From: Councillor Matthew Magill To: Review (BCNI) Subject: Revised Proposal - North /South Antrim boundary Date: 25 March 2018 Attachments: image788001.png

Dear Commission

Ref: Revised Proposals Consultation 2018

I am writing to request that you reconsider the revised proposals in relation to the Mallusk Ward, located within the Local Government District Electoral Area of Airport.

Under the revised proposals, this ward will form part of the North Belfast constituency, a move which would sever the area from the predominately rural constituency of South Antrim where it has been appropriately located since the times of the Antrim constituency of the 1950’s. Significantly, the revised proposal separates the Mallusk ward in the District Electoral Area of Airport from the rest of the Local Government Area of Airport, which was not the case in the previous provisional proposals.

Whilst geographically the Mallusk ward is very close to the city of Belfast, abutting its northern constituency boundary, the village of Mallusk is a ‘world apart’ from any of the areas contained within the city constituency. As such, there is very little in common between the two areas. The village of Mallusk, and hamlets of Roughfort, and Millbank, along with the outlying rural areas, particularly to the north and west, are very clearly separated from the largely ‘urban feeling’ area by a significant industrial and commercial zone. This physical separation reinforces a clear distinction between the urban Glengormley ward, and the largely rural ward of Mallusk.

Antrim and Borough Council, having taken over Planning and Community Development powers, acknowledged the distinct difference between urban Newtownabbey and the village and ward of Mallusk; most of which remains within the green belt. As such, the council identified Mallusk as a stand alone village within its Community and Development Plans and has removed it from the BMAP area of ‘Metropolitan Newtownabbey’. Community consultation on this subject overwhelmingly indicated that residents of the area felt little affinity to, or correlation with, the neighbouring urban Newtownabbey area.

As part of the past boundary review, much of Glengormley was joined to the North Belfast constituency. This was a convenient join as many within the Glengormley area see themselves as urban dwellers with an affinity to Belfast. Indeed many have either moved out of Belfast themselves or their parents formed part of the city diaspora in the last 30/40 years. This is not the case for the vast majority of residents in the Mallusk ward, the greater proportion of whom have never lived in Belfast and have no particular affinity with the city or with urban living.

The Mallusk ward is home to a significant agricultural community and those who have lived in rural settings all their lives. The issues they face therefore are significantly different from those of urban dwellers living within the boundaries of Belfast City. Should the Mallusk ward find itself within the constituency of North Belfast, I do not believe the interests and needs of this predominately rural ward would be properly catered for, or addressed, by a parliamentarian, regardless of their best intentions.

In every other sphere of public life, the ward of Mallusk is grouped with the neighbouring rural villages to the north of the city of Belfast. - In education, Mallusk forms part of the North Eastern Region - not the Belfast region. - In health, Mallusk is catered for by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and ambulances will take patients to Antrim Area Hospital - it is not within the Belfast Health Trust and, as such, whilst geographically closer, patients will not be taken to a Belfast Hospital. - In Local Government, Mallusk is joined with the other rural areas of , Crumlin, Aldergrove and Clady to form the Airport DEA - it is not part of the Glengormley Urban DEA. These examples demonstrate the ties that the ward of Mallusk has to the northern area as opposed to the city of Belfast.

Should it be deemed necessary, I would suggest that one of the urban wards currently on the City of Belfast boundary could be considered as a much more appropriate option than Mallusk,

In light of the issues raised above, and mindful of the overwhelming community opinion against being joined to a city constituency, I respectfully request, both as a public representative for the Mallusk ward and also as a resident, that you do not proceed with the current proposal in relation to the inclusion of the Mallusk ward within the North Belfast constituency.

Kind regards

Matthew Magill

------Cllr Matthew Magill LL.B Airport District Electoral Area Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Email: [email protected] Tel:

Councillor Matthew Magill ​ Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

Antrim Civic Centre, 50 Stiles way, Antrim. BT41 2UB Mossley Mill, Road, Newtownabbey BT36 5QA T: Antrim: 028 9446 3113/Newtownabbey: 028 9034 0000 M: E: [email protected]

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