Everton: Stadium plans not dead

Everton insist their plans for a new stadium in neighbouring Kirkby are not dead despite the Government ’calling in’ the scheme for further examination.

Government officials announced their decision on the plans last night, and a public inquiry could add a year to the planning process.

Everton accept costs will rise, and there had been fears a delay would kill off the £400m joint proposal with Tesco.

However, in a statement, club officials said although they were disappointed by the decision, it “did not spell the end”.

The 50,000-seat stadium proposals are part of the wider regeneration of Kirkby town centre, which is in Liverpool’s neighbouring borough of Knowsley.

The Department for Communities and Local Government, which has been assessing the application, said ministers had carefully considered the plans.

A spokesman said: “We recognise that there have been strong views expressed about this complex proposal.

“Ministers thought long and hard about the case and decided the only appropriate decision was to call it in.

“There is long established process in place where less than 0.01% of all planning cases are called in.

“A case is considered to have more than local significance if it triggers one or more of the call-in criteria such as conflict with national policy, or if it causes national or regional controversy.

“The decision to call in does not consider the merits or otherwise of an application – which is a matter for the inspector to consider at inquiry.”

A statement from the club said: “We are disappointed by the decision.

“Having spent more than two years working diligently on a project which would not only provide Everton Football Club with a new home but also regenerate Kirkby, we had hoped to avoid a government call-in.

“Indeed, it was only in June that Knowsley Borough Council’s Planning Committee voted by a majority of 20 to one to grant planning permission.

“We shall now engage in detailed discussions with our development partners, KBC and Tesco, to assess what options are open to us.

“It is important to stress that this decision does not spell the end of the Destination Kirkby project – but it will, self-evidently, precipitate a period of reflection, assessment and re-evaluation.”