Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has approved plans for a rooftop spa and bridal cottage at Leighinmohr House Hotel on Leighinmohr Avenue in Ballymena.

The spa will sit on the first floor above the flat roof of the Wool Tower Restaurant and toilets. Ground-floor changes will add a lift. The structure measures three metres high and 19.3 metres long, finished in white wood-effect cladding. It remains open-plan and uncovered.

Eight objections cited noise pollution, external lighting, traffic and mismatch with the local character. The hotel sits in a residential area. A development report found the extension fits the scale of nearby buildings and matches the hotel's design.

The spa targets up to six guests at once, open daily with background music from small speakers and no entertainment. A noise assessment satisfied environmental health officials, who imposed conditions. The nearest home lies 15 metres from the boundary, with no rear windows planned to avoid overlooking.

No site access changes occur. The car park holds 110 spaces, all retained.

The bridal cottage goes in the hotel grounds on a grassed area near the main entrance, ahead of mature trees that stay. Accessed by path from reception, it takes traditional form with ornate white decoration. No objections arose for this part. The report called it a modest building in line with surroundings.