Council suspends controversial parking scheme around Everton’s new stadium

Liverpool City Council has suspended controversial parking rules around Everton’s new stadium after a backlash from football fans, businesses and residents.

The scheme was introduced last month ahead of the club’s first safety test event at the 52,888-capacity waterfront stadium. It takes in roads within a 30-minute walking distance of the Bramley-Moore Dock ground.

Everton staged its second test event yesterday (March 23), which saw 25,000 fans attend a friendly fixture, up from last month’s 10,000 attendance.

Each time fans have complained of huge congestion exacerbated by restrictions.

But businesses objected because the parking restrictions are in place throughout the year and not just on Everton match days.

Today, the council said its ETRO (Experimental Traffic Regulation Order) parking measures are to be reviewed, focusing on the business areas within the new zone.

The council said the temporary cessation of the measures comes into effect along the city’s waterfront from its northern extremity by Canada Dock down to the Leeds Street corridor at the city centre boundary, and eastwards across to the Pumpfields district.

The new ETRO parking zone will continue to be in place within the residential districts, from the Eldonian Village across to Great Homer Street and north to “the Shakespeare streets” in Kirkdale.

The authority urged residents who have not yet applied for parking permits yet to do so. These permits are free. Each household is allowed a visitor permit, which is also free.

The announcement to review the measures in the business areas of the zone enables the council to consider the feedback from the public consultation exercise, which was launched to coincide with the new ETRO. The council has so far received more than 5,000 responses.

A number of amendments to the new parking zone have already been announced following the first test event.

An updated ETRO is expected to be announced by August before the new football season begins and Everton FC starts to host matches at the venue.

A further series of improvements, identified from the first test event, have also now been implemented, including:

• A review of the event traffic management plan on road closures ahead of the second test event. This was to ensure closures were enacted and communicated more effectively.
• Improvements to street lighting on walking routes to and from the stadium.
• Improved pedestrian wayfinding signage between Sandhills station and city centre stations and the stadium.
• Temporary signage to shuttle bus and taxi rank locations.

Cllr Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “The new stadium has created new challenges on parking in this part of the city, adding to the pressures from commuters, and the changing needs of a growing area for business. It’s important we get these measures right.

“Since the consultation launched last month we’ve had a lot of feedback. The council has listened carefully.  The legal basis for the new restrictions enables us to make amendments in the light of evidence and experience.

“We will now take the time between now and the start of the new football season to get the balance of new measures right, and in the meantime suspend the measures in the parts of the zone of most concern to local businesses.”

He added: “There is still the year-round issue of commuter parking affecting our residential areas with the zone, so it makes absolute sense for the measures to continue there.

“We are also working closely with colleagues at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority on their plans for public transport provision and we are in active dialogue with them and Everton FC to ensure changes and improvements are made.”

Cllr Dan Barrington, Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for transport and connectivity, said: “It’s been a month since this experimental parking zone launched and we’ve already learnt a lot about its operation and impact.

“The second test on Sunday feels like the right time to take stock of what we’ve learned so far and carefully consider the arrangements that need to apply from August.”

He added: “Our highways team will continue to analyse all the feedback from the consultation, and the evidence generated from the test events, to find ways to make amendments and improvements. We know this takes a few months to carry out, so in the meantime will temporarily suspend the traffic order in the business areas of the zone.

“The issue of illegal and unsafe parking on double yellow lines and pavements that blights the area, specifically on the residential areas cannot be overlooked.

“These issues impact the area all year round and it’s vital we get the balance right to ensure the parking measures supports businesses and the area’s economic development, whilst providing residents with the protection they deserve.”

Blackstock Market

Blackstock Market, a leisure site near the new ground, which was one of the first businesses to raise concerns about the scheme and supported a 5,000-strong petition, reacted this afternoon, saying: “We did it.

“You can now park by our venue without the risk of getting a parking fine.

“This is a huge victory for the businesses and communities who’ve been fighting for common sense to prevail. After all the hard work, determination and unity, they’ve finally listened to us.

“It’s the right decision – but it shouldn’t have taken this long. We just hope no lasting damage has been done to any of the 3,000 businesses affected by this prolonged and unnecessary process.

“This gives everyone some breathing space, but we’re not done yet.

“We’ll keep pushing to make sure a fair and sensible solution is reached for everyone impacted for when the new season starts in August.”

Blackstock Market, a £7m investment, opened last April and is the brainchild of comedy club Hot Water’s founders Paul and Binty Blair.

It houses four theatre spaces of varying sizes from a purpose built, and first to open, state of the art 590-seat auditorium – the largest regular comedy club space in Europe – to a 50-seat studio space, along with podcast studios, with the venue the new home for Hot Water and the city’s comedy fans.