Anfield Road End, new render 2020

Liverpool FC get green light for Anfield expansion to 61,000

Liverpool FC are set to get the green light for their planned expansion of Anfield, with the Liverpool City Council recommending its application.

The plan to extend the Anfield Road End by 7,000 additional seats, taking Anfield’s new capacity to circa 61,000, will go before the planning committee next week (15 June) and the council’s head of planning has recommended that the application be granted.

The new application, which is a revision of the previously expired permission, was submitted earlier this year and there has been a delay in the council committee meeting due to the pandemic.

The revised application includes permission to use the stadium for other team sporting events and to host up to six major events per annum, for up to five years. This is less than the 12 events initially requested.

Anfield Road End, new render 2020

  • Planning to be approved next week
  • Work to begin imminently
  • Target date for completion is summer 2023
  • Plans for the stand will take capacity to 61,000
  • Cost of around £60 million

Events would be allowed throughout the year, excluding the month of July, but expected that they would mostly take place in the six weeks immediately following the end of the football season.

This Is Anfield understands that the new plan for the corner of the Anfield Road End and The Kenny Dalglish Stand will see an entry section big enough to bring in large items for stages to convert the stadium for concerts and such.

Preparatory work has already begun and once approved Liverpool will be looking to press on with the construction process, which will see the new stand initially being built directly behind the current Anfield Road Stand.

Anfield Road itself will be re-routed around the back of the new stand, and that will be transferred from public land to the club. New pedestrian and cycle routes will be created on the edge of Stanley Park.

The expanded stand will be similar in appearance to the Main Stand and will have an increased capacity of 7,000 seats (bringing the total capacity of the stadium to c.61,000).

Anfield Road End, new render 2020

Overall, the new application will allow to:

Extend the Anfield Road Stand, following partial demolition, to provide up to 7,000 additional seats and internal facilities including general admission concourses, hospitality lounges, a family fan zone, club offices, staff facilities and plant and equipment; with associated public realm; lighting; landscaping and associated infrastructure

The new application, once approved next week, will expire in three years, but Liverpool expect for the project to be complete in summer 2023.

Liverpool plan to fund the build themselves through existing finance options, and cost is set to be around £60 million.

The plan is to keep the current stand open for the entirety of the project to avoid any loss of matchday revenue.

Chief operating officer Andy Hughes previously explained: “It was very complicated for the Main Stand, we built around the back and over the top and kept match days running pretty much as they were and we are pretty confident we can follow the same process for the Anfield Road expansion.

“We are looking at minimal seat loss on matchdays, hopefully virtually nothing.”