Anfield regeneration backed by residents, says council
A CONSORTIUM led by Liverpool City Council says Anfield residents back its regeneration plans for the area.
The council, with support from Your Housing Group, Liverpool Football Club and other partners including Keepmoat, unveiled its vision in June which includes more than 500 houses, shops, offices, a 10,000 sq ft “food hub” in Stanley Park and continued promises of a new stadium from Liverpool FC.
There would also be a 100-bed hotel that would train young people. The council, which believes the £260m investment will create 700 jobs, said more than 1,700 people gave feedback on the plans, with 80% in favour.
The results will contribute to the drawing up of a strategic regeneration framework ahead of a detailed planning submission next year.
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said: “People have given us invaluable information about the entire range of regeneration ideas and concepts which we unveiled. In the coming weeks we will use this information to refine our proposals and to undertake another listening and consultation exercise. We believe the plans are exciting and will deliver a massive improvement in quality of life for many thousands of people and be of major benefit to the city not just Anfield.”
The regeneration area of Anfield Village/Rockfield covers 861 houses and was part of the previous government’s doomed Pathfinder housing market renewal initiative. That ground to a halt in 2011 after being axed by the coalition, leaving hundreds of boarded up homes in Liverpool and elsewhere.
The council and Your Housing have a £40m plan to retain and renovate 562 properties and demolish 299 – 186 of which are already vacant. The expansion of Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium would require the demolition of a further 72 houses.
