Ulster University Drops Plans for Londonderry Sports Dome

Ulster University has decided not to go ahead with a planned indoor sports dome in Londonderry. According to BBC News, the university spent £800,000 on the project before it was scrapped.

Plans for the dome were first announced in 2024. The 15,000 square metre building was meant to house several sports, including rugby, football and Gaelic games.

The university axed the project in August. It said the dome was no longer financially viable, which means it was no longer possible to afford it.

Earlier this year, the university said it needed to make savings of about £25m. It also said it would make up to 450 staff redundant, which means losing their jobs.

According to the university, about £700,000 had been spent on activities linked to the project. Project management and governance arrangements, which are the systems used to plan and oversee the work, cost a further £100,000.

The overall cost to build the dome had risen from an initial £16.8m to £20.1m by the time it was scrapped. The university said the dome would also have cost over £1m each year to run.

The dome was partly funded by the PeacePlus programme, which was to provide €10.86m (£9.16m). Ulster University's proposed contribution was £8.3m. The Special EU Programmes Body said no PeacePlus funding had been paid.

SDLP assembly member Sinéad McLaughlin said there are legitimate questions about the £800,000 that was spent.