Liverpool’s plans to permanently close portion of road next to Anfield look set for approval
Liverpool football club's plans to permanently close a stretch of the highway behind its stadium look set for approval, despite objections.
A planning application, which will go before committee on Tuesday 28 July 2026, is split into two parts.
The first is to vary a condition of approved plans to expand the stadium. The change would enable the site to host up to six major events per annum, including In July. This would allow for more flexibility.
The club also seeks to permanently close a stretch of Anfield Road, behind the Anfield Road Stand.
It initially closed in the summer of 2021 as work to expand the stand on the same side of the stadium got underway.
Although construction completed in 2024, the road has remained closed to cars, but it is accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.
The portion of the road is owned by the football club.
In a statement on its website, when feedback on the permanent closure was sought, the club said: "With the benefit of more than three years of experience since the road was closed to facilitate construction of the Anfield Road stand in June 2021 , it is evident that it is unnecessary for general traffic to use the road; maintaining it as a pedestrianised zone creates an enhanced environment for cyclists and pedestrians."
The application initially went to committee last month, but was deferred to enable members to undertake a site visit.
The proposal has raised objections from ward councillors, residents and businesses in respect of the impacts of concerts and major events.
Concerns have also been raised about the impacts to residential amenity because of the rerouted traffic.
A report said that the frustrations "are acknowledged" but added: "However, in assessing the magnitude of the impact, the rerouting of traffic was found not to have substantial impacts on journey times or volumes of traffic in the surrounding streets, such that would be unacceptable from a highway safety or access perspective.
"The changes to air quality were similarly not found to be of concern."
It continued: "While an alternative option of additional traffic management measures could have been pursued to allow the private highway to open as originally intended under 20F/3090, the support for it remaining closed from a ground safety perspective (as substantiated by the Police and LCC Building Control) weighs in favour of this proposal."
Taking everything into account, the application will go before councillors with the recommendation for approval.