Liverpool City Council Leader Liam Robinson has hailed Everton Stadium as a “phenomenal addition to the city”.
Cllr Robinson, who was formally confirmed as leader of Liverpool City Council in May 2023, was speaking on his first visit to the Club’s future home at Bramley-Moore Dock.
The new leader of the local authority was given a guided behind-the-scenes tour by Everton’s Interim Chief Executive Colin Chong and was joined by the Council’s recently appointed Chief Executive Andrew Lewis and Director of Development Nuala Gallagher.
The visit allowed the senior Council delegation to learn more about the development and its game-changing impact on Liverpool, as well as discussing plans for transport and how Liverpool City Council can further support the Club’s plans for continued growth.
As work continues across all four sides of the stadium, the Council Leader admitted he was excited by the increasing opportunities the development will offer local people as he was finally able to view a facility that proudly aims to become a 365 destination and deliver year-round benefits to the region as a whole.
Cllr Robinson said: “It’s been amazing to come down here and confirm that we will have one of the very best stadiums in Europe, right here on the iconic Liverpool waterfront.
“We get very excited about how successful this can be for the wider city on so many levels, so it’s great that it’s coming to fruition and not just being talked about.
“This is my first visit, having only previously seen it from outside. It’s even more powerful when you get inside and now I’m looking forward to seeing how all it all comes together.
“It’s going to be a phenomenal addition to the city, especially when you think about the location, on the wonderful, Liverpool waterfront.
“It’s already a world-famous view that so many people know and love, so to add an iconic stadium into that mix is brilliant.”
Cllr Robinson heard first-hand about how the development will generate a £1.3bn boost for the UK economy, generate tens of thousands of jobs and attract 1.4m new visitors to the city.
And with plans progressing on improving the surrounding infrastructure, he vowed to continue to support the club in their transition from Goodison Park.
He added: “The Club has been doing a great job in pulling together this stadium and I am really proud of how the Council has helped with that and supported it.
“It’s great to see some of the impact it’s had on local employment, for example. In fact, six per cent of the staff come from the Kirkdale neighbourhood, very local to the site.
“So, there has been a great impact locally and it will be great to see the stadium complete and watch Everton play their football here.”
Everton’s Interim CEO Colin Chong, who accompanied the Council delegation on the tour, was also fulsome in his praise for their backing of the ambitious project to rehouse the Club.
He said: “All the way through the consultation process the support from the Council has been there, so it was important to let their new leadership team see the amazing progress we’ve made and how close we are to completion.
“The job isn’t done yet and we will still need their assistance and expertise, but we wouldn’t have got this far without the help, knowledge and assistance from Liverpool City Council, particularly planning, building control and licencing department, who are definitely going to come into the forefront of what we need to do in the next nine months.
“There are still things we still need to address. We need to look at the wider estate, what we do between the stadium and the city centre and I’m pretty sure they will be able to assist us in the transition from Goodison Park as well as working alongside their Liverpool City Region Combined Authority colleagues on transportation plans in getting people to and from the new stadium.
“That includes the improvements we need to make at Sandhills Station, bus routes, taxi stations, how we improve accessibility for all aspects of our community.
“So, there is still an awful lot of work still to be done, but I know Liverpool City Council will be supportive all the way through.”
For updates on Everton’s new stadium keep an eye on the @evertonstadium Instagram account.
