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Ulster University spends £800,000 on scrapped Londonderry sports dome project
Overview
Ulster University spent £800,000 on planning an indoor sports dome in Londonderry before cancelling the project because it was financially unsustainable. The proposed 15,000 square metre facility, announced in 2024, saw its projected building costs rise from £16.8m to £20.1m, with annual running costs expected to exceed £1m. Local politicians have raised concerns about the expenditure before the scheme was abandoned amid wider financial pressures in Northern Ireland's higher education sector.
Key points
- Ulster University spent £800,000 on a planned indoor sports dome in Londonderry before axing the project in August.
- The expenditure included approximately £700,000 on project-related activities and £100,000 on project management and governance.
- Projected construction costs for the multi-sport dome had escalated from an initial £16.8m to £20.1m, with annual running costs estimated at over £1m.
- The university stated that the cancellation was a consequence of a lack of a sustainable funding model for higher education in Northern Ireland.
- The Special EU Programmes Body confirmed that no PeacePlus funding, which was set to part-fund the project, had been paid out and would be reallocated.