New traders association wants the street to be a global attraction
When Peter Schreiwersmann first arrived in Liverpool, two street names stood out in his mind - Penny Lane and Anfield Road. Originally from Germany, Peter is now an adopted Scouser and the co-owner of Hotel Anfield. The entrepreneur’s mission today is simple - to put one of the city’s most famous roads on the map as a global destination.
We really want to work together to make Anfield Road a true asset to the city.
Peter has launched the Anfield Road Traders Association, working with other leading stakeholders within the community to make the area, “the very best that it can be.” The network of businesses want to make the whole of Anfield Road a place that people can really enjoy, appreciate and shout about.
Peter feels it is key to build on existing amenities so that visitors have even more options when it comes to places to eat, drink, relax, and engage with meaningful, dedicated tourist spaces and memorabilia.
“I obviously talk to our guests a lot, and they are excited, enthusiastic, multi-cultural and connected individuals and groups, who are eager to share their experiences with the rest of the world,” said Peter.
“It goes without saying that in 2022, social media plays a huge part in that. Many of the tourists in the area are here for very special occasions, and taking a ‘selfie’ or making a short film next to their favourite landmarks, and street signs, is a huge part of that journey.
“However, as a business community in the Anfield Road area, we are aware that the consequences of periods of austerity and cuts in public spending have meant a real dip in how some public spaces are presented.
"The community as a whole has felt that under-investment, reduced employment opportunities and a general sense of lack of morale mean it is just not the street signs that need uplifting.
“For visitors to Anfield Road, it is an area in need of a huge revamp, and both sustained upkeep and maintenance. It has such an amazing history, in sporting terms and with local destinations like Stanley Park within easy reach.
"At the moment, it does not live up to its potential. Even the Anfield Road street sign itself, which is such a vital landmark that tourists want to be photographed next to, has felt unloved and uncared for.
“As a business community we have decided that a partnership working towards common goals is the only way forward: even starting with the road sign - this is seen by millions of people via social media every year. It is time that it was made into a feature which displays real civic pride, which is why, as a group, it was one of the first items on our agenda.”
Other businesses involved in the new traders’ association include The Isla Gladstone Conservatory, Hotel TIA, 88 Anfield Road, Hotel Epstein and Taggy’s Bar. An initial tidy-up of hotspots, including street signs, is already in action. The group also has approval for innovative lamp post banners, featuring a variety of community-based designs.
A mural of Trent Alexander-Arnold on the corner of Sybil Street, painted by French graffiti artist AKSE and commissioned by The Anfield Wrap, has already become a popular attraction.
Two facades directly on Anfield Road will be updated with Liverpool FC-inspired and led murals: one will be devoted to players voted for by supporters themselves, and the other will be a mural of the world-famous Kop, designed by LFC’s Spion Kop 1906 group. Paul Curtis has been commissioned to do one of the murals.
Anfield Road is currently signposted closed to through traffic as Liverpool FC continues with an £80m project to expand the stadium and take capacity up by a further 7,000 to 61,000 by the summer of 2023. The expanded stand is being built outside the Anfield Road End, with the road itself to be rerouted behind the back of the new structure. New pedestrian and cycle routes will be put in place on the edge of Stanley Park.
“The timing now feels perfect for us as a traders association,” said Peter.
“With a strategic redevelopment of Anfield Road in full swing, post-Covid measures available, Liverpool FC’s financial and cultural investment programmes, with the economy opening up and people embracing a new spirit of freedom, and a sense of a refreshed political scene in Liverpool, we really want to work together to make Anfield Road a true asset to the city.”
Hotel Anfield, 23 Anfield Road, Liverpool, L4 0TE
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