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 are 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 of between £8m and £10m will not impact on the proposed move, as the club will now find the cash from other sources.

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."

Council leader Warren Bradley called on the club to meet the council to work out a way forward 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.

A source close to the club 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 absolutely no doubt at all 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 way of 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 at all 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.