Government calls in Everton Kirkby stadium plan

Aug 7 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

EVERTON FC’s proposed move to Kirkby was in serious jeopardy last night, after the Government called a public inquiry into the £400m scheme.

The Department for Communities and Local Government, which oversaw the decision, said ministers had “thought long and hard about the case, and decided the only appropriate decision was to call it in”.

The public inquiry process is expected to take around a year to complete – a delay which both the club and Knowsley Council have previously warned could kill off the scheme, because of the worsening economic climate.

Last night, Everton said the decision did not spell the end of the Destination Kirkby project, but would “self-evidently, precipitate a period of reflection, assessment and re-evaluation”.

But Knowsley Council warned the project was now in jeopardy and hit out at neighbouring councils for objecting to the scheme, which proposes a huge transformation of Kirkby town centre based on the new stadium and a Tesco superstore.

Former chief executive of Everton Keith Wyness, regarded as the key architect of the scheme and who once described it as “the deal of the century”, last night criticised Liverpool council’s involvement.

But Liverpool Council leader Warren Bradley last night continued to press for Everton and Tesco to “come to the table” and discuss three possible sites within the city’s own boundaries.

Club chairman Bill Kenwright was deep in talks with club life president Sir Philip Carter and other senior club officials last night.

Knowsley North and Sefton East MP, George Howarth, who has backed the scheme, said he regretted the decision but urged the Goodison club and Tesco to defend their proposal at the public inquiry.

The decision was warmly welcomed by lobby groups Keep Everton in Our City (KEIOC) and 1st for Kirkby, who said it was essential Everton now started looking at alternative options.

Everton has spent two years working on the plan for a 50,000-seat stadium in Kirkby, and said last night it was disappointed.

The scheme attracted crucial opposition from neighbouring Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and West Lancashire councils because of the sheer size of the accompanying retail development which includes around 50 shops.

The proposal would also see the construction of restaurants, a hotel and offices, creating more than 2,300 jobs.

In June, Knowsley Council’s planning committee voted by a majority of 20-1 to approve the scheme, saying that the conflicts with local, regional, and national planning policies were outweighed by the regeneration benefits it would bring.

Last night, an Everton statement said: “We shall now engage in detailed discussions with our development partners, Knowsley Council and Tesco, to assess what options are open to us.

“It is important to stress that this decision does not spell the end of the Destination Kirkby project – but it will, self-evidently, precipitate a period of reflection, assessment and re-evaluation.”

Before giving the project planning permission, Knowsley Council conducted its biggest public consultation exercise, believing the proposals had the power to transform Kirkby town centre.