The future shape of local government in Northern Ireland was revealed today as the names of the 11 new councils were announced.

Details of the areas of the councils, due to come into existence in less than three years, also emerged and will now go out for public consultation.

The proposals mean a massive expansion of the Belfast City Council area and amalgamations which will see both a Mid Antrim and a Mid-Ulster district council.

In Belfast part of the existing Castlereagh Council, including Gilnahirk, Tullycarnet, Braniel, Castlereagh, Merok, Cregagh, Wynchurch, Glencregagh and Belvoir, as well as wards which now are within the Lisburn Council area, Colin Glen, Poleglass, Lagmore, Twinbrook, Kilwee and Dunmurry, will become part of the city boundaries.

A small area of housing at Knocknagoney will also transfer from North Down into the new Belfast area.

There will also be the creation of a new Causeway Council, taking in Ballymoney, Coleraine, Limavady and Moyle.

Lisburn City will join Castlereagh and there will be an Armagh City and Bann District Council, incorporating not only the city of saints and scholars but Banbridge and Craigavon.

The other councils, all apart from Belfast given district rather than borough status, are: Derry City and Strabane, Newry City and Down, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ards and North Down, and Fermanagh and Omagh.

Local Government Boundaries Commissioner Dick Mackenzie, who drew up the provisional recommendations, said he had been worried the name of the Mid-Ulster authority could cause confusion.

But he said there was no identifying feature in the area which comprises the present councils of Magherafelt, Cookstown and Dungannon, while the Mid-Antrim council ties in Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne.

Mr McKenzie also made clear the new councils will be able to change their names once they come into being, if changes are not already made following the consultation period or by the Assembly.

The number of wards overall reduces from the current 582 to 460, and Belfast will have a total of 60 while each of the other ten will have 40.

The existing Belfast City Council boundaries will be extended to include two blocs of mainly unionist and nationalist areas. They are:

• Gilnahirk, Tullycarnet, Braniel, Castlereagh, Merok, Cregagh, Wynchurch, Glencregagh and Belvoir; which are currently part of the mainly unionist Castlereagh Borough Council;
• Predominantly nationalist areas of Lisburn City area to be added to Belfast are Colin Glen, Poleglass, Lagmore, Twinbrook, Kilwee and Dunmurry.
  
  The proposed names of the new local government districts across Northern Ireland are:
  
• Belfast City Council;
• Derry City and Strabane District Council;
• Armagh City and Bann District Council;
• Lisburn City and Castlereagh District Council;
• Newry City and Down District Council;
• Antrim and Newtownabbey District Council;
• Ards and North Down District Council;
• Causeway Coast District Council;
• Fermanagh and Omagh District Council;
• Mid Antrim District Council;
• Mid Ulster District Council.