Liverpool FC's iconic new Anfield stadium granted planning permission

Nov 6 2007 By Larry Neild

Picture of Liverpool FC's new stadium plans

Liverpool FC has won the go-ahead for its new iconic £400m stadium on Stanley Park.

The city council’s planning committee spent most of today listening to the revised scheme following the takeover of the club by US businessmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

They also heard protests about the scheme from local people and residents groups.

The committee gave their unanimous approval but, in response to fears of increase traffic chaos, wanted the council to impose a minimum £100 fine on fans who park illegally on match days.

Providing Communities Secretary Hazel Blears does not intervene the aim is to start work on the 60,000 seater stadium in the Spring.

The plan would be for the first game to take place at the start of the 2010/2011 season.

The club already has an outstanding planning consent, approved last year, for a stadium with a 60,000 capacity.

But the new owners decided that they wanted the plans to be completely redrawn.

The committee was told that the club could press ahead with building a stadium if it wanted to, using the old plans.

Local people protested about the loss of public parkland in an area heavily populated by people living in hundreds of terraced homes.

Some of the opponents told the committee that the new owners would never even attempt to build a huge stadium in New York’s Central Park, and committee members were asked whether they would sanction a stadium in Sefton Park or Calderstones Park.

Committee chairman Cllr Dave Irving recommended the go-ahead be given and said he preferred the new iconic plans compared to the previous scheme.