Everton’s Goodison Park ground could be demolished for new houses – but its pitch retained as a “green” park space – new plans have shown.
The ‘Goodison Park Legacy Project’ has been drawn up alongside the application for the new Everton FC stadium at Bramley Moore Dock.
Liverpool City Council planners will meet tomorrow to discuss both the Bramley-Moore Dock application and community-led legacy project at Goodison Park.
If the new stadium goes ahead, developers want permission to knock down the existing 130-year-old stadium and build houses, mixed-use development and retain the central pitch area as a park space.
It’s hoped it will become a focal point of EitC’s (Everton in the Community) existing community campus, with the potential to provide education, housing, health, employment, community, and wellbeing opportunities.
They want to retain the club’s legacy at the site as it is close to the already established EitC network of community facilities around Goodison Park.
The charity hopes to continue helping with the delivery of programmes from the proposed community facilities within the GPLP.
And the project will then provide a platform for EitC to expand and grow, potentially occupying office space proposed, increasing its reach and magnitude of impact within North Liverpool.
Once operational, the Legacy Project is predicted to create 800 additional jobs and generate £148m in social value over a 25-year period.
If @Everton gets the go-head to build a new £500m stadium in #Liverpool docklands next week it will leave its Goodison Park home – and community leaders are backing the club’s plans for a legacy project in L4 – Liverpool Business News https://t.co/UG3nseXVGS
— LBN (@LBNdaily) February 20, 2021
Planning officials in Liverpool are recommending approval for Everton’s proposed £500m, 52,888-capacity, waterfront stadium at Bramley Moore Dock and construction work could start in the spring.
Peter Jones, planning case officer, recommended in his published report that the application should be approved as the “substantial public benefits far outweigh any heritage harm.”
Great news that @lpoolcouncil ‘s planning officers have recommended approval for @everton ‘s proposed new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock here at Liverpool Waters. The stadium development will play a critical part in the regeneration of the northern part of Liverpool! pic.twitter.com/kWdgyCZBXL
— Liverpool Waters (@PeelLivWaters) February 16, 2021
If the club’s proposals are approved by the City Council’s planning committee, the plans will then automatically be referred to the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government due to the size and scale of the development.
It is expected that construction will take 37 months (150 weeks).
As expected, the council report confirms that UNESCO, Historic England, and the Victorian Society have all objected to the stadium.
The application site lies within the Stanley Dock Conservation Area, one of the six areas that make up the WHS.
It contains several Grade 2 listed structures such as the retaining walls of Bramley- Moore Dock and of Nelson Dock, the Hydraulic Engine House, and Regent Road Dock Boundary Wall.
Sport England offers its support for Everton’s application as it is considered to meet planning for Sport Principle 6 which is to support improvements to existing sport and physical activity provision where they are needed.
Tomorrow’s Livestream of the planning meeting is available here:
http://councillors.liverpool.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=307&MId=18109&Ver=4
