Council boost for theatre rebuild

Maggie Taggart
BBC NI arts correspondent

The new theatre will cost £17m

Belfast's Lyric theatre is in line for a grant of more than £1m from Belfast City Council, the BBC has learned.

The £1,250,000 - from a £3m fund for cultural development - has been voted through by a committee, but has to be agreed by the full council.

The old building is due to close early next month for the £17m redevelopment, but before construction begins 95% of the cost had to have been raised.

If this grant is approved next month, the project can go ahead.

It is understood theatre management was worried that if the scheme is delayed, costs could spiral, holding up the whole process.

The new Lyric is to be built on the site of the current theatre on the banks of the River Lagan.

Last month the theatre was given £250,000 by the Foundation for Sport and the Arts.

In June, a private donor pledged £1m on top of the funding already promised by government departments.