Business cases being finalised for major projects at The Gobbins and Carrickfergus

Schemes for Carrickfergus town centre and The Gobbins, Islandmagee, are being developed as part of the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) programme.

These initiatives, plus one for Ballymena, have a combined value of over £77m and are seeking up to £62m of capital funding from the BRCD, with the remainder to be funded by council.

Outline Business Cases (OBCs) are being finalised and will be submitted by November, council’s City Deal Elected Members Working Group heard when it met recently.

The OBCs set out a range of important considerations alongside the wealth of anticipated benefits for each of these projects proposed to receive funding through the City Deal:

A £39.4 million investment to regenerate, reposition and rebrand the town of Carrickfergus – placing the town firmly on the map as an authentic tourism hub, part of the wider Belfast Story and the ‘must visit’ starting point to the internationally recognised Causeway Coastal Route;

A £13.7 million project to install an ingress structure linking the cliff top path with the coastal path to develop a looped walk at The Gobbins. Furthermore, the cliff top path will include a range of exciting features and viewing points to provide a much enhanced visitor experience;

A £24.2m investment for the construction of the i4c Innovation Centre at the Saint Patrick’s Barracks regeneration site in Ballymena.

Speaking after the meeting, the Mayor, Cllr Peter Johnston, said: “This is an important step forward in our plans to secure up to £62 million of funding for Mid and East Antrim as part of the Belfast Region City Deal.

“Despite challenges posed by Covid-19 we continued to make steady progress on our OBCs throughout the lockdown period – which is testament to the hard work and dedication of our City Deal Team, including elected members and officers.

“I congratulate all those who have been working tirelessly to shape the final details for the three significant projects for Carrickfergus, The Gobbins and the ‘next generation’ i4C Ballymena.

“By seizing the huge potential of the borough’s tourism, heritage and entrepreneurial sectors, we can ensure we are delivering employment, security and sustainability for our businesses and citizens for generations to come.”

The Belfast Region City Deal sets out a vision to create 20,000 new and better-paid jobs across the region’s growth sectors.

It will also improve infrastructure, digital connectivity, visitor attractions and innovation hubs; and deliver a major skills and employability programme.

Earlier this year, the First and Deputy First Ministers announced £562 million match funding for City and Growth Deals across various locations in Northern Ireland. Read previous story about BRCD here

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