Liverpool FC win victory over plans to stage concerts

Liverpool Football Club has been granted permission to stage concerts at its world-famous stadium.

The permission to push ahead with concerts at Anfield comes less than a month after the city council turned down an application to hold other major sporting events at the ground.

The move means that major concerts in front of 50,000 audiences will be held at the historic ground.

The application was approved after the club agreed to some major changes to the proposals after strong objections were made by local residents.

Councillor Jane Corbett had claimed trust between the club and local residents had “completely broken down” and called for a six-month pause on the scheme.

Liverpool has said that it will reduce the number of planned concerts from 10 to six – and indicated it would be willing to accept a temporary two-year licence for the events.

The club’s chief operating officer Andy Hughes also announced plans for a community fund for residents in the area.

Other measures include a commitment to employ a dedicated local resident liaison officer who will deal with residents’ concerns.

There will also be additional bins outside the ground during the events.

A motion to reject the proposals from Liberal Democrat Councillor Mirna Juarez was seconded by Labour councillor Harry Doyle but rejected by the rest of the committee, who then voted to approve the plans.

The licence means events can take place outside the football season, during a six-week period between May and the end of June.