Plans unveiled for £260m regeneration of Anfield

A £260m plan to regenerate the Anfield area of Liverpool could lead to the construction of new homes and commercial buildings – and the expansion of Liverpool FC's ground.

Subject to public consultation, the scheme has been unveiled by a consortium led by Liverpool City Council with support from Your Housing Group, Liverpool Football Club and other partners, including Keepmoat.

Ideas include new housing, shopping facilities, public space, office buildings, a hotel and the creation of a major new pedestrian-friendly avenue and public square.

There is also a proposal to complete the restoration of Stanley Park and to build a food hub at its centre which would offer food retail units, production and training facilities.

Liverpool Football Club has stated its preference is to expand its stadium subject to detailed feasibility studies and the community and home owners' support.

Funding is already in place to deliver the Anfield village and Rockfield housing refurbishment project together with the demolition of acquired property.

Keepmoat is committed to continuing the new build programme at the parks into phases four and five of The Parks.

The council, Your Housing Group and Liverpool Football Club are committed as a partnership to work together to piece together the funding needed to deliver the variety of projects.

It is anticipated that the plans could lead to the creation of 700 jobs.

Some 296 properties will be purchased to enable the regeneration plans to take place.

Public feedback on the vision will be gathered to inform an over-arching regeneration plan for the area in September which would then be put to Liverpool City Council for formal adoption.

If approved, detailed planning applications would be made in relation to the various projects during 2014, with delivery of live projects continuing and new projects over the next five years.

Liverpool Mayor Cllr Joe Anderson said: "It is essential that people understand that what we are unveiling today is a range of Anfield-wide regeneration ideas and concepts which we are confident can be delivered but which we genuinely need to hear people's views on."

Your Housing Group chief executive Brian Cronin said: "A lot has already been achieved in Anfield through the determination of community leaders and residents – and those people should rightly take pride in their achievements.

"Much has also been done through the delivery of new-build homes and the imaginative refurbishment of traditional terraces. We can already see a new Anfield emerging – a revitalised community where people want to live, work and bring up their families."

Liverpool Football Club managing director Ian Ayre said: "We have always said that any stadium expansion will be subject to detailed feasibility studies and the community and home owners' support which includes our ability to purchase the land for the proposed expansion."

The full proposals include:

• The Avenue: It is proposed to create a wide, high quality avenue which would link the Walton Breck Road High Street with Priory Road, bisecting Stanley Park along the existing Mill Lane. The avenue would improve access to the park and connections between the Liverpool FC stadium and Goodison Park stadium and would be a major focal point for the area. The route would be largely closed to vehicles and might be used to host both match-day and non match-day events such as festivals and markets.
• Training Hotel: The proposed training hotel could be situated on the High Street and would help to anchor the wider programme of general improvement to the street. It would have 100 rooms and create 50 jobs, with the capacity to offer training to ten people at any given time in facets of the hospitality trade. A local charity, Positive Futures, would own the hotel and it would be operated by a local company, Isla Gladstone, to ensure it maximises opportunities and benefits for the local community. It is anticipated that a leading hotel brand would also be sought to assist in the hotel's operation and marketing.
• Business Hub: New commercial and office premises would be built in the Village Square to create the environment for new enterprises. It is anticipated that two major anchor tenants would be sought for this new commercial space. These anchor tenants would attract other complementary businesses, creating enterprise, employment and training opportunities. Talks are being held with possible end users.
• Food Hub: The proposed new Food Hub would be a 10,000 sq ft facility built on the proposed avenue in Stanley Park and would offer direct employment, training and education opportunities in food production, preparation and service, and would create direct links between food producers and the local community. A number of commercial partners are in advanced talks regarding their potential involvement.
• The Stadium : In October 2012, Liverpool Football Club confirmed its preference was to stay and expand Anfield stadium subject to detailed feasibility studies and the community and home owners' support. The Club believes the wider Anfield regeneration vision being led by Liverpool City Council is an important step to transforming the area for the better.
• The Park: A range of ideas to complete the restoration of Stanley Park are being suggested by the partners, who are interested in hearing about others' ideas for making the best use of the park. These include the Food Hub and improvements to the existing car park. Other ideas include the construction of an interactive sculpture park which people could use for exercise, urban art projects, events and horse riding. There could also be a project to grow vegetables, linking in with the Food Hub concept.