An additional 2,000 fans will be able to queue inside the station grounds under the plans
Everton fans make their way home via Sandhills station
Everton fans make their way home via Sandhills station(Image: Liverpool Echo)
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Controversial plans to expand the queuing area at a Merseyrail station used by Everton fans on match day will go-ahead. An additional 2,000 supporters could be able to queue in an extended zone at Sandhills after Liverpool Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead for proposals to reimagine the site at the second time of asking.
Merseytravel’s proposals to extend the area at Sandhills for Everton fans to gather post-match following games at Hill Dickinson Stadium as they wait for their train home were put on hold after concerns were raised by city councillors. However, opposition members were criticised for their assessment of the station with former Lord Mayor Richard Kemp comparing it to “the greeting area for Auschwitz".
Fellow Liberal Democrat Cllr Pat Moloney described the queuing system as “something out of a horrific death camp in Nazi Germany". Both men were eventually forced to apologise after mounting pressure from Jewish leaders and Labour politicians.
Simon Crawshaw, Liverpool Council principal major projects planning officer, told the committee how without the extension to the site, Sandhills would remain overcrowded and would not be able to manage passengers safety. It was said the extension plans put forward by Merseyrail represented a 150% increase in queuing area for supporters.
How the extension could look at Sandhills (Owen Ellis Architects)
How the extension could look at Sandhills (Owen Ellis Architects)
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This would be through repurposing land to extend the existing fan management zone along the strip of land between Dunes Way and the existing station ramp to the foot bridge. Land to the south of the site would remain in use for the storage equipment for rail maintenance activities of Merseytravel, Merseyrail and Network Rail.
Mr Crawshaw added: “It was always envisaged the relocation of Everton Football Club from Goodison Park to Hill Dickinson Stadium would have a significant impact on Sandhills station. This was well understood when the planning application for the stadium was considered.
“A comprehensive transport assessment was undertaken in relation to the stadium proposals which examined the implications of the development on the transport network.
A visualisation of how part of the new fan management zone at Sandhills could look
A visualisation of how part of the new fan management zone at Sandhills could look
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The works proposed by the current application are associated with the improvements to Sandhills station that were identified as necessary in the stadium’s transport assessment and agreed as part of the original planning permission for Hill Dickinson Stadium.”
The project official said with the move to get fans off the road into the station, a closure of Sandhills Lane could be lifted earlier. Chris Maher, Merseyrail chief financial officer, told the committee this could be by as many as 15 minutes.
The extended queuing area would be uncovered, however, which Cllr Billy Lake described last month as a “glaring omission". Mr Crawshaw said this was to allow for the area to be visible to officials on site monitoring the queues during peak times.
Everton fans make their way home via Sandhills station
Everton fans make their way home via Sandhills station(Image: Liverpool Echo)
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Mr Maher added how the area served a dual purpose outside of matchdays, acting as a bus interchange when issues arose in the city centre. He added how a cover could be considered through a future planning application.
Cllr Lake said a “simple canopy” would suffice rather than a fixed roof to protect queuing supporters from the elements. Plans for a new bus stop on Dunes Way are also to be adopted as part of the application alongside permanent toilet facilities and an area for food and drink kiosks.
The scheme was approved by a majority vote.