Council land outside Larne for sale at more than £1m
The proposed £1m sale of three plots of council-owned land outside Larne was on the agenda for discussion behind closed doors at a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council at The Braid in Ballymena on Monday evening.
The rural sites are at Old Glenarm Road, Brustin Brae Road/Ballytober Road and Brustin Brae Road/Old Glenarm Road. The site at Brustin Brae Road/Old Glenarm Road is the largest at 72 acres.
Overall, the “prime agricultural land”, on the market for £1,125,000, amounts to a total of 115 acres.
Meanwhile, it is understood the proposed sale of the council-owned Smiley Buildings, the local authority’s administrative headquarters at Victoria Road in Larne, which was also discussed by members at the meeting, looks set to proceed.
The local authority has been selling a number of assets as it is faced with a £7.2m shortfall in its finances and seeks to address its “strained financial position”.
Smiley Buildings has been on the market for £350k. Previously, the local authority’s main civic building in the town was a convalescent hospital.
Councillors agreed to the sale during an asset review after being reminded of the “severity of the current financial situation” and to re-locate some staff to Sir Thomas Dixon Buildings opposite and the Registrar’s Office and reception services to the Market House at Larne Market Yard.
Larne Market Yard, which was refurbished by the borough council at a cost of £1.4m, was a venue for the distribution of vaccinations by GP practices during the Covid pandemic. Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter