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Everton stadium gets green light

Everton’s plans to develop a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in the north of Liverpool can proceed after the government chose not to call-in the club’s planning application.

Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, has been reviewing the club’s plans since last month. That government review, standard practice for a development of the size and scale of Everton’s stadium plans, was conducted after Liverpool City Council’s planning committee had unanimously approved the plans on 23 February 2021. The club has subsequently received written confirmation of the secretary of state’s decision not to intervene to call-in the application.

The decision to approve a new 52,888-capacity waterfront arena allows the club to complete its agreed acquisition of the site from Peel L&P and the funding solution for the project, ensuring the club can begin to make the plans a reality.

Mott MacDonald worked closely alongside design engineering consultants Buro Happold, stadium architects Pattern Design, landscape designers Planit-IE and planning consultant CBRE - and the club appointed Laing O’Rourke as preferred contractor in February 2020.

It is estimated that the stadium development and plans for a Goodison legacy will deliver a £1.3bn boost to the economy, create more than 15,000 jobs and attract 1.4m new visitors to the city.

A statement on Everton FC’s website said: “On such a momentous day, the football club would like to thank every Evertonian, along with the many organisations, the tens of thousands of people across the city region and the team of dedicated staff who have played a vital role in ensuring the club reached today's milestone.”

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