STORMONT MINISTER for Sport Nelson McCausland has axed funding for five key investment projects following a £50 million (€59.2 million) cut imposed in the wake of the UK spending review.
A velodrome in Downpatrick, a tennis centre in Hillsborough and a sailing centre in Ballyholme, all in Co Down, along with an athletics facility in Antrim town and a basketball centre in Lisburn, Co Antrim, have been shelved.
Mr McCausland claimed the funds were no longer available to meet the costs, adding that each of the five projects had failed to meet funding criteria.
“The fact is we have still not received a single satisfactory business case,” he said. “I fought very hard for sport in our capital programme and over the next four years we will have £130 million of capital spend on sports infrastructure in Northern Ireland. There is a range of competing interests and competing demands.”
There was widespread criticism of the Minister’s decision from sporting bodies and political representatives. Sport NI said plans to train local athletes ahead of the London Olympic Games next year would be affected.
George Stephenson, from the Ulster branch of Tennis Ireland, claimed his organisation had been “led along with a bit of string”.