Belfast City Council has agreed in principle to support seven projects across the city worth a total of £800,000 as part of the council`s Investment Programme 2012-15.

As well as announcing £150 million for physical investment, the council set aside a total of £5 million and established the Local Investment Fund (LIF) to support projects with a minimum investment of £15,000, and with maximum investment unlikely to be more than £250,000.

With major projects at Mary Peters Track, Woodvale and Dunville already underway, the agreement in principle for these seven projects is further evidence that the council's investment package is already making significant progress.

Councillor Deirdre Hargey, chair of the council's Strategic and Policy Resources Committee, said: "When the party leaders instigated the investment package and endorsed the planned programme, they made it clear that they wanted all parts of the city to benefit and that as well as major projects there should also be local community projects right across the city.

"Area Working Groups have been set up to deliver locally with the north, south, east and west of the city receiving just over £1.25 million each to administer and a proportionate amount of just under £500,000 for the Shankill area.

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"The programme shows that the council is at the heart of the city and at the heart of our communities, and support funding for the initial seven projects emphasises its position."

The seven projects that are in line to receive funding support are:

• CS Lewis Centre (East Belfast Partnership) – LIF to provide £250,000 towards the £730,000 C.S.Lewis Centre as east Belfast`s hub and central orientation point, through the creation of a unique, innovative and C.S.Lewis themed visitor centre (CSLC). It will incorporate a visitor reception and information point, café, shop, toilets, exhibition space and meeting facilities.

• Fraser Pass – Titanic Link pedestrian and cycle path (East Belfast Partnership Board – LIF to provide full funding of £30,000 for a pedestrian/cycle path that will connect the Newtownards Road to the recently completed Sustrans 99 extension. This link will help connect communities in the Lower Newtownards Road to Titanic Quarter to avail of job and leisure opportunities.

• Harlequins Hockey Pitch Resurfacing, Deramore Park (Belfast Harlequins Club)- LIF to provide £30,000 towards £250,000 project consisting of the resurfacing of the existing outdoor floodlit synthetic turf pitch at Deramore Park.

• Beechmount -Handball facility (Coláiste Feirste) – LIF to provide £250,000 towards a £485,000 new sports building with internal and external handball courts, climbing wall zip line and terrace roof gardens.

• St Malachy`s Youth Centre (South Belfast) – LIF to provide £40,000 towards the £1.4 million building of a self sustaining community/youth centre managed by BELB.

• Cairn Lodge Boxing Club new facility at Shankill Road (behind Hammer Community Centre) – LIF to provide £100,000 towards a £500,000 purpose built gym.

• Development of sporting hub at Shore Road Playing Fields - Malgrove Community Interest Company (Malachians FC and Grove FC). LIF to provide funding of £100,000 towards a £325,000 3G pitch including floodlights and fencing.

(CD/GK)