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Liverpool granted temporary permission for Anfield concerts

Liverpool Football Club has today (Tuesday) been granted temporary planning permission to stage music concerts and other major events at Anfield for the next two years.

Liverpool submitted fresh plans to the city council this week having seen initial proposals rejected last month.

The application submitted by the club is in line with plans to offer more cultural and sporting events to supporters, the city of Liverpool and those visiting the area.

Liverpool will be free to host up to six events per year, with the ruling set to come into effect from May 2019.

Andy Hughes, chief operating officer at Liverpool, said: “We would like to thank everyone who has been involved throughout this planning process and, importantly, the local residents who provided valuable feedback at our recent drop-in sessions.

“Expanding the use of the stadium for concerts and other events will help draw additional visitors to the local area and city, provide more local jobs, increase revenue for local businesses and promote Anfield as a tourist destination.

“We will now work proactively with event promoters and Liverpool City Council to plan events while ensuring we’re all working together to minimise the impact to those who live in the local area. We are also committed to making further improvements to our match day operations and continue our engagement with local residents, councillors and other key stakeholders.”

Liverpool’s initial plans were rejected as local residents and councillors spoke of their opposition to Anfield hosting other sporting events, with noise pollution, parking issues and anti-social behaviour having been cited as potential problems.

When announcing the plans to expand Anfield’s offering back in June, Liverpool pointed to sports such as boxing, American football and Gaelic football that could be held at the stadium.

Image: Robert Cutts