Expansion plans for Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield stadium have been given the go-ahead by council officials, bringing the long-running saga about developing the Reds’ home closer towards a conclusion.
Following a site visit at the famous ground, Liverpool City Council’s Planning Committee met at the Town Hall on Tuesday morning and granted permission for the scheme, subject to conditions and legal agreement.
The £100m rebuilding project will result in Liverpool FC being able to create an additional 13,000 seats in the Main and Anfield Road stands, eventually bringing the overall capacity up from the present level of more than 45,000 to around 59,000.
Construction work is expected to begin before the end of 2014 or early next year, with aims for the first phase of 8,000 more seats in the Main Stand to be completed in time for the 2016/17 season.
Despite concerns from residents about traffic on match days and complaints about the decline of the local area in recent years, the council decided to back the club’s proposals.
The stadium expansion is just one element of a major regeneration plan which was announced by Liverpool City Council in October 2012 to transform the surrounding district.
Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “The overall regeneration will see £260m invested in Anfield and today has been a very important milestone in our ambitions to transform the area, bringing new jobs, investment and housing.”
Liverpool FC’s Chief Executive Officer, Ian Ayre, said he was delighted with the planning verdict and the positive feedback received about the new plans for the stadium during a public consultation exercise earlier in the year.
Mr Ayre added: “There are still some steps that we need to navigate through in order to give us the certainty we need to proceed with our expansion plans.”