North Belfast school's funding for major extension granted after three year delay

North Belfast school's funding for major extension granted after three year delay A number of school improvement works across Northern Ireland were given the green light this week 11:14, 01 May 2026 Funding has been granted for a major extension at a North Belfast primary school after a delay of over three and a half years. Earlier this week, the Education Minister announced approval for improvement works set to take place at schools across Northern Ireland. ‌ Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, Park Lodge, which is located on the , was granted funding approval for a major extension. However, it comes three and a half years after the project was approved by Belfast City Council . ‌ A councillor for the area is now calling for the work to continue "without further delay", saying the long-awaited extension will be "transformational" for the school. Plans for the site show the proposed new extension will add on to the existing main school building, with the addition of a new access road. ‌ : : SDLP Councillor Carl Whyte said: "This new extension will be transformational for Our Lady of Lourdes, delivering modern facilities and enhancing the learning environment for pupils and staff. It will be the school’s first major expansion in decades. "I am pleased to see progress on this project, having chaired the Council’s Planning Committee when the project was approved in September 2022. There is a clear need for this investment and it will be welcomed across the entire school community. "However, there has already been a significant delay in funding this expansion since the project was approved for planning over three and a half years ago. ‌ "I have written to the Minister for Education seeking assurances that there will no further delays and that project will now be delivered in full as originally planned. Park Lodge has a first-class reputation and this investment will help the school continue its great work in the years ahead." The nine school enhancement projects, including at Park Lodge, are set to address immediate and pressing upgrade needs. The total capital investment on these projects is just over £50m across the coming three-year period. ‌ Making the announcement, Education Minister Paul Givan said: "I believe this is a prudent approach to manage overall capital expenditure by very carefully controlling the number of schemes released to construction procurement, as part of a balanced portfolio of schemes aimed at addressing the decades of underinvestment in our school buildings. "Proceeding to construction stage will be very welcome news for the schools, pupils and wider school communities concerned and for the wider construction industry. I will of course continue to make the case for increased and sustained capital investment across our Schools’ Estate." Article continues below For all the latest news, visit the homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.