Everton Stadium has been hailed as a “phenomenal addition to the city” by Liverpool City Council Leader Liam Robinson.
Cllr. Robinson was speaking during his first visit to the club’s future home at Bramley-Moore Dock, where he was formally confirmed as the leader of Liverpool City Council in May 2023.
Everton’s interim Chief Executive Colin Chong led the new leader of the local authority on a behind-the-scenes tour, which was joined by the Council’s newly appointed Chief Executive Andrew Lewis and Director of Development Nuala Gallagher.
The senior Council delegation was able to learn more about the development and its game-changing impact on Liverpool, as well as discuss transport plans and how Liverpool City Council can further support the Club’s plans for continued growth.
As work continues on all four sides of the stadium, the Council Leader expressed his excitement about the growing opportunities the development will provide for local residents, as he was finally able to see a facility that proudly aims to become a 365 destination and deliver year-round benefits to the region as a whole.
Cllr Robinson said:
“It’s been amazing to come down here and confirm that we will have one of the very best stadiums in Europe, right here on the iconic Liverpool waterfront.
“We get very excited about how successful this can be for the wider city on so many levels, so it’s great that it’s coming to fruition and not just being talked about.
“This is my first visit, having only previously seen it from outside. It’s even more powerful when you get inside and now I’m looking forward to seeing how all it all comes together.
“It’s going to be a phenomenal addition to the city, especially when you think about the location, on the wonderful, Liverpool waterfront.
“It’s already a world-famous view that so many people know and love, so to add an iconic stadium into that mix is brilliant.”
Cllr Robinson heard firsthand how the development will boost the UK economy by £1.3 billion, create tens of thousands of jobs, and attract 1.4 million new visitors to the city.
And, with plans to improve the surrounding infrastructure in the works, he vowed to continue to support the club as it moves away from Goodison Park.
He added:
“The Club has been doing a great job in pulling together this stadium and I am really proud of how the Council has helped with that and supported it.
“It’s great to see some of the impact it’s had on local employment, for example. In fact, six per cent of the staff come from the Kirkdale neighbourhood, very local to the site.
“So, there has been a great impact locally and it will be great to see the stadium complete and watch Everton play their football here.”
Everton’s Interim CEO Colin Chong, who accompanied the Council delegation on the tour, praised the Council for their support of the ambitious project to rehouse the Club.
He said:
“All the way through the consultation process the support from the Council has been there, so it was important to let their new leadership team see the amazing progress we’ve made and how close we are to completion.
“The job isn’t done yet and we will still need their assistance and expertise, but we wouldn’t have got this far without the help, knowledge and assistance from Liverpool City Council, particularly planning, building control and licencing department, who are definitely going to come into the forefront of what we need to do in the next nine months.
“There are still things we still need to address. We need to look at the wider estate, what we do between the stadium and the city centre and I’m pretty sure they will be able to assist us in the transition from Goodison Park as well as working alongside their Liverpool City Region Combined Authority colleagues on transportation plans in getting people to and from the new stadium.
“That includes the improvements we need to make at Sandhills Station, bus routes, taxi stations, how we improve accessibility for all aspects of our community.
“So, there is still an awful lot of work still to be done, but I know Liverpool City Council will be supportive all the way through.”
READ MORE: EVERTON STADIUM MARKS SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE BUILD
