Everton Football Club has revealed the final designs of its new 52,000-seater stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock on Liverpool’s waterfront, before a detailed planning application is submitted to Liverpool City Council today.
The plans for the stadium, which will sit within Peel Land & Property’s Liverpool Waters site, would have a transformational impact on North Liverpool, kick-starting the regeneration of the northern docklands, contributing a £1bn boost to the city region’s economy, creating up to 15,000 jobs and attracting 1.4m visitors to the city each year.
At the heart of the proposal is a stunning brick, steel and glass stadium which takes its inspiration from the historic maritime and warehouse buildings nearby. The stadium structure combines the historic and the modern, with the brick base incorporating a subtle nod to Goodison Park’s famous Archibald Leitch lattice work, while the dynamic roof structure made from steel and glass gives the stadium a modern finish.
Following analysis of the feedback received through the Club’s record-breaking public consultation, and a range of detailed technical assessments, the stadium designs have evolved. The multi-storey car park has been relocated from its previous waterfront location and integrated within the stadium to create one impressive standalone structure, while additional environmental measures, including wind baffles, have been incorporated in the final proposals.
The plans also include extensive public spaces for use on both matchdays and non-matchdays featuring a Fan Plaza to the east of the stadium which will provide a focus for pre and post-match entertainment and activity.
The detailed stadium application will be submitted to Liverpool City Council today, followed by a separate outline planning application for a community-led legacy project at Goodison Park, with the intention for both applications to be determined by Liverpool City Council at the same time.
This would see Everton’s home for 127 years redeveloped to provide a range of community assets in Liverpool 4, including high quality, affordable housing, a multi-purpose health centre, community-led retail and leisure spaces and a youth enterprise zone.
The legacy plans will allow the Club to build on the life-changing and life-saving work of its official charity Everton in the Community, enabling the Club to create an additional £240m of societal value.
The planning milestone follows three years of comprehensive public, fan and stakeholder engagement which included more than 63,000 responses received across two stages of formal public consultation.
The second stage of consultation, held in Summer 2019, generated more than 43,000 responses, with 96 per cent of respondents saying they wanted The People’s Project – the combined stadium and Goodison Park redevelopment plans – to progress. Eight out of 10 non-Evertonians also supported the progression of the plans.
The results showed near universal support (98 per cent) for the design of the Club’s 52,000-seater stadium.
Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Chief Executive of Everton Football Club, 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 matchday 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.”
The proposed stadium is made up of four distinctive stands including a large steep home stand to the south that will house 13,000 Evertonians on matchdays. Supporters will be as close to the action as regulations permit.
The overall design will also help amplify the noise within the stadium to capture the intensity and intimacy of Goodison Park in a state-of-the-art arena, while limiting the impact of noise pollution on the surrounding area.