Member Article

Agreement signed for Liverpool’s Anfield regeneration project

Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Football Club and Your Housing Group have signed the legal agreement which is the next step in the regeneration of Anfield.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, Liverpool Football Club chairman Tom Werner and Kathy Cowell, chair of Your Housing Group, signed the Heads of Terms, paving the way for the proposed £260m scheme which could lead to the creation of an estimated 770 jobs.

Heads of terms is a legal document which sets out the agreed principles upon which a formal contract is subsequently entered into by the signatories. It also identifies the roles and responsibilities of the three parties.

Liverpool City Council, Your Housing Group and Liverpool Football Club are working in partnership to bring about a comprehensive regeneration and long-term benefits to residents and businesses in the Anfield area of Liverpool.

Agreement to the Heads of Terms is an important key milestone in the delivery of the project as it allows each organisation to progress its respective schemes in the confidence that there is a legally binding agreement in place between the all parties.

The Anfield Project was launched in June 2013 and was followed by a six-week period of public consultation which revealed over 80 per cent public support toward the outline proposals for regenerating the area.

This has been followed by the launch and consultation on a draft Spatial Regeneration Framework in February and March 2014, the results of which are due to be presented to the Cabinet of Liverpool City Council on 23 April 2014.

The Anfield Project includes the following key component projects:

Anfield Village and Rockfield housing refurbishment projects; New build housing (being delivered by Keepmoat Plc); Walton Breck Road and the High Street corridor regeneration; A proposed Training Hotel; A proposed Business Hub; New public space, 96 Avenue and Anfield Square; The completion of Stanley Park and a proposed Hub in the Park; and Proposed Liverpool Football Club’s stadium expansion.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “This is another key step along in the delivery the Anfield Project, which will bring a huge improvement in quality of life for many thousands of people. The signing today sends a very clear message to the people of north Liverpool and the wider city: a brighter Anfield is coming.”

Tom Werner, Chairman of Liverpool FC said: “We are pleased that great progress has been made with the City Council and Your Housing Group about the plans for the regeneration of Anfield and the unique opportunity that gives us to stay at Anfield Stadium.

“We have always maintained that we need certainty in order to progress with our plans and the Heads of Terms is an important step on that journey. We are optimistic that we will realise our plans for the expansion of Anfield and look forward to the next step of the planning process.”

Liverpool Football Club will host exhibitions where local residents, fans and members of the public will be able to view their ambitious plans for its proposed expansion to Anfield Stadium.

Kathy Cowell, OBE DL, Chair of Your Housing group said: “This agreement demonstrates the partners’ commitment to deliver the Anfield Project. We’d like to thank the local community for their continued support and patience and look forward to delivering the plans that will transform the area for the better.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .