Liverpool FC postpones Anfield Road expansion

The football club’s plans to further increase the capacity of its stadium by expanding the Anfield Road stand have been shelved for “at least 12 months” due to coronavirus. 

The club had originally anticipated that the project would complete in time for the 2022/23 season, subject to planning consent, and expected to submit an application for the scheme this spring. 

However, a statement from the club said the earliest target date for completion was now summer 2023, a year later than planned.

Liverpool FC said the reason for the year-long delay was that the scheduled 18-month build must take place between seasons. A new timeframe for the project predicts completion ahead of the 2023/24 season at the earliest.

The statement did not provide a definitive target date for the submission of plans, other than saying an application is expected to be lodged “within the next year”. 

Liverpool FC’s chief operating officer Andy Hughes said: “We have experienced a number of delays to the planned project as a direct result of the Covid-19 lockdown.

“Given the challenges that many sectors are facing right now, including the construction, procurement and public sectors, we are taking a responsible approach to pause the project. 

Further updates will be provided “when delays to the construction and supply chain industries begin to plateau”, Hughes added. 

Work to increase Anfield’s capacity to 54,000 by adding 8,500 seats to the main stand completed in 2016. 

Two years earlier, the club secured outline consent to add 4,500 seats to the Anfield Road end, but the club let the permission lapse in order to bring forward plans for the larger expansion. 

Architect KSS, landscape architect Planit-IE, and planning consultancy Turley advised on the 2014 application.