Everton given green light to build new £500M Bramley-Moore Stadium

Everton given green light to build brand new £500M Bramley-Moore Stadium as government clears the way for proposed 53,000 ground

  • Everton have taken another significant step towards leaving Goodison Park 
  • Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, signed off the plans on Friday
  • New home will be based on the northern docklands at Bramley-Moore
  • Club will target moving into their new home for the 2024-25 season 

Everton have been given the all-clear to build their proposed new 53,000-seater stadium at Bramley-Moore.

The Toffees have now taken a significant step towards leaving Goodison Park, as they aim to begin the project of developing a 52,888-capacity ground on the waterfront site at a cost of £500million.

The club will target to start building their new home this summer, with a view to hopefully moving in ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Everton have been given the go-ahead to build a new £500m stadium by the 2024-25 season

 Everton have been given the go-ahead to build a new £500m stadium by the 2024-25 season

The site is based on the derelict area of the the city's northern docklands at Bramley-Moore

The site is based on the derelict area of the the city’s northern docklands at Bramley-Moore

Liverpool City Council’s Planning Committee had unanimously approved the plans a month ago. Stunning designs showing how the ground will look were revealed last September and it is now hoped the club can complete the project between 2023 and 2024.

The club’s next step will be purchasing the site, based on the derelict area of the city’s northern docklands, from Peel L&P and gain the funding needed for the project which is hoped to bring a huge boost to the Merseyside area.

Plans for the stadium’s development as well as a Goodison Legacy are hoped to deliver a £1.3bn boost to the economy, create more than 15,000 jobs and attract 1.4m tourists to Merseyside.

 

The striking designs for the stadium have been well received by an excited Everton fanbase

 The striking designs for the stadium have been well received by an excited Everton fanbase 

The 53,000-seater stadium proposed would be housed at the Bramley-Moore dock site

 The 53,000-seater stadium proposed would be housed at the Bramley-Moore dock site

In a statement on the club’s website back in September, Stadium Development Director Colin Chong said: ‘We have further enhanced one of the most exciting development projects in the country.

‘By working closely with Liverpool city council and all our key stakeholders we have refined our plans to ensure a better connection between the stadium and the River.

‘The public stepped plaza will become a high-quality start and end to the planned river walk and a destination benefitting the local community as well as visitors to the city on non-matchdays.

‘This will be a transformational development for not just North Liverpool but for the Northern Powerhouse.’ 

The club say the new site will help regenerate the semi-derelict area of the city's docks

The club say the new site will help regenerate the semi-derelict area of the city’s docks 

Everton's current home, Goodison Park, is in a residential area and is difficult to regenerate

Everton’s current home, Goodison Park, is in a residential area and is difficult to regenerate

Everton had concerns over the project, with Historic England against the development on the grounds to preserve the dockland area but they were dismissed by a council fully backing the proposal.

Since 1892, Everton have been playing at Goodison Park which is one of the oldest venues in English football after the club moved across Stanley Park from Anfield – now famously housed by city rivals Liverpool.

Although the venue is adored by supporters, Goodison’s capacity of 39,414 has long been a problem in meeting the demands of the fanbase.

Options to expand the ground are non-existent given its iconic location next to residential areas on three sides, and Everton have for many years been trying to find alternative locations for a new stadium. 

A 2000 proposal to build a 55,000 ground at King’s Dock was turned down. In 2004 talks were held with Liverpool over building a new joint stadium but the Toffees struggled to raise the finances for the project.

Another proposal for a 55,000 ground in Kirkby just outside Liverpool were raised in 2007 before the government rejected the proposal.

Plans were also put in place to build a new ground at Walton Hall Park but were scrapped in favour of the Bramley-Moore move in 2017.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: ‘For anyone serious about regeneration in north Liverpool, this was a no-brainer.

‘Giving the green light to major shovel-ready infrastructure projects such as this will be key to spearheading a recovery here in the North. Bramley Moore Dock will create thousands of jobs, unlock billions in economic growth for local communities and open up the city further to the rest of the world.

‘This is a project which will help put the city of Liverpool in the economic Premier League it deserves to be in post crisis.’  

source: dailymail.co.uk