Sports dome project scrapped due to funding pressures
Ulster UniversityAn indoor dome sports arena planned for Ulster University's (UU) Londonderry campus has been scrapped due to funding pressures.
A spokesperson for UU said ongoing construction inflation and unsustainable running cost projections had led the university to conclude that the Dome Project was no longer financially viable for them.
First announced in 2024, the project was to be part-funded through the PeacePlus programme, with about €10.86m (£9m) in funding matched by the university.
A spokesperson for UU said the decision not to proceed with the project was "an inevitable consequence" of the "lack of a sustainable funding model for higher education" in Northern Ireland.
Dome was to host rugby, football and Gaelic games
PeacePlus is jointly supported by the European Union, the UK government, the Irish government and Stormont.
The dome was expected to span around 15,000 square metres (3.7 acres) of the disused Foyle College site and have capacity for several thousand spectators.
It was hoped it would house full-size pitches for multiple sports, including rugby, football and Gaelic games, as well as community and musical events.
The spokesperson added that while they were "disappointed", the university must prioritise its limited resources on core activities, including teaching, research and delivering City Deals.
"This is one of the difficult but unavoidable decisions that we are having to make given the context we are being expected to operate in," the spokesperson said.
The university said it was exploring other options for bolstering sports facilities on its Derry campus and remained committed to working with local partners and stakeholders in the north west.
In April, UU announced it needed to make savings of about £25m and would be making up to 450 staff redundant.
While the university said it hopes to achieve this through a voluntary scheme, it has outlined the number of jobs that could be at risk at each of its campuses in Belfast, Coleraine, Magee in Londonderry and Jordanstown.
SDLP assembly member Sinéad McLaughlin said the scrapping of the planned sports arena at Ulster University's campus raises further questions around the expansion of Magee.
Last month a Stormont committee was told that a target to reach 10,000 registered students at the UU campus in Londonderry by 2032 was now "under review".
The expansion of the Derry campus, commonly known as Magee, has long been regarded as a catalyst for economic growth in the north west, with a task force established in 2024 to oversee the expansion.
"This project was announced two years ago to much fanfare as part of the ongoing plans to expand the Magee campus and increase student numbers.
"Now we are being told that it has been scrapped and there will be real frustration and concern in our city about what this means for the expansion of Magee as a whole.
"I understand that Ulster University and third-level education generally face significant financial pressures and these need to be addressed. However, it feels like when there are projects to be scrapped or cuts to be made, Magee is first in line."