A selection of sporting bodies and sports venues in Northern Ireland are set to get a cut of a £70m windfall originally allocated for the proposed Maze Stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland, after the scheme was scrapped by sports minister Gregory Campbell earlier this year.

Campbell is understood to be allocating the funds, provided by the Department of Finance, to sporting bodies on the basis of need and a number of sporting venues which need upgrades to meet safety standards. The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is yet to specify the list of venues but is expected to do so in the near future. The Maze Stadium and leisure village development, designed by HOK Sport Architecture, was expected to include a 42,000-seat multi-sports stadium to be used for football, rugby and Gaelic Athletic Association games along with a hotel, bars and restaurants.

The plans were axed after it was reported that the development would lose the economy up to £190m when set against predicted revenue. According to Campbell he will not have to surrender the funds, reportedly explaining that the money was intended for a stadium development and will be spent on stadium development.