Council suspends parking zone as Everton move takes shape
With a second test event at the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium successfully completed, Liverpool City Council is reviewing parking restrictions it had looked to impose in the area.
The parking measures, introduced under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order for the stadium’s first event last month, have been suspended primarily around the business areas within the new zone.
Everton, the council and Combined Authority, police and Merseyrail have been putting their heads together in recent weeks to hammer out teething problems over supporters accessing the stadium as the club’s relocation nears.
The second test event, held on Sunday 23 March, saw 25,000 fans use the stadium, with a drill for emergency evacuation included in the day’s programme. As announced in mid-March, Merseyrail put on extra services and longer trains for the event.
Second test event in the books
Everton declared the event a “resounding success”.
Interim chief executive Colin Chong – who earlier this month spoke to Place North West about the club’s hopes to use the adjacent Nelson Dock in future – said: “This was a hugely important step in our transition to Everton Stadium, and we are delighted with how the stadium and our protocols handled the increase in capacity.
“Following the first test event we received a lot of positive feedback on the matchday experience elements and the food offer, while we also took on board some learnings from an operational perspective. We will continue to engage with local authorities, city stakeholders and fan groups about the long-term travel plan, through the Transport Working Group.”
LCRCA said that more than half the attendance on Sunday used public transport: 500 using Mersey Ferries, 2,000+ on shuttle bus services and more than 12,000 by train.
Merseyrail said that despite some busy trains on the Hunts Cross line and a trespasser on the tracks in the Seaforth area causing some minor disruption, the plan put in place, as part of a wider transport strategy, for the event worked well.
Chief operating officer Stephen Dodd said: “We are pleased with how well this test event went, with thousands of customers travelling smoothly and safely via Sandhills station.
“The feedback from this and the previous test event are invaluable as we continue to refine our matchday transport plans, ahead of the stadium’s official opening at the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season. These test events allow us to further improve the overall travel experience for fans.”
Extra services and eight-car trains will once again be in operation for the final test event in the summer. Merseyrail also said it will review plans for additional services on the Hunts Cross line, given the demand during the test event.
Parking the issue?
LCC’s review of the parking changes has now formally begun. The council said that the temporary cessation of the measures – widely criticised as too heavy-handed – 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. Residents are advised to apply for free permits, with a free visitor permit also allowed.
Around 50% of fans used public transport. Credit: Everton FC
More than 5,000 responses have been recorded by LCC on the public consultation around the ETRO. Amendments had already been made following the first test event in February.
An updated ETRO is expected to be announced by August before the Toffees begin next season in their new waterfront home.
Among the improvements made are: improvements to street lighting on walking routes to and from the stadium, improved pedestrian wayfinding signage between stations and the ground, and temporary signage to shuttle bus and taxi rank locations.
Addressing the parking issue, 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.
“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.”
Next steps
Supporters have been near-unanimous in their appreciation of the new stadium’s upsides – its spectacular location and views, its status as a beacon of regeneration for the area, and once inside, the acoustics and sightlines of the pitch as compared to the much-loved but showing -its-age Goodison Park.
And for the most part, fans were accepting that the transport measures had helped, noting also that the Liverpool Half-Marathon taking place had hardly helped matters.
A funnelling ‘fan management zone’ system is now in place at Sandhills station, where there also intentions to increase capacity due a planning decision soon – although as has been pointed out in the Place comments section and elsewhere, many believe travel infrastructure investment should have been a crucial part of the work around the ground project from day one for city leaders.
A third test event, with the number of fans in attendance ramped up once again, will take place this summer.
I attended the event on Sunday , once through the dock wall and into the stadium it was truly fantastic EFC and the whole experience is world class. On the other end of that scale , borderline dereliction of duty sadly is the public transport . I used the train from south parkway at 11am and it was packed , that’s for a 25,000 crowd. Arriving at Sandhills was chaotic and extremely busy it felt unsafe as the platform is tiny and the stairs to exit are steep. There can be no excuses all involved have had 5 years. I personally am very concerned about sandhills with a 53,000 crowd . In a city that has suffered a terrible tragedy with crushing crowds the lack of a fit for purpose station is shameful. We don’t need sound bites from LCC and Mr Rotherham we need urgent action.
By Paul M - Woolton
The transport authorities have had over 3 years to resolve this matter and only now have sprung into action. As regards the parking measures imposed they were a nonsense and completely over the top eg all spectators for a night match would have arrived by 8pm so why would you need a wholesale parking restriction till midnight.
Why would you need a parking restriction 365 days per year when no more than 30 major football matches are played and possibly up to 10 concerts. Even in London ,where crowds are bigger , the match-related parking restrictions are just for the day, meanwhile as for Rugby Union where 82000 attend it’s just a one-off parking restriction.
It all needs a major rethink and Sandhills needs an upgrade, plus a new station built at Vauxhall.
By Anonymous
It’s not worth going if I can’t park
By Anonymous
Credit to the council for recognising that they’d over-reached themselves with the traffic order. No credit to anyone for not reconfiguring Sandhills station in time. They’ve only had four years to do it, after all. And who knew so many Blues lived in the south end? An easy mistake for Merseytravel to make, to be fair.
That just leaves the ridiculous ‘pedestrian management’ of the Bascule Bridge, which creates a wholly unnecessary – and risky – blockage, plus greater clarity on where the Soccer Buses depart and where the taxi ranks are.
By Saint Domingo
New ground is fantastic and will boost the area tremendously , already new homes hotels and bars are appearing , transport however has not been well handythe nearby station is inadequate , dangerously overcrowded with no cover for waiting fans if it rains . Walking makes sense but the council and peel are not opening to riverside walkway , which would allow thousands of supporters to walk safely to the ground and reduce traffic congestion . Still time to do that before the season started
By George
It will be interesting how things work out when the away fans are involved, particularly Cup games with a larger than normal visiting support.
By Ian Jones
What about disabled parking close to the stadium
By J james
Hi J, there is Blue Badge parking available in the suspended business parking permit areas, and for up to 3 hrs on yellow lines unless there are loading restrictions. Thanks, Neil
By Neil Tague
Traffic was chaos. Just cancel all restrictions around the ground and better traffic control as it was dangerous crossing the roads
By Terry lamb
Surely this kind of development should be attracting major investment to the area???? no movement in 5 years with any knock on effect?
By Anonymous
Fantastic development which is already bring regeneration to the area with more to come. Sandhills is inadequate and needs sorting quickly . There is however a cheap way to resolve at least one of the problems that is the congestion at the Bascule bridge that is quickly open the riverside promenade
By George
@ 2.29pm, regarding investment in the area, now the stadium is up and running and receiving a lot of national and international attention developers will realise the potential here. There are greenshoots with bars opening and possibly a few hotels, but I would like to see a small neighbourhood built on the Terry’s Timber site and then for Liverpool Waters to take off, big time.
It does appear too that Freidkin, the Everton owner’s, are looking to develop on land surrounding the adjacent dock.
By Anonymous
Shortsighted transport chiefs can’t see that you could run a tram inside the dock wall from Nelson Dock along to Jesse Hartley Way, then dog leg onto the dock road and passed the Waterloo Warehouse onwards to the Pierhead and Liverpool One. This would serve the Pierhead, new residential schemes, plus the Everton Stadium for football and concerts.
All tram networks have start with a first phase and this would be ideal.
By Anonymous
Does this mean tens of thousands of folk will be getting here all within half-an-hour and all leaving together about two hours later? Need to plan some mass public transport before the stadium opens, I reckon. How about hiring some experienced professional transport planners? Just a thought.
By Anonymous
Why does everything nowadays have to demonise the motorists? The docklands are mostly derelict and there’s quick and easy access to Dunningsbridge Rd and the M58. Perfect for a quick and easy in and out. Not everywhere is suitable for all this active travel or public transport which where everyone needs it.
By Rik