Cautious hope in shadow of Anfield Stadium

Some residents said they had not felt the benefit of a major redevelopment scheme around Anfield Stadium

In the shadow of Liverpool's famous Anfield football stadium, residents are hoping for change.

A new multimillion-pound redevelopment scheme is due to begin next year after the city's council agreed to major highways upgrades.

For local people, however, the reality is yet to live up to promises made when a £300m regeneration programme was first announced in 2014.

Significant redevelopment has already taken place, but some say there has been little progress to improve certain areas of wasteland or derelict buildings.

City leaders have promised "more than warm words" and instead vowed to get "spades in the ground".

The upgrade includes a major revamp along the key route of Walton Breck Road and neighbouring areas.

The council had said it hoped to make Anfield “a model for urban regeneration” after the the clearance of dilapidated Victorian terraces 20 years ago.

Liverpool City Council has previously published images of its vision for the regeneration of Anfield

BBC Radio Merseyside asked local residents how they saw the progress so far.

One man said: "You look around and parts of it are really nice.

"But this end up at the Kop, it does need a lot of regeneration, it does need a lot of love and care."

One woman said she had been a resident for 40 years, and added: "I don't feel any benefit if I'm honest."

For another local woman, the lack of provision for football fans is a missed opportunity.

"You see them walking round all day, they're here at eight o'clock in the morning for the game at two or three," she said.

They go into Liverpool city centre and have to come back again."

Local Labour councillor Billy Marrat told the BBC parts of the area remained "an eyesore".

Councillor Billy Marrat said residents needed infrastructure and shops to go with the housing developments

He said: "The regeneration with housing has probably taken place [but] the development to go with it, to accommodate the residents that have moved in and wanted to stay here, just hasn’t happened.

"And that is sad."

Mr Marrat said residents had few options for local shopping, other than a couple of convenience stores and a Morrison's at a petrol station.

But Mr Marrat said he was hopeful the latest tranche of works presented to the council’s cabinet last week would see the area regenerated to include a new hotel and restaurant, as well as shops.

"The community have asked for it to be a community area and hopefully that’s what it will be," he said.

Mr Marrat vowed to "fight like hell" for new shops, and most importantly a community centre, in derelict land opposite the club shop.

He said: "Anfield is one of the only wards in Liverpool that has not got a community centre."

'Shocked us all'

Council leader Liam Robinson, speaking at a recent cabinet meeting where the plan was discussed, told elected members: "Let’s not give you warm words, let’s get spades in the ground so we can give you that reality.”

However one bone of contention is the pedestrianisation of Anfield Road, which was closed in 2020 to allow for the construction of the new stand.

Liverpool FC had said it would reopen the road but recently launched a consultation with residents to test the waters for pedestrianisation.

Mr Marrat said the ward councillors were against that option.

"They have come out with this proposal out of the blue which has shocked us all," he said.

"I just hope if they do put an application in when it comes to pedestrianisation that we as a city council say no once and for all."

When asked about the issue, Mr Robinson urged Liverpool to be a "good neighbour".

He said: "We want to be working really closely with the club because yes they are a business but what is important with any football club is that it's not any old business, it’s a social institution – something that’s a really big part of people’s lives."

The BBC understands Liverpool FC will review the results of the consultation before making any decisions.