, and trains with Belfast Boat Club.

"All three have created brilliant memories for everyone who cheered them on and, most importantly, they will inspire others, particularly young people, to follow in their footsteps and get involved in sport and physical activity."

Councillor Murray also announced plans for a larger event to mark the contribution of all Belfast-based Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as coaches and volunteers involved in preparing for the games.

Planning for the special celebration is currently underway and it will take place in City Hall during September.

£14m Extension Plans For Kingfisher Country Estate Approved

A £14 million investment in the Kingfisher Country Estate in Templepatrick has been approved which will greatly improve its tourism appeal.

The plans include an extension to the main hotel building for an additional 68-bedroom suites with a ground floor function room and conservatory, as well as a mix of shepherd huts, glamping pods, log cabins and a hotel manager's lodge. It is estimated that 30-50 construction jobs will be created during the build with a further 70-100 full and part time jobs upon completion.

This proposed extension, situated on the southern side of the hotel, will offer views of the golf course and pond. This four-storey annex will feature a function room, toilets, lobby, bar, storage and cloakrooms on the ground floor. The first, second and third floors will each contain 20-bedroom suites, while the fourth floor will house the remaining eight suites.

A glazed corridor will link the proposed sunroom with the existing hotel building. The plans include eight glamping cabins, 10 shepherd huts and three larger log cabins, all equipped with self-catering facilities to offer visitors a variety of year-round accommodation options. Additionally, the approved plans will add 304 more parking spaces. Chairperson of Antrim and Newtownabbey Planning Committee, Cllr Jeanie Archibald-Brown said: "I am delighted these plans have been approved for the extension of the Kingfisher Country Estate. The additional accommodation options will appeal to a wider clientele attracting more visitors to the hotel and the Borough, which also underpins the demand for hotel accommodation in the area."

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Neil Kelly added: "This significant investment by the Kingfisher Country Estate is a great boost for the local tourism sector. The alternative accommodation options are an exciting addition to this well-established hotel and will complement the existing tourism offering."

Antrim And Newtownabbey Council Recognised As Top Planning Authority

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has once again been recognised as one of the top planning authorities among all Northern Ireland Councils.

According to figures released by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), the Council processed 20 major applications over the past year, with an average processing time of 21.1 weeks. This exceptional performance has positioned Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council as the leading authority among the 11 Councils. Notably, only three Councils met the 30-week target, while the others averaged 46.5 weeks.

The Council's leading planning performance was reinforced as it was ranked second in processing Local Planning Applications, with an average turnaround time of 13 weeks. This is under the 15-week target and greatly exceeds the average turnaround time of 20.8 weeks across all other Councils.

In addition to these achievements, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council stands out as the only Council in Northern Ireland to exceed the Statutory Enforcement target of resolving 70 per cent of enforcement cases within 39 weeks of receiving a complaint. The Council successfully concluded 90 per cent of these cases within the target timeframe, once again securing the top position among the 11 Councils.

Chairperson of the Planning Committee, Councillor Jeannie Archibald-Brown praised the planning team for their dedication which has influenced a string of major investments in the Borough: "The figures produced by DfI are testament to the hard work and efficiency of our Planning Team and Committee."

The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Neill Kelly added: "I commend the invaluable work of the Council’s Planning Team and Committee who have helped to secure a multi-million-pound investment pipeline for the borough, creating significant job opportunities, and delivering an economic boost for the area."

Some of the major planning applications approved this year include:

• £143M Birch Hill Centre for Mental Health (27 weeks)

• £23M investment for Sysco Ireland Distribution Centre Nutts Corner (19 weeks)

• £10M investment for new Sports Village at University of Ulster Jordanstown (21 weeks)

• £8M investment for Monkstown Boxing Club (25 weeks)

• £6M investment for Montgomery Development Ltd (23 weeks)

• £5.5M investment for Premier Inn Hotel at Belfast international Airport (22 weeks)

• Expansion of Antrim Primary School (23 weeks)

• Expansion of Fairview Primary School (23 weeks)