Ambitious plans for Anfield revealed

New plans to transform a high street next to Anfield stadium have been revealed.

The shopping and leisure strip, running alongside the home of Liverpool FC, will create a swathe of new retail, commercial and residential space on Walton Breck Road.

The high street, unveiled today (August 31) by Liverpool City Council, would see a number of derelict buildings either demolished or rebuilt, while the road could be narrowed to widen the pavements and make the space more pedestrian friendly.

It is hoped that the proposals, which also outline the creation of outdoor space and landscaping, would attract new businesses to the Anfield area.

If approved, the work would be delivered in phases over the next three or four years.

The revamped high street would form part of a wider £260m regeneration plan revealed in 2013 by a collaboration between the city council, Liverpool FC and housing provider Your Housing Group.

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson commented: “We believe we have created a vision for the High Street which will absolutely transform the area, supporting existing shops and businesses and attracting new ones.

“We now want residents to speak to us again and let us know if they want these plans to become reality.”

He continued: “The unveiling of our proposals follows three years of partnership working which have already gone a long way towards creating a more vibrant and successful community.

“There is much still to be done but today marks yet another milestone in our ambitions to create a brighter Anfield for everyone.”

As part of the plans, existing businesses would have the opportunity to move into new premises. Liverpool City Council has said it intends to work with companies and other affected organisations to minimise disruption.

Elsewhere, there are plans to regenerate the area further with a new hotel adjacent to the high street, with talks on the site “at an advanced stage”, according to the council.

Discussing the Walton Breck Road plan, the chief executive of Your Housing Group, Brian Cronin, said: “Community leaders and residents will have a major part to play in helping us to shape these proposals and we are extremely excited about progressing our plans.

“Anyone visiting Anfield in the last year can see the improvements which have already been made. Much has also been done through the delivery of new-build homes and the imaginative refurbishment of traditional terraces. We can already see the brighter Anfield which is emerging.”

The chief executive of Liverpool FC, Ian Ayre, commented: “Whilst the work on our new Main Stand is approaching completion, we recognise that the creation of a new high street would be transformational for the area, attracting new jobs and creating new businesses.

“It would make Anfield a better place to live, work and visit.”