Leading Liverpool city region figures sign an open letter saying the project at Bramley Moore Dock will have ‘long-term and substantial benefits’ for the city. Tony McDonough reports
Leading business figures in Liverpool city region have signed an open letter backing Everton FC’s plan to build a new stadium in Liverpool’s northern docklands.
Everton want to leave Goodison Park and relocate to the new arena planned for Bramley Moore Dock, part of property giant Peel’s £5bn Liverpool Waters project. However, the arena may not be ready until the 2023/24 season.
Everton FC launched public consultation on new stadium plans – click to read more
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has pledged the city council will lend Everton £220m towards the cost of the arena. However, it is now believed the club may be able to raise the money without the help of the authority.
Major benefits
Now 22 leading city region business figures, including Asif Hamid, chair, Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership; Liverpool and Sefton Chamber of Commerce chief executive Paul Cherpeau; and Elaine Bowker, chief executive City of Liverpool College have signed a letter saying the project will have “long-term and substantial benefits” for Liverpool.
The city councils rationale for being prepared to offer funding for the new project was that it would act as a catalyst for both Liverpool Waters and the council’s own Ten Street regeneration scheme.
The letter also dismisses fears over the potential impact of Liverpool waterfront World Heritage Status and it points out that Everton has pledged to create a strong legacy in the Walton area of the city, location of Goodison Park.
New opportunities
The letter says: “The city of Liverpool faces a once-in-a-generation chance to deliver new opportunities and jobs with the creation of a new riverfront stadium for Everton Football Club within Peel Land and Property’s Liverpool Waters.
“Our organisations, which together represent many of the city’s businesses, are working hard on behalf of the city to foster economic growth and wellbeing and believe this is an opportunity which must be grasped.”
It goes on to say: “Bramley-Moore Dock is an under-utilised and partially derelict site with no access to members of the public.
“Everton’s plans would bring this site back to life, creating tens of thousands of jobs, including training and apprenticeships for the youth of the city and the city region, and would accelerate the regeneration of the North Liverpool waterfront.”
And it adds: “The plans would also lead to the creation of new community-focused assets in Liverpool 4 that would both directly and indirectly benefit some of our poorest neighbourhoods. The positive impact of the stadium would, in fact, reverberate across the entire city region.”
The full list of signatories:
- Bill Addy, chief executive, Liverpool BID Company, and chair, Liverpool Visitor Economy Network
- Elaine Bowker, chief executive City of Liverpool College
- Chris Brown, director, Marketing Liverpool
- Paul Cherpeau, chief executive, Liverpool and Sefton Chamber of Commerce
- Steven Connolly, estates director, Liverpool ONE
- Brian Connor, general manager, Rum Warehouse & Titanic Hotel
- Ellen Cutler, director, Invest Liverpool
- Sue Grindrod, chief executive, Royal Albert Dock, and chair, Liverpool Waterfront Partnership
- John Hall, chief executive, Professional Liverpool
- Asif Hamid, chair, Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership
- John Irving, chief executive, Liverpool John Lennon Airport
- Mark Lawler, managing director, Baltic Creative CIC
- Darran Lawless, development director, Peel Land and Property
- Marcus Magee, chair, Liverpool Hospitality Association
- Claire McColgan, director, Culture Liverpool
- Frank McKenna, chief executive, Downtown in Business
- Prof Gerald Pillay, Vice Chancellor, Liverpool Hope University
- Bob Pratty, chief executive, ACC Liverpool
- Erika Rushton, chair, Baltic Creative CIC
- Colin Sinclair, chief executive, Knowledge Quarter Liverpool
- Andy Snell, head of strategic partnerships and International Trade, Wirral Chamber of Commerce
- Max Steinberg, chief executive, Liverpool Vision