New Everton stadium will be ‘powerful statement of intent’
A key stage in Everton FC’s proposed move to Bramley Moore Dock is set to be approved by Liverpool City Council today, allowing for the creation of a special purpose vehicle to lease the stadium from a funder, and sub-lease it back to the club.
A report is being presented to the council’s cabinet today, recommending the council progresses the contract from heads of terms to final form, in order to create the SPV.
Within the report, the council said: “The city council has been working with Everton Football Club to create a world class, ground-breaking and iconic stadium as a much-needed new home for EFC for the next century. The proposed new stadium by EFC at Bramley Moore Dock will be a landmark for the city’s spectacular north Liverpool waterfront and a powerful statement of intent for the club and the City of Liverpool that will resonate globally.”
The Bramley Moore Dock proposal is for a funder to acquire a 200-year head lease on the stadium land, which it will let for 40 years to the SPV. The SPV will be set up, owned and controlled by the council. The SPV will sub-let the stadium to Everton. The club will then have the option to acquire the stadium at the end of the 40-year period.
Everton and Peel Land & Property agreed heads of terms earlier this month on the Bramley Moore Dock site, which forms part of the £5bn Liverpool Waters scheme.
Under the proposed finance structure of the SPV the council will not provide any finance for the new 50,000-seat stadium, which is anticipated to cost in excess of £300m. The club will be responsible for funding the stadium build.
Everton will pay an annual security fee to the council. The support provided to the club will not impact future borrowing needs and involves no financial outlay for the council.
The proposed stadium sits within the council’s plans to drive regeneration in the north Liverpool dock area, plans that include the recently launched masterplan for the Ten Streets area.
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They need to utilise the dock and the skyline. Whether it be a structure like Wembley arch or illuminate like Bayern Munich ‘s stadium, it needs to be iconic
By luke
It will be stunning
By Jack
I am not an Evertonian, but I think the stadium needs more expansion built into it. To cater for Everton`s big and loyal future support. A minimum 55,000 capacity should be seriously considered. Good luck EFC, with your fantastic project.
By Phil
It needs a diving board straight into the river for when they get beat.
Probably best to provide two, so both their fans can use it at once.
By Rooney
what I read from this is that the council were keen to be clear that they will NOT be funding the scheme!
By EFC1
I suspect Dan Mies will do the club, and the city, proud with the design. Transport aside, planning should be reasonably straight-forward. Securing the funding is the main hurdle. But, presumably the owners wouldn’t let things run this far without the comfort that the money is accessible.
It could be rather special.
By Bob Allatt
56,000 as a minimum should be considered – so that the stadium can also generate income from concerts etc.
Whilst the echo arena is great, lessons should be learnt – that the big acts want big performance spaces. Which is why other arenas, and increasily stadiums, always host the big stars.
There are loads of acts who bypass us for bigger venues, expecting the Liverpool City Region catchment area to simply travel there to watch them preform – helping to generate huge economic benefits for the hosts.
Building the stadium for Everton fans is great, but ensuring that it competive at hosting events that will get the whole of the city region in the building – is even better.
Think big – plan ahead – this is literally a once in a life time opportunity.
By L24
Not a single mention of UNESCO. It is troubling how little it is mentioned in media coverage of this story.
By Ed
Liverpool fan but this is fantastic for the Liverpool City Region
By Ronnie
UNESCO ain’t an issue here. We’re a dynamic city not a rural WHS like Pontcysyllte or Stonehenge, and this site is outside and on the edge. Very much brownfield, with the adjacent usages, but with such huge potential as the northern edge of our spectacular Waterfront. The scale and massing will be very much in keeping with the Waterfront’s heritage and Liverpool’s character. It’s in keeping with the sugar silo, and the height is not likely to exceed the tobacco warehouse. Will look great just there. But yes, maximise it’s long-term uses and flexibility to host big events.
I hope the Council is working with Peel to tie up a lot of the other proposals for the city in this area. Will change the game both for Peel and for Liverpool. Don’t tell Manchester
By Alfie
This is a stupid idea. Those docks are a World Heritage Site. Football has no history there. It will be difficult to build on the site with possible lengthy delays via appeals.
Land adjacent to Everton’s training ground, Finch Farm, is ideal. The adjacent site has two rail lines giving local, regional and long haul access, and a motorway around it. An airport is nearby. Big trunk roads are near which will access the city and the existing Runcorn bridge and the new Mersey Gateway bridge. It is a brilliant site for transport access from all over Merseyside and beyond. A large station right at the stadium. Ideal. There is no restriction on stadium size or space for expansion.
There is so much NOT going for Bramley Moore that I surprised it got this far.
• A difficult restricted site.
• A single use site – football only.
• Many legal hurdles – UNESCO, English Heritage, etc.
• The club do not own the land having to lease.
• A 20 days a year used structure will stifle regeneration.
Many people who might be interested in buying flat in a docklands regeneration area will be less likely to now they know there will be a large football crowd there every second week with the litter and the rest they bring. Middlesbrough and Sunderland were punting the same `regeneration` ploy 20 years ago and they have done no such thing. Football only stadia more often blight and hold back an area rather than drive it forward.
The World Heritage site should be build upon to the agreement with UNESCO. Otherwise Liverpool, which is on the UNESCO danger list, is in danger of having its World Heritage Status remove reducing the city to laughing stock. The soon to be elected metro-mayor of the Liverpool City Region should scupper the whole lot and encourage Finch Farm, which being in Halewood is within his remit.
No planning application has been submitted yet.
By John Burns