Belfast City Council tries to cover up £10m estimate for ‘LGBTQIA+ hub’

Belfast City Council has been accused of attempting to hide the fact that it may cost millions of pounds to create its ‘LGBTQIA+ hub’.

The Belfast News Letter used a Freedom of Information request to obtain the feasibility study for the hub. The Council attempted to redact the project’s estimated cost claiming it would “prejudice the commercial interests of the council”. But the figures, which were still visible, indicated the price “could range from £0.5m to £10m”, followed by an ongoing annual subsidy of £70,000.

The hub has been commissioned by the Council in collaboration with controversial activist organisations, including The Rainbow Project and Transgender NI.

Millions

In response to criticism, Belfast City Council told the News Letter that the estimated costs were for “illustrative purposes only, and to encourage further discussion”.

It indicated that the actual figure would not reach the top end of the range, because it plans to refurbish the first floor of 2 Royal Avenue rather than the entire building.

The Council is currently forming a design team for the project, saying that “options will be brought before elected members for their consideration and agreement on next steps”.

‘Stonewall nonsense’

Earlier this year, Northern Ireland’s Department of Finance was slammed for continuing to subscribe to Stonewall’s controversial ‘Diversity Champions’ programme.

MLAs questioned the decision after Finance Minister John O’Dowd revealed that the Northern Ireland Civil Service was giving £2,575 to Stonewall each year for its ‘service and advice’.

Democratic Unionist MLA Peter Martin asked what “advice” Stonewall had provided in exchange for the payments, with Timothy Gaston MLA adding: “Why is taxpayers’ money being wasted on that nonsense, years after the Civil Service and even the BBC recognised the need to withdraw from the scheme?”