The Reds were given an off-field boost on Tuesday as Liverpool Town Hall approved the club’s plans for extended stadium use for Anfield.
Part of the long-term expansion of the club is seen as making better use of Anfield, which sits largely unused when the first team are not in action.
Liverpool had originally proposed to use the stadium for both non-sporting events and other sporting events, meaning rugby or NFL matches could be held at the ground.
But that was in part rejected last month, with the planning council denying the opportunity to hold non-football sporting events at Anfield.
A decision on non-sporting events was deferred, and the changed proposal has now been approved by the Planning Committee.
It means that the club can host major music concerts for 50,000 people at Anfield, report the Echo.
The club did have to make some alterations to their initial proposal, and the approval has only come under the provision of it being a two-year trial period. After that time, the permission could yet be revoked.
Liverpool had come under criticism from local residents about the added noise, disturbances and anti-social behaviour arising from extra event hosting, as well as traffic and litter concerns.
To mitigate the effects felt by the local community, the Echo report that Liverpool’s “Chief Operating Officer Andy Hughes also outlined plans for a community fund for Anfield’s neighbours that would be made from the cash the club will make from parking for these high-profile events.”
As it is only a trial for the next couple of years, there’s doubtless still lots of debate to be head and the impact on local residents will still be felt.
For now, though it is a step forward for the club toward their vision of maximising all possible revenue streams, including their famous old ground.
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