Larne Borough Council Explained

Official Name:Larne Borough
Local Name:Buirg Latharna
Country:Northern Ireland
Static Image 2 Name:Larne in Northern Ireland.svg
Area Total Km2:336
Hide Services:yes

Larne Borough Council was a Local Council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. It merged with Ballymena Borough Council and Carrickfergus Borough Council in May 2015 under the reorganisation of local government in Northern Ireland to become Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

Its headquarters was in the town of Larne.

The Borough of Larne was divided into 3 electoral areas: Larne Town, Larne Lough and Coast Road. At the final election in 2011 15 members were elected from the following political parties: 4 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 3 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 2 Independent, 3 Alliance Party, 1 Traditional Unionist Voice, 1 Sinn Féin and 1 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).

Aldermen Jack McKee (TUV) and Roy Beggs (UUP) were the longest serving councillors on the council.

Together with the neighbouring former district of Carrickfergus and part of the former district of Newtownabbey, it forms the East Antrim constituency for elections to the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.

Settlements and villages in the former borough include Ballycarry, Islandmagee, Ballystrudder, Glynn, Magheramorne, Ballygalley, Cairnalbanagh, Glenarm and Carnlough.

See Also: Local Councils in Northern Ireland

2011 Election results

Party seats change +/-
4 -1
3 -1
3 +1
2 =
1 +1
1 -1
1 +1

Mayors of Larne

1973: Aubrey Girvan, Independent

1974: Tommy Seymour, Vanguard

1975: Tommy Seymour

1976: Tommy Seymour

1977: Tommy Seymour

1978: Roy Beggs, DUP then UUP

1983: Thomas Robinson, UUP

1984: Jack McKee, DUP

1985:

1986: Rosalie Armstrong, UUP

1987: Winston Fulton, DUP

1989: Rosalie Armstrong, UUP

1995:

1996: Sam McAllister, DUP

1997: Joan Drummond, UUP

1999:

2000: David Fleck, UUP

2002: Bobby McKee, DUP

2004: Roy Craig, Independent

2005:

2006: Danny O'Connor, SDLP

2007: Mark Dunn, UUP

2008: Bobby McKee, DUP

2010: Andy Wilson

2011: Bobby McKee, DUP

2012: Gerardine Mulvenna, Alliance

2013: Maureen Morrow, UUP

2014: Martin Wilson, SDLP

Review of Public Administration

Under the Review of Public Administration (RPA) the council was due to merge with Ballymena Borough Council and Carrickfergus Borough Council in 2011 to form a single council for the enlarged area totalling 1047 km2 and a population of 127,101.[1] The next election was due to take place in May 2009, but on 25 April 2008, Shaun Woodward, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until the introduction of the eleven new councils in 2011.[2] New local government district councils took over from the 26 former councils on 1 April 2015.[3]

Freedom of the Borough

In memory of a battle in the town of Musa Qala in Afghanistan in 2006, involving the Royal Irish Regiment, a new regimental march, composed by Chris Attrill and commissioned by Larne Borough Council, was gifted to the regiment on Saturday 1 November 2008 in Larne, during an event in which the regiment was also presented with the 'Freedom of the Borough'. This gave the regiment the right to march through the towns of the borough with 'flags flying, bands playing and bayonets fixed'. The march was named, 'Musa Qala'.[4]

Council services

Population

The area covered by the former Larne Borough Council had a population of 32,180 residents according to the 2011 Northern Ireland census.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Minister Foster announces decisions on Local Government Reform . DoE . 31 May 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080524030604/http://www.doeni.gov.uk/index/local_government/minister_foster_announces_decisions_on_local_government_reform.htm . 24 May 2008 .
  2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7367253.stm Northern Ireland elections are postponed, BBC News, April 25, 2008, accessed April 27, 2008
  3. Web site: Local government reform nidirect. www.nidirect.gov.uk. 2015-12-24. Executive Information Service, Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (Northern Ireland)..
  4. https://archive.today/20120912050135/http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/New-march-to-be-gifted.4651277.jp Freedom of the Borough
  5. Web site: Carnfunnock Country Park. Larne Borough Council. 5 August 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110927150532/http://www.larne.gov.uk/template1.asp?pid=588&area=6&text=text=1. 27 September 2011. dead.
  6. Web site: NI Census 2011 - Key Statistics Summary Report, September 2014. NI Statistics and Research Agency. 28 September 2014.