Liverpool ANGER city councillor with their NEW plans for Anfield

Liverpool have faced criticism from a Labour councillor, who has said the club should “stop treating the [Anfield] area with contempt”.

Labour councillor for Everton East, Ellie Byrne, has said she responded to the email the club sent out last night which revealed that Liverpool are applying for a planning application to “pedestrianise parts of Anfield Road.”

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Councillor's reaction to the plans

She tweeted on Thursday afternoon saying: “I will completely and utterly fight against this planning application and oppose it wholeheartedly.

“LFC have took no responsibility in how our area looks, just look at the roads and general area.

“I understand LCC has a major part to play. However, a corporation who is making millions of pounds of profit out of our area should have social responsibility to the area and residents.  I know other football clubs do! 

“Stop treating our area with contempt. That road has been shut for YEARS due to the stadium expansion and the promise was Anfield Road would always go back to being a road.  We know what the original promise was, via Anfield Road so are you now not keeping it?

“I can ensure you residents will be angry at even the suggestion of it.”

What would the change mean for Anfield?

The stadium would not be changed again after its recent extension, which saw the Anfield Road stand gain 7,000 seats, but the area would be changed slightly to make it look how the club wants it for match and event days.

Residents are already unhappy with the blockages caused in the area by the extension, so proposals to keep a section closed permanently are unlikely to be well received by local people. 

For the past decade, maximising the potential of Anfield as a venue has been a central goal for owners Fenway Sports Group. Hosting world-famous artists, such as Taylor Swift, has reportedly contributed £31.3 million to the local economy and created thousands of jobs, and the club may argue that making the stadium more accessible would help contribute more money to the local community.

The completion of Anfield Road last season, which increased the stadium's capacity to over 61,000, transformed Anfield into a world-class venue.

The section that would remain closed runs alongside the stadium and has been off-limits for over three years due to the construction. The club has now identified some concerns in regard to the accessibility of the road if it were to be reopened and has therefore put forward this proposal.