The decision by the Northern Ireland Executive to award over £100m for the construction and regeneration of three sports stadia in Belfast has been cleared by the European Commission.

The Department of Culture Arts and Leisure has pledged to provide £110m for the Casement, Ravenhill and Windsor Park projects.

However, last year the funding package was thrown into doubt after a legal challenge was launched claiming the deal breached EU fair trading legislation.

UTV's website reports that following an investigation, the European Commission has ruled that the agreement was "consistent" with EU state aid rules.

The commission's vice president in charge of competition policy, Joaquín Almunia, said: "The reconstruction of the three stadia will contribute to the regeneration of disadvantaged urban communities in Belfast.

"It will furthermore promote social cohesion across religious divides and encourage communities to come together through the most popular sports of the region.

"Moreover, the aid is well-targeted as it addresses a specific problem of under-investment in local sports infrastructure."

The work at Casement Park is scheduled to begin within the coming weeks. Tweet

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