Stormont Environment Minister Edwin Poots has announced planning approval for a £20m relief road and housing scheme for the town of Ballyclare.
The housing scheme will include 2,200 new homes for Ballyclare West in addition to the new road for the town.
Minister Poots said: "This is a welcome investment boost for the area. The delivery of the long awaited relief road and associated housing will bring significant social and economic benefits to the greater Ballyclare area."
The Ballyclare relief road, a developer-funded proposal, will include the construction of a bridge over the Six Mile Water and will provide a continuous route from the Templepatrick Road to the Rashee Road, providing an alternative route for traffic through Ballyclare, thus reducing congestion currently experienced in the town centre.
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The imaginative development scheme also includes the 2,000 plus housing development, the provision of strategic and local open space areas and local centres.
It was also revealed that the relief road would be constructed prior to the major housing developments with three separate applications all approved.
One outline housing application was submitted on 11 July 2006. A full application for the relief road and an outline housing application were received on 1 September 2009 by KPL Group and were accompanied by Environmental Statements.
Danny Kinahan, Ulster Unionist MLA for South Antrim, has welcomed the announcement by Environment Minister Edwin Poots that planning approval has been granted for a road and housing scheme in Ballyclare.
"I enthusiastically welcome the announcement by the Minister regarding the scheme for Ballyclare.
"At such a difficult economic time, investment like this is especially welcome. I would also like to congratulate KPL on their work in seeing this scheme to fruition as well as their cooperation in working with local fishermen over all the matters relating to the Six Mile Water.
"I have been very impressed by their environmental skills and knowledge," he said.
"It is essential to ensure that Ballyclare develops a 'joined-up' transport system and that these areas on the outskirts of the town become very much part of the Ballyclare we all cherish."
(BMcC/GK)
