Everton has today (Monday) revealed the final designs of its state-of-the-art new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock ahead of the submission of a planning application to Liverpool City Council.
The designs have evolved with the relocation of the stadium’s multi-storey car park from its previous waterfront location. The car park will now be integrated within the stadium, creating one standalone structure.
Other changes include additional environmental measures such as wind baffles, while the plans also include extensive public spaces that can be used on both match days and non-match days.
Everton has projected that the stadium plans would have a “transformational” impact on North Liverpool, contributing to a £1bn (€1.17bn/$1.3bn) boost to the city region’s economy, creating up to 15,000 jobs and attracting 1.4m visitors to the city each year.
The stadium application is being submitted to Liverpool City Council today and will be followed by a separate outline planning application for a community-led project at Goodison Park, Everton’s current home. The intention for both applications will be determined by the council at the same time.
The Goodison Park legacy project would see the stadium redeveloped to provide community assets such as affordable housing, a multi-purpose health centre, community-led retail and leisure spaces and a youth enterprise zone.
Everton received more than 63,000 responses from fans and stakeholders across two stages of a formal public consultation, with the second stage generating more than 43,000 responses. Ninety-six per cent of respondents wanted The People’s Project – the combined stadium and Goodison Park redevelopment plans – to progress, with 98 per cent supporting the design of the new stadium.
The stadium will comprise four distinctive stands, including a steep, 13,000-seat home stand. Everton has pledged that the stadium will place fans “as close to the action as regulations permit” and encapsulate the atmosphere of Goodison Park, while limiting the impact of noise pollution on the surrounding area.
The North and South stand lower tiers have been designed so they can accommodate rail seating and, should legislation change, be converted into safe-standing areas.
Everton chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale said: “This is a huge milestone in the club’s history but also a profound statement of intent for our future. It marks the culmination of many years of work that has combined the passion of our fans with world-class design and a commitment to creating something truly special on Liverpool’s waterfront.
“The stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock will deliver the best possible match-day experience for our fans, new facilities for cultural events and a building that will be a stunning new addition to Liverpool’s built environment.
“Our proposals are a commitment to a long and exciting future for the club in North Liverpool, and also for our award-winning charity, Everton in the Community, to continue to make a life-changing difference in Liverpool 4.
“From its inception, we’ve always believed that this project can be a game-changer for North Liverpool. The vast amount of feedback and overwhelming support we received through our consultation has shown that the people of Liverpool understand that The People’s Project isn’t just about a new football ground – it’s about regeneration, jobs and social value.
“If we are granted planning approval, this will be a world-class football stadium in a world-class location and a catalyst for Liverpool City Region’s ongoing growth and success.”
Bramley-Moore Dock is located within Liverpool’s World Heritage Site and Everton said its status as a conservation area have been “fundamental” to how the stadium has been designed and planned.
A water channel would be maintained to the west of the stadium to ensure the visual continuity of the dock system, while the site’s Grade II Listed Hydraulic Tower would also be restored to create a visitor attraction for non-match days. Other features such as capstones, mooring posts and old railway tracks will also be restored.
Colin Chong, Everton’s stadium development director, said: “This project has been designed from the ground up with the site’s heritage in mind – getting this right has always been our priority.
“We have invested an enormous amount of resource and effort in creating a design that not only respects and looks at home in a dockland setting but will also restore and preserve the historic features of Bramley-Moore Dock and, importantly, open a currently inaccessible site to the public.
“We have worked closely with Liverpool City Council and heritage organisations as the plans have evolved and our final proposals include a significant amount of environmental remediation work, along with measures to restore and preserve key aspects of the dock. We are immensely proud to submit our proposals for what I believe is one of the most exciting development projects in world football.”
Liverpool City Council will now review and process the application, which Everton said would take time due to the scale of the submission. The council will then start its formal consultation period.
Images: Everton
