Scheme will take ground’s capacity to 61,000

Runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool have been forced to revise plans by architect KSS to increase capacity at its Anfield ground to more than 61,000.

The club wants to add 7,000 seats to the Anfield Road end of the ground – the stand opposite the Kop.

Those contractors thought to be running the rule over the £60m deal include Sir Robert McAlpine and Laing O’Rourke, which worked on the expansion of Manchester City’s Etihad stadium.

But a number of local residents and business have objected to proposals to permanently close a section of Anfield Road to traffic following the first stage of consultation.

Andy Hughes, Liverpool FC’s chief operating officer, said: “The aim of that exercise was to inform the design process of the proposals which is exactly what we have done by relooking at how we retain access for local residents through Anfield Road.”

A second consultation phase is now planned to begin on February 6. The fresh plans will see Anfield Road rerouted around the footprint of the expanded stand.

The club had been given outline planning to add 4,000 seats at the Anfield Road end but Liverpool allowed this to lapse last September in favour of the larger scheme now out to consultation.

Liverpool, who are 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League, raised Anfield’s capacity to its current 54,000 when Carillion completed work on the £75m main stand in 2016.

anfield

The new stand will raise capacity to 61,000