A Stormont Executive Minister has admitted that the now scrapped plans to build a multi-sports stadium at the Maze prison site has already cost taxpayers £millions.

NI Sports Minister Gregory Campbell said that a total of £3,598,708 was poured in to the scheme during the initial planning stages.

In a written Assembly answer after a question by Ulster Unionist MLA George Savage, he admitted the greatest expenditure had been £3,139,530, paid to Mott MacDonald/HOK Sports Partnership Stadium Design to design the stadium.

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PricewaterhouseCoopers received £285,691 for developing a business plan for the project, KPMG/Davis Langdon Programme Management were paid £144,922, Fire IMC were paid £10,374 in relation to advertising for a naming rights competition while Mott MacDonald CEEQUAL were paid £4,670 for a sustainability and environmental quality assessment.

The revelation follows last month's news that no stadium will be built on the Maze site, although the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has refused to confirm was to date amounts to 'leaked information'.

A spokesman would only say that: "The Minister has circulated a paper in relation to the multi-sports stadium in line with the commitment he made in the Assembly on January 12, 2009, when he indicated that he would bring conclusions to the Executive in the near future."

(BMcC/JM)