Some of this you may know, some you may not, but here is the latest on the new ground.
Work will start on site within a month or so on the basis of the existing Planning Permission. However, the new architects appointed by Hicks and Gillett, based in Dallas, are drawing up proposals for a new Planning Application for a ground with a capacity of 78,000. General consensus is that not only was the existing design too small, basically it was like an 'acme' football ground kit and not fitting for one of the prestige teams in europe. Their architects met Liverpool City Council at some planning seminar in Lisbon recently to discuss the new plans
Now the bad news...
Although Warren Bradley, Council Leader and bluenose, is fully behind the revised scheme, it is going to be difficult to secure planning permission.
Key reasons are;
1. Increased height of the stadium - more intrusive within a listed victorian park
2. Impact on local transport corridors - IE getting another 18,000 into the ground on match day
3. The likelihood that even if Liverpool Council's Planning Committee approve the scheme, given the increased scale, it is more than likely to be 'called in' by the Secretary of State, who has the power to overturn the planning consent
4. The opponents of the new ground amongst local residents, will no doubt launch legal action in the form of judicial review, even if the Council approve the plans.
Opinion within the Council is that LFC should have stuck with the capacity they had and work on improving the quality of the designs. They rate at 'no more than 50-50' the chances of us getting planning consent for a 78,000 capacity stadium.
Even if approved, it will set back the completion of the stadium until 2010 at the earliest - at least another years delay.
Fingers crossed......
Work will start on site within a month or so on the basis of the existing Planning Permission. However, the new architects appointed by Hicks and Gillett, based in Dallas, are drawing up proposals for a new Planning Application for a ground with a capacity of 78,000. General consensus is that not only was the existing design too small, basically it was like an 'acme' football ground kit and not fitting for one of the prestige teams in europe. Their architects met Liverpool City Council at some planning seminar in Lisbon recently to discuss the new plans
Now the bad news...
Although Warren Bradley, Council Leader and bluenose, is fully behind the revised scheme, it is going to be difficult to secure planning permission.
Key reasons are;
1. Increased height of the stadium - more intrusive within a listed victorian park
2. Impact on local transport corridors - IE getting another 18,000 into the ground on match day
3. The likelihood that even if Liverpool Council's Planning Committee approve the scheme, given the increased scale, it is more than likely to be 'called in' by the Secretary of State, who has the power to overturn the planning consent
4. The opponents of the new ground amongst local residents, will no doubt launch legal action in the form of judicial review, even if the Council approve the plans.
Opinion within the Council is that LFC should have stuck with the capacity they had and work on improving the quality of the designs. They rate at 'no more than 50-50' the chances of us getting planning consent for a 78,000 capacity stadium.
Even if approved, it will set back the completion of the stadium until 2010 at the earliest - at least another years delay.
Fingers crossed......
RAFA 
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