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Two city deals understood to still be at risk

PA Media Caoimhe Archibald in glasses at a broadcast microphone. She is wearing glasses and textured blazer, and is in the middle of speakingPA Media
Caoimhe Archibald said she had received confirmation the Derry and Strabane city deal would happen "in black and white"

Two of the four city deals for Northern Ireland are understood to still be at risk after the UK government said funding would be paused.

Stormont's Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald said regeneration funding packages in Londonderry and Belfast were expected to go ahead - leaving Mid South West and Causeway Coast and Glens under threat.

The announcement on city deals came on Friday afternoon, just hours before the government said it was not going to provide funding to redevelop Belfast's Casement Park in time for Euro 2028.

Archibald called for the Westminster government to reflect on its actions, saying: "Maybe we need a bit of a reset on the reset."

“This is a new Labour government which has talked a lot about resetting and rebuilding relationships, and their actions over the past couple of days haven’t really aligned with those words," Archibald told BBC Northern Ireland's Sunday Politics show.

She said the news about Casement Park "slipped out" on Friday evening "as if the calculation was it was a good day for bad news".

The city deals were intended to fund redevelopment, including innovation hubs, museums and a cable car in the Mournes.

Archibald said she had received confirmation the Derry and Strabane city deal would happen "in black and white", and was "hopeful" for the Belfast deal.

What do the city deals mean?

On Friday afternoon, the news broke that the four city deals in Northern Ireland would be paused ahead of the UK government's spending review.

Political ministers and councils responded quickly, with First Minister Michelle O'Neill calling the decision "unacceptable and deplorable".

City deals are regeneration funding packages worth more than £1.5bn, with about £600m coming from central government.

Projects planned as part of the £300m Derry City and Strabane city deal include:

  • Redevelopment of Strabane town centre
  • A centre for innovation in data analytics, advanced manufacturing and robotics
  • A digital programme to tackle connectivity issues across the region
  • Establishment of a DNA museum in Derry's Ebrington site
  • Regeneration projects for Derry's riverfront, Strand Road and Walled City areas
  • Establishment of a School of Medicine and personalised medicine innovation centre

The Belfast deal, which is not limited to the city itself and is expected to fund projects stretching from north County Antrim down to County Armagh, includes funding for:

  • New film studio at Belfast harbour
  • Innovation hub in Newtownabbey
  • Visitor centre in the Mournes with a cable car link from Newcastle
  • Regeneration of Carrickfergus with upgrades to its castle and town halls
  • New theatre and conference centre in Newry

Projects in the paused Causeway Coast and Glens deal include:

  • Centre for food and drug discovery at Ulster University Coleraine
  • Innovation hub at North West Regional College, Limavady
  • Dungiven and Bushmills regeneration
  • Cushendall innovation centre
  • Coleraine leisure and well-being centre
  • Portrush to Bushmills greenway

Mid South West have not published an itemised list, but said their projects would focus on skills, innovation, infrastructure and the tourist economy.