Ballymena Homepage

About us

The European Union has three main themes within which Member States must focus their Rural Development Programmes. These themes (or axes) are:

Axis 1 - Improving the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry
Axis 2 - Improving the environment and countryside
Axis 3 - Improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging diversification

North East Region (NER) will deliver the Axis 3 measures under the NIRDP using a ‘LEADER’; approach i.e. local people making local decisions

The Programme is strategically delivered by a Joint Council Committee (JCC) on which three elected representatives from each of the five Council areas sit. Ballymena Borough Council is the Administrative Council, with responsibility for all financial and administrative matters.

The Programme is implemented by a Local Action Group (LAG), comprising of fifteen locally elected representatives and fifteen social partners.

About the Programme

The North East Region covers the from Islandmagee in the south, along the Causeway Coastal route to Castlerock on the North coast and inland following the River Bann to Portglenone.

The area is predominantly rural and therefore eligible for funding assistance, although there are larger towns (i.e. population of 4,500 or more) which are classified as urban and are therefore ineligible for funding. These towns are:

Ballycastle Town
Ballymena Town
Ballymoney Town
Coleraine Town
Larne Town
Portrush Town
Portstewart Town

The rural wards which are eligible for funding are listed below:


• Ahoghill • Broughshane • Craigywarren • Cullybackey • Dunminning • Glenravel • Galgorm • Glenwhirry • Grange • Kells • Portglenone • Slemish	• Ballyhoe & Corkey • Benvardin • Cloughmills • Dervock • Dunloy • Killoquin Lower • Killoquin Upper • Knockaholet • Seacon • Stranocum • The Vow	• Agivey • Castlerock • Dundooan • Dunluce • Garvagh • Kilrea • Macosquin • Ringsend


• Ballycarry • Cairncastle • Carnlough • Glenarm • Glynn • Islandmagee • Kilwaughter	• Armoy • Ballylough • Bushmills • Carnmoon • Dunseverick • Glenaan • Glenariff • Glendun • Glenshesk • Kinbane • Mosside & Moyarget

Rathlin & Bonamargy is deemed an ineligible ward, as Bonamargy covers some of the urban area although Rathlin Island is eligible for funding assistance.

To check which ward your project is in, logon to www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk and type your postcode into the search function, which will then show the electoral ward.

If you are in any doubt that your project may not be in an eligible ward please contact staff for assistance.

Map of North East Region

Joint Council Committee Members

Ballymena

Cllr James Currie, MBE, UUP Cllr Declan O'Loan, SDLP Cllr Desmond Robinson, DUP

Ballymoney

Cllr Evelyne Robinson, DUP Cllr Ian Stevenson, DUP Ald Harry Connolly, SDLP

Coleraine

Ald William Creelman, DUP Cllr Barney Fitzpatrick, Alliance Cllr David Harding, UUP

Larne

Cllr Michael Lynch, Independent Cllr Winston Fulton, DUP Cllr Maureen Morrow, UUP

Moyle

Cllr Seamus Blaney, Independant Cllr Willie Graham, UUP Cllr Robert McIlroy, DUP