The responsibility for servicing the needs of Ballymena’s 58,500 residents rests very firmly on the shoulders of Council officials, and more specifically the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executives and the Directors of each of the Council’s 5 departments. To find out more about the role of each department, click on the links provided.
Town Clerk and Chief Executive's Department
Ballymena Town Clerk and Chief Executive Mrs Anne Donaghy has the unenviable task of managing the corporate relations and providing strategic direction for all Council activities. The role involves developing corporate policy and ensuring council strategies, policies and programmes are delivered, on time and on budget.
To this end, the chief executive and her team work very closely with Council members and ratepayers. Mrs Donaghy takes a personal interest in customer service. She welcomes feedback, be it positive or negative, from ratepayers, and monitors the comments to identify what the Council is doing well and areas where it can improve.
Relationships with other organisations and bodies – which have a positive impact on the region and ratepayers - are also nurtured by this office.
For full details on Town Clerk and Chief Executive's Department click here.
Deputy Town Clerk and Chief Executive - Development, Leisure and Cultural Services
Ronnie McBride heads the team responsible for our cultural development, and the provision of leisure services within the Borough. With the restoration of the town hall and the construction of new arts and museum complex now completed, they have plenty to keep them occupied. However, this team’s work is not restricted to recreational matters; they are also tasked with maintaining access to the countryside, sports management, tourism development and sister cities partnerships.
For full details on Deputy Town Clerk and Chief Executive - Development, Leisure and Cultural Services click here.
Deputy Town Clerk and Chief Executive - Personnel Policy & Operational Services
The Personnel, Policy & Operational Services department carries out a wide and diverse range of tasks and responsibilities. Deputy Town Clerk and Chief Executive Rodger McKnight is responsible for ensuring that direct services such as refuse collection, street cleansing and grounds maintenance are delivered across the Borough in a professional and efficient manner. As the Council’s Chief Personnel Officer he is also responsible for the recruitment, retention and training and development of all council employees. In addition the department’s policy section is tasked with the drafting and delivery of a wide range of policies and procedures from equality schemes to corporate planning
For full details on Deputy Town Clerk and Chief Executive - Personnel Policy & Operational Services click here.
Director of Environmental Services
This department is tasked with protecting the health, safety and well being of residents and visitors to Ballymena Borough. It is a role they take extremely seriously.
Under the watchful eye of the Director of Environmental Health Services, Alex Kinghorn, the team coordinates a wide range of services aimed at improving public health and awareness of key health and environmental issues and also Buislding Control Duties. Their remit is wide, and ranges from waste disposal and dog control to food safety and environmental protection.
For full details on the Director of Environmental Services click here.
Acting Director Finance and Estate Services
This department deals with all things financial from money coming in to money going out. Under the leadership of Mrs Sandra Cole, this vital council office ensures that the organisation gets best value for money, that every penny of ratepayers’ money is accounted for, and that additional European support grants are secured whenever possible.
While you might expect their role to include debt collection and credit control, their ‘policing’ remit goes much further to include property management and maintenance.
For full details on Acting Director Finance and Estate Services click here.
North Eastern Group Building Control
THE GROUP SYSTEM The North Eastern Group is based in Galgorm, Ballymena and has as its constituent Councils, Antrim, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne, Magherafelt and Newtownabbey. The other Groups are - Northern Group, based in Derry; Western Group, based in Omagh; Southern Group, based in Craigavon and; South Eastern Group, based in Downpatrick.
The reorganisation of approximately one hundred Local Authorities in 1973 resulted in the creation of twenty-six local Councils. Each Council has responsibility for administering and enforcing the Building Regulations in its own area. To promote consistency and uniformity within the service, Council Building Control departments work in partnership. This relationship was first introduced in 1973 by an Order in Council, was reviewed in 1994 and is known as the Group System. There are five Groups, plus Belfast City Council.
The original reasons for introducing the Group System were: • To provide uniformity of application and enforcement of the Regulations • To provide economies of scale in resourcing and flexibility in deployment of staff • To provide specialist advice within each Group • To provide a training and development mechanism • To develop and retain quality staff through the provision of a career structure
THE ROLE OF THE GROUP UNIT Overseeing the work of Building Control in each Group area is a Committee of Elected Members. These “Group Committees” are composed of two Councillors from each of the constituent Councils who meet quarterly with Group Officers to co-ordinate and monitor the service both within and between Groups. Co-ordination includes matters such as standards of inspection, statistical data and enforcement of statutory provisions. The Group Units also have a statutory role to assist constituent Councils in the development of their annual Building Control Business Plans. Complaints regarding service delivery may also be directed to the Group Chief Building Control Officer.
For full details on North Eastern Group Building Control click here.
PLEASE NOTE - Ballymena Borough Council is not responsible for the content or the management of the content of any external / 3rd Party web sites linked to the Ballymena Borough Council web site