Expanded stadium clears important hurdle
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Liverpool FC have expanded the Anfield Road Stand of their stadium
Liverpool FC have expanded the Anfield Road Stand of their stadium
The expansion of Liverpool Football Club's expanded Anfield stadium has completed a crucial 'final step.'
The Reds began work to expand the famous stadium's Anfield Road Stand by 7,000 seats in 2021. The project hit a major problem two years later in 2023 when the main contractor, Buckingham Group, filed for administration - leading to delays in welcoming fans back into the stand.
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But work resumed with replacement contractor Raynor Rowen in September 2023, with the project finally completed later in the 2023/24 season. The work has increased Anfield's overall capacity to 61,000 seats.
Now the newly expanded and revamped stadium has passed a final, crucial step. Liverpool City Council has announced that the city's Ground Safety Advisory Group has agreed to issue a General Safety Certificate for the new-look stadium.
In a social media post, the local authority stated: "The granting of a full certificate is the final step in the club's remodelling of its new Anfield Road stand."
The Buckingham Group's administration delayed the Anfield Road expansion project
The Buckingham Group's administration delayed the Anfield Road expansion project
Following the completion of the expanded stand, Liverpool are now looking at what happens next with the land directly next to it.
Last year, LFC began consulting with local residents about the possibility of keeping the section of Anfield Road, which connects Stanley Park to Walton Breck Road via the 97th Avenue, permanently closed to motorists.
But the club has since carried out a more detailed consultation with the residents who would be most directly affected by what happens to the stretch of Anfield Road in question, to find out what they think before any proposals are put forward for the longer term.
In a letter to those living in the immediate vicinity last month, LFC managing director Andy Hughes said: "You may be aware that in September 2024 we consulted the community and other key stakeholders on proposals to keep the section of highway at Anfield Road (in the vicinity of the stadium) free from traffic and to retain it as public realm for use by pedestrians and cyclists.
"We would like to reiterate that the purpose of this survey is not to re-run the previous consultation. That exercise provided some useful feedback, but before we make any decision on next steps, we need to understand how you have previously used the section of Anfield Road in question, how you use it now and, importantly, what your views are on it remaining closed to traffic.
An area of Anfield Road has been pedestrianised since work began to expand the Anfield Road stand of the stadium
An area of Anfield Road has been pedestrianised since work began to expand the Anfield Road stand of the stadium
"Following the close of the survey, we will review all feedback received to help us determine next steps. We will ensure members of the community and local stakeholders are kept informed about the progress and proposed way forward."
The club says it will collate all the responses to gather the evidence and use these views to inform what proposals it will come up with.