Plan for £260m Anfield regeneration revealed

A £260m proposal to regenerate an area of Liverpool has been revealed.

The plans for Anfield, which are subject to a public consultation, would see Liverpool FC's stadium expanded and new housing and a business hub built.

The plan would also see the creation of a wide avenue through Stanley Park, which would end in a new public square.

A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said the completed buildings could create up to 700 jobs in the area.

'Many false dawns'

Mayor Joe Anderson said the regeneration would help an area of the city which had "been in the doldrums for a long time".

The north Liverpool area has been the subject of proposed regeneration in the past and Mr Anderson said the time residents had had to wait for plans to come to fruition represented a "shameful period for the city".

"Too many false dawns have happened and I hope people take comfort from the fact we are seeing tangible results of a determination to make things happen," he said.

"We've got to continue that work to make sure the area is regenerated in terms not just of infrastructure but of people as well, making sure it's vibrant again and that people want to live here."

The Anfield area has already seen the restoration of Stanley Park, the building of new housing and refurbishment of existing homes, and the construction of a new primary school and health centre.

'Important step'

The new plans will see the building of 250 new homes, the creation of the park avenue and square, and the construction of a 100-bed hotel.

He added that 296 properties in the area would be removed to make way for the new developments.

The plan comes after Liverpool FC's announcement in October that it would be adding around 15,000 seats to its existing stadium rather than building a new arena in Stanley Park.

The club's managing director Ian Ayre said the "unveiling of this vision for the wider regeneration of Anfield is another important step towards transforming the area for the better".