Council Leisure Team Named Best Services Team of the Year

The Council was also a named finalist in two other categories.

• Street Cleansing & Street Scene Service – Waste Operations Street Cleansing
• Best Building and Housing Initiative – Economic Development – Living Over the Shops Programme

And that’s not all - we were also nominated for UK Overall Council of the Year 2025! One of seven finalists from across the UK up for the prestigious title.

This follows our landmark achievement in 2024, when we proudly became the first Council in Northern Ireland to receive this top honour.

Speaking at the awards ceremony Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick said: 

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all Council officers whose continued dedication and determination underpin the Council’s success in delivering high-quality front-line services. 

“Their outstanding efforts have been recognised at these Awards, reflecting the professionalism and commitment that define us as Best in Class and a trusted organisation.”

The APSE Service awards celebrate excellence in public service delivery across the UK and receive hundreds of submissions each year from local authorities across the UK.