REVEALED: Street next to LFC to be entirely rebuilt

THE street next to the home of Liverpool Football Club is set to to be torn down and completely rebuilt as part of a £260m regeneration schee.

Run down Walton Breck Road, which is the main thoroughfare in Anfield, will be done up in a style rather more befitting of a neighbourhood housing a world famous football club, with brand new shops, commercial premises and homes.

Liverpool City Council today unveiled its vision for the street ahead of the first home match proper to be played in front of Liverpool FC’s new Main Stand, against Leicester City, on Saturday September 10.

The scheme, which the council says has the overwhelming backing of the local community and businesses, would see scores of derelict buildings demolished or rebuilt. Developers say the road could be narrowed to create wider pavements and make it more pedestrian-friendly, with the creation of new outdoor spaces and high quality landscaping.

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It is now seeking residents’ views on the proposals and people are being urged to attend an exhibition at the Isla Gladstone, Stanley Park, on Monday September 5 and Tuesday September 6 to view the plans in detail and offer their views. The exhibition is open from 11am to 4pm on the Monday and 4pm to 8pm on the Tuesday. 

The work would be carried out in phases over the next three to four years and would be the latest stage in the ambitious scheme announced in 2013 which is being driven by a partnership of Liverpool City Council, Your Housing Group and Liverpool FC. 

Rejuvenation of the high street was identified at that time as a key project.

The latest proposals would affect an area from Walton Breck Road’s junction with Robson Street to the junction of Oakfield Road and Houlding Street.

Existing businesses would be given the opportunity to take on new premises and the council would work with businesses and other organisations to ensure there is minimum disruption.

There would also be areas which could accommodate temporary markets or retail units, as well as facilities for community events.

The proposals could also see a new tree-lined avenue, with landscaped gardens, stretching up what is now Vienna Street and Venice Street from the high street to Robson Stree

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said: “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.

“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.”

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Coming soon: The newly landscaped Anfield Square and towering Main Stand

In the last three years, some 398 new homes in the area have been built, over 300 homes refurbished and 238 substandard and derelict properties demolished.

Anfield Sports and Community Centre has been refurbished and a new health centre and school have been built and opened. Stanley Park has also undergone a major programme of improvements.

In the next two years there are plans to build a new hotel adjacent to the High Street as well as further housing renovation and building. Talks on the hotel development are at an advanced stage.

Your Housing Group Chief Executive 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.”

Ian Ayre, Chief Executive of Liverpool Football Club, said: “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.”