City of Liverpool FC’s home turf plan hits snag
The Purps had been hoping to create a permanent home at Rathbone Park, but Liverpool City Council opted to reject the football club’s application to take over the land.
City of Liverpool FC had outlined plans to upgrade the existing skate park and add a 3G football pitch, community gardens, a covered event space, and a children’s secure play area to Rathbone Park, also known as Edge Lane Recreation Ground.
The football pitch would have been open for community use, except during the 25 home games that make up the team’s season.
If it had been successful, Rathbone Park would have been the first permanent city home for the non-league team, which currently plays at a ground in Widnes.
Cllr Nick Small explained the council’s refusal of the community asset transfer request on X.
“The council has decided not to take this forward based on officer recommendations under the Community Asset Transfer policy because of questions around deliverability, planning policy challenges, the designation of the location as a green space and highways impact,” he wrote.
“I hope that COLFC and the Council can work together to look at alternatives in other parts of Liverpool.”
The Council has decided not to take this forward based on officer recommendations under the Community Asset Transfer policy because of questions around deliverability, planning policy challenges, the designation of the location as a green space and highways impact. 1/2 https://t.co/FqRN8DaXhL
— Councillor Nick Small 🇺🇦 (@CllrNickSmall) October 10, 2024
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson echoed Small’s words, adding that the city council “remains committed to supporting [the club] in their endeavours toe explore other respective sites”.
Will end up playing in Wales
By Anonymous
Anyone been passed this site recently the way Nick Small describes it you’d think it was buzzing with recreational activity. He cites one of the reasons for rejection as highways impact but he knows full well there is a popular major retail park next door bringing traffic to the area every day of the week , as well as a very busy dual carriageway. Councillor Small has a reputation for finding fault with developments, large or small, or finding environmental reasons for knocking them back such as rabbits on Pall Mall.
By Anonymous
Another opportunity wasted by Liverpool councillors, how long must this city be held back by this horrendous planning department? Rathbone park has been a blot on the landscape for decades, this project would have been ideal for the area. Any chance of hiring competent people at LCC?
By Liverpolitan
Shocking decision the council have rejected this application what till happen to the land now nothing shame on them
By Jason elliott
It’s not a problem that a few residents have further questions or raising their concerns until they’ve been spoken to properly by the club. A chance that sadly was never given up to now.
What is really concerning though, is the way the local councillor W. Shortall has celebrated this rejection by the council as a great success, while the overwhelming majority of the residents have now reacted positively about the club’s proposal and well outnumber the so-called 46 friends of Rathbone Park. Liverpool City Council will have to revisit this application and progress with it, for the benefits of L13 and the wider community.
By Concerned Citizen
There’s a pitch about to become available down Goodison Road, they could share it with Everton Ladies and the Everton under 21 team. Everton could demolish the upper section of the main stand and maybe some other sections of the older stands to leave a stadium with about a 25000 capacity, it would be boss to keep Goodison Park as a going concern.
By Anonymous
I just watched a very recent youtube by some fella who done a 30 min walk around of this site, and the League if Gentlemen at their finest couldn’t create a more miserable scene of a wasteland.
Derelict skatepark, abandoned tennis courts, plain looking grass which the council must cut out of duty, otherwise you’d be hard pressed to call this a recreational area except maybe for dogs.
Councillor Small is probably proud of his local area but it needs a massive injection of vision which the locals may not appear to possess.
By Anonymous