Premier League football club eyes brownfield sites for stadium

EVERTON Football Club is eyeing two potential brownfield sites in Liverpool after scrapping plans to build a new stadium at Walton Hall Park.

The club ditched its plan at Walton Hall Park because it would have relied too heavily on retail investment, and it was deemed to be difficult to attract major players on to an out-of-town site. However, the alternative sites have so far not been identified

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said that both Everton and the city council had decided that building the development in north Liverpool was ill-advisded.

 “Most people will be aware that I did give a commitment to Everton to support a potential scheme at Walton Hall Park with the aim of regenerating the area and creating new jobs,” he said.

“On the subject of the park itself, I can now say that the park will remain a park and will be designated as such in our Local Plan, which will be out for consultation this summer.”

Everton chief executive Robert Elstone said: “Our work with the council, particularly over the past few months, has been positive and progressive and while our work evaluating the alternatives is at an early stage, we are hopeful that the new sites provide us with a much more straightforward, deliverable opportunity to build a new stadium.”

Everton’s current stadium Goodison Park currently holds 39,571 spectators and dates back to 1892.