Club wants to extend events offer beyond footprint of Hill Dickinson Stadium
Everton’s plans to host major outdoor events and concerts at their new dockland home have run into opposition. The 52,769-capacity ground at Bramley-Moore Dock has already attracted the Rugby League Ashes Test Match in its inaugural season alongside staging The Toffees’ first home games away from Goodison Park in 133 years. Now the club is seeking to expand its offer outside the stadium footprint.
Earlier this year, the Blues made an application to Liverpool Council to host gigs and boxing shows inside the bowl at Hill Dickinson Stadium. In December, proposals were put forward to the city council to provide a premises licence for the area encompassing the ground, including the fan plaza as supporters enter the ground from Regent Road.
Last summer, the Blues confirmed it had begun taking bookings for non-matchday events at the new stadium. However, the club will now have to make its case to the city’s licensing officials after formal objections were lodged against the plans.
The Toffees are seeking to hold events in The Plaza; an outdoor space with capacity for up to 17,000 guests, which offers a versatile canvas for large-scale events. According to details made public by Liverpool Council, the club has sought a licence to provide live events up to 11pm.
This would include the sale of alcohol. On matchdays, the area opens three hours before kick off with pre-match entertainment and food on sale.
The new application would allow Everton to open the area from 8am to 11.30pm. A similar bid was made for inside the stadium bowl in the summer.
The LDRS understands the club are considering a variety of events to hold in the space all year round. However, Cllr Dave Hanratty, who represents the Waterfront North ward within which the stadium is located has asked for the plans to be put on hold for further scrutiny.
This comes as a formal objection was lodged by a business operating around the new ground. In the written statement made public by the council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee ahead of its meeting next week, the as yet unnamed proprietor said: “It is also likely that some form of road closures will be required particularly at the end of each event. Road closures for football matches take place from three hours prior to kick off and are not lifted until one hour after the end of the game.
“I appreciate that Heavy Vehicle traffic and pedestrians are a recipe for accidents and are a public safety concern which must be addressed and that some form of management is required but I must be involved in that process as there are major implications on the operation of my business. On any day there is the possibility of road closures which will necessitate the closure of my business for the duration of the road closures.
“How will my business operate given that there are heavy vehicles delivering and collecting timber products including for third party building contractors?”
The statement added: “I understand that these events are likely to take place and are designed to generate an income to Everton FC, as there has been no prior consultation with my business, I can only assume Everton FC have not considered the effect these events will have on my business.”
