Premier League champions Liverpool are preparing to submit a planning application to the Liverpool City Council later this week to increase the capacity of the club’s 136-year-old home ground, Anfield.
The club has unveiled designs to expand the Anfield Road stand by 7,000 seats which would take the overall capacity of the stadium up to 61,000. As a result, Anfield would become the third largest stadium in the top tier, behind Old Trafford and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the eighth biggest sporting venue in the whole of the UK.
As part of the redevelopment, the club will also ask for the council’s permission to stage concerts and other events at the iconic footballing venue.
Andy Hughes, Liverpool’s Managing Director, confirmed: “We have been clear from the start that the expansion would be based on three things: financial viability and sustainability, the successful navigation of the complex planning landscape and with the co-operation of local residents and the community.
“We’d like to thank everyone who has offered a contribution to that consultation process. We feel that we now have a proposal that has been informed by our neighbours, will support the wider economy and provide an opportunity for more of our fans to come to Anfield to support our great team.
In September 2016, Liverpool spent £100 million increasing the capacity to 54,742 by installing 8500 extra seats in the main stand.
If the plans are approved, it will be the second time that Anfield has been under construction since the club was taken over by the Fenway Sports Group, owned by American businessman John Henry.
“The last nine months without fans in our stadium has driven home our commitment to making Anfield accessible to more fans than ever before and while a high level of uncertainty remains around Covid-19, we would like to be in a position to move ahead with the proposed redevelopment as soon as the time is right, which is why we’ve decided to move forward with submitting the planning application,” Hughes continued.
Liverpool drew up designs to expand the stadium December 2019 but the proposed redevelopments, which are said to cost £60 million, were put back due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
A decision will be made by the local government on the blueprints in spring next year.
