Plans for a major redevelopment in Ballymena town centre have been unveiled. The Meeting House Mews scheme would bring 79 apartments, refurbished retail units, a community hub and a landscaped pedestrian route to the Church Street and Meeting House Lane area.

The site, at 83-111 Church Street, includes a vacant former foodstore, service yard and other underused land. The proposal is to demolish the foodstore and storage buildings while retaining and refurbishing four existing retail units along Church Street, providing about 260 square metres of commercial floorspace. The 79 apartments would comprise 21 one-bedroom, 57 two-bedroom and one three-bedroom home, in buildings of three and four storeys.

A dedicated 75 square metre community hub is included, with its eventual use to be shaped through local engagement. The plan also includes a landscaped mews with planting, seating and shared amenity space, creating a pedestrian connection between Church Street and Meeting House Lane.

A notable feature is the proposal for a “zero-parking solution”, with only two disabled parking bays retained. The developer argues the central location, with nearby shops, services, employment, leisure and public transport, supports this approach. A future planning application is expected to include transport information detailing nearby parking availability and measures to encourage sustainable transport.

The development is intended to generate activity and footfall for local businesses and strengthen Ballymena’s daytime and night-time economies. Building heights, massing and materials are designed to respond to the character of Meeting House Lane and nearby heritage assets, including First Ballymena Presbyterian Church and St Patrick’s Tower.

A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) was submitted to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council on 10 July 2026. At that stage, the development was described as comprising 91 residential units; the scheme has since evolved to 79 homes. Council planning officers have determined the PAN acceptable, allowing pre-application community consultation to proceed.

The public is invited to comment on the proposals until 5pm on 29 September 2026. Feedback can be submitted at www.churchstreetconsultation.co.uk, by email to contact@churchstreetconsultation.co.uk, by phone to 0808 1688 296, or in writing to Meeting House Mews Consultation, Turley, Hamilton House, 3 Joy Street, Belfast, BT2 8LE. Comments go to the applicant, not the council; if a formal application is lodged, the public will have another chance to comment to the council. A full planning application is expected to be submitted before the end of 2026.