Council To Review Everton Stadium

The local council is to meet to discuss the proposals for the construction of a new stadium for Premier League club Everton outside of the city centre.

The £400m scheme includes a 50,000 seat stadium and Tesco superstore on an 85,500 sq m site in Kirkby, Merseyside.

Neighbouring councils have opposed the development, saying it will take away trade, but supporters say it is vital for the town’s regeneration.

Knowsley Council’s planning committee is to discuss the scheme, but because of its size cannot issue permission.

If the committee agrees with the planning officer’s report that the scheme should go ahead, the application has to be referred to the government office for the north west.

The office, acting on behalf of the local government minister Hazel Blears, will then decide whether to approve the plans, or call-in the application.

Opposition to the regeneration plan has been led by the Kirkby Residents Action Group, which claims the scheme is simply too big for the size of the town.

Campaigners say the combination of the stadium and superstore would cause traffic chaos, especially on match days.

Tesco says its plans have been revised in response to public consultations and that people in Kirkby are largely in favour of the large-scale redevelopment of the town.

Kirkby is about nine miles away from the centre of Liverpool in the neighbouring borough of Knowsley.