£50m training facility for Liverpool FC gets thumbs up

Plans by Liverpool Football Club for a £50m joint training complex for its first team and Academy have been approved.

The scheme will enhance the current Academy site in Kirkby with the club’s stars leaving the iconic training facility at Melwood in West Derby, where they have been based in the 1950s.

Outline approval was granted last night (Thursday, September 7) by Knowsley Council’s planning committee for the construction of a new combined training centre, redevelopment of the Academy and the conversion of the Kirkby “front pitch” into an indoor pitch.

Community playing fields at Simonswood lane will also be redeveloped by Liverpool FC.

Peter Moore, Liverpool’s chief executive officer, said: “Today’s approval by KMBC (Knowsley) is another step on the journey in achieving our vision to bring our first team players and young players together on one site.

“We have received positive feedback from local residents and business on our proposals during the public consultation earlier this year and we thank them for their continued support.

“As part of the planning process, we will now submit more detail on the scheme to KMBC before we have the certainty that we need to progress with the redevelopment of the site.”