Antrim council approves planning permission for new facility

Around 200 new jobs are set to be created at a new County Antrim drinks canning plant.

It comes after Antrim council approved planning permission for the new facility.

The £150m investment is one of the biggest in advanced manufacturing in Northern Ireland.

Ardagh Metal Packaging intends to build the innovative 42,585 square meter facility at Invest NI’s Newtownabbey site.

The company first announced its intention to build the factory in November 2021.

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Alderman Stephen Ross, said “Planning approval paves the way to the borough cementing its reputation as an economic stronghold, bringing with it both investment and employment.

“This £150m announcement represents the confidence investors have in the area.

“The economic importance of this development and the benefits it will bring not just to Antrim and Newtownabbey, but to the whole of Northern Ireland, cannot be overstated.

“The Ardagh facility is part of a high-quality portfolio of manufacturing projects planned for invest NI’s Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey.

“With other major projects in the pipeline, such as the Belfast Region City Deal Queen’s University Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) and the Sensata Technology Centre, this highly desirable site is fast becoming a hub of manufacturing excellence.” The decision follows the recent approval of a £4million steel manufacturing facility for Steel Mac Distribution (SMD) Ltd. Alderman Ross said the Council is “well on track’ to hit its target of £1bn investment and to create 2,000 jobs by 2025.

He added: “Our reputation as the number one planning authority in Northern Ireland, coupled with our complete package of support for investors, gives us an edge when it comes to attracting major investments into the Borough.”

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