Everton’s £10m homes plan blow

Jan 21 2009 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

EVERTON FC has lost an inquiry to build homes on its former training ground, resulting in the loss of up £10m for the club.

The club’s board of directors and chairman Bill Kenwright were last night understood to be furious about the decision.

The income from the sale of the land was due to part-fund the club’s £78m contribution towards its proposed move to a new home in Kirkby, which is currently the subject of a separate public inquiry. The Daily Post understands the loss, between £8m and £10m, will not impact on the proposed move, as the club will now find the cash elsewhere.

Last night, a source close to the club hit out and said: “It does now seem as if certain individuals and the council are determined to ruin Everton Football Club.”

Last night, council leader Warren Bradley called on the club to meet the council to work out a way for developing Bellefield.

Last year, Everton moved to its new training ground at Finch Farm, in Halewood, freeing up the 8.9-acre Bellefield site, in West Derby, for housing.

The source said: “We have spent the past three to four years trying desperately hard to work with Liverpool City Council, but it does now seem as if certain individuals and the council are determined to ruin Everton Football Club.

“There’s no doubt that this has been Liverpool City Council’s way of punishing the club for having the audacity to attempt to safeguard its long-term future by moving to a new home in Kirkby, outside the Liverpool city boundary.

“The club has constantly stated that in an ideal world it would definitely prefer to remain inside Liverpool; sadly, the city council has done nothing to facilitate that.

“It sometimes seems that certain key people inside the city council have not attempted to help the football club. It appears to many people at Goodison Park that, as they can’t or were not willing to help us remain in Liverpool, they decided to make it as difficult as possible for us to leave.

“The application was sensible and the planned development would have nicely complemented the area.There’s no doubting at all that this was a political decision.

“The Bellefield site is an asset which the club, as a business, will have to realise; it would be ridiculous for the club to just leave it.”

In June last year, Liverpool City Council rejected plans by the club to build 74 large family homes on the club’s former base.

Council planners had originally recommended the scheme be approved, but the planning committee rejected the plans over fears of increased traffic, extra pressure on local schools, doctors and dentists, and loss of open space.

About 220 residents objected to the plans, in which Bellefield’s buildings would be demolished.