Anfield set to undergo £5m revamp under new plans

A report to Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet next Tuesday (8 October) is recommending the main road (Walton Breck Road) – and connecting streets – including those leading to Liverpool FC’s stadium, be upgraded.

The Council has also set out a meanwhile use plan for Anfield Square – which sits in the shadow of the stadium – that maximises both employment and community benefits, with discussions currently taking place with Liverpool FC and other prospective local operators to help shape the long-term future of the brownfield site.

The report also highlights plans for a number of key priority sites, across Anfield, including Hodder Street and former Four Oaks school site, the southern side of Walton Breck Road and Oakfield Road, and Kemp Avenue which have been identified for potential residential and retail development.

These schemes represent the latest phase in a £300m investment programme in the Anfield area, which first began in 2014.

Over the past decade this has led to the creation of more than 600 new and 500 refurbished homes, a revitalised Stanley Park, environmental street works and upgrades to the stadium itself as well as the recent and hugely successful Stanley Park market.

For the new high street scheme, which was subject to public consultation earlier in the year, the Council is working in partnership with AECOM whose brief has been to design a visually more appealing and healthier public street scene with a priority to improve pedestrian movement and safety.

The Cabinet report is recommending that AECOM enter a detailed design phase for the programme of works, with a view that the highway elements begin in 2025.

The focus will be on highway and public realm upgrades along Walton Breck Road, Oakfield Road, Pulford Street, Back Rockfield Road and Gilman Street, such as new improved carriageways and crossings, as well as providing new on-street and resident parking bays with a focus on rationalising car parking, bus stops and taxi ranks.

The aim of the scheme will be to improve walking routes, create wider footpaths, add new landscaping and public realm features, as well as planting new trees and installing additional underground superbins. It will also assist in integrating surrounding regeneration projects.

A key proposal is a suggested reduction in the speed limit on Walton Breck Road from 30mph to 20mph, between the junctions of Blessington Road and Kemp Avenue, to improve safety for pedestrians.

There’s an additional proposal to close access to Back Rockfield Road from Pulford Street, including a safe area for vehicles to turn around.

Councillor Dan Barrington, Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity, said:

“The redevelopment of the Anfield community has been more than a decade in the making and we’re now entering a key phase to improving the heart of it.

“Creating a healthier, greener, safer and more visually appealing high street will have a major impact on the day-to-day quality of life of our residents. This will set the foundation for further development to come to the housing and retail offer in the area.”

Councillor Nick Small, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth, said:

“Enhancing the public spaces along Oakfield Road and Walton Breck Road is a vital aspect and a longstanding goal of the Anfield regeneration programme.

“Importantly, these proposed improvements to the High Street will connect various regeneration projects in the surrounding area.

“This investment will also provide a boost to the existing businesses and those looking to invest and grow here, and there’s more improvements to come once plans for Anfield Square are formalised.”