Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium

Everton's search for a new home has been well-documented, including in recent years to the King's Dock and to Kirkby, the current path was first aired by Mayor Joe Anderson on 16 May 2016 following failed dialogue between the club and the Council over another potential site at nearby Walton Hall Park, suggesting Everton could have a new ground "within three years".[4] Two locations suggested were for a riverside site at Clarence Dock and a site at 'Stonebridge Cross' on the East Lancashire Road 3 miles north east of Goodison Park. [5]

On 4 January 2017, the club made it known that their favoured site was Bramley-Moore Dock (ahead of Stonebridge Cross), whilst Mayor Anderson said the council would invest £20m in a new road[6] near the planned ground, alongside plans for a railway station.[7] Everton brought in New York-based MEIS Architects to be involved with the project.[8][9]

In November 2017 the club agreed a 200-year lease with Peel Holdings for the dock site. [10] In January 2018 Everton shared their stadium "Key Principles".[11] Despite a close-season of change at the club which included the man chiefly involved in the stadium project, Robert Elstone, moving on to pastures new leaving his role as CEO,[12] little was heard from the club for over a year.[13]

In October 2018 the Club announced plans for a two-stage public consultation into the proposed move. [14] The first stage would launch in November 2018 with the second to follow in Summer 2019. It also confirmed its intention to submit a planning application for the project in late 2019. [15]

In March 2019, the plans were backed by Conservative peer and former deputy Prime Minister Lord Heseltine, [16] who described the stadium relocation as a "golden opportunity" for the city of Liverpool. [17]

In early July 2019, a report revealed that the proposed stadium would be worth nearly £800 million to the local area of north Liverpool. [18]

On 25 July 2019, the club unveiled its final designs for the stadium, under the heading 'The People's Project'. [19]

On 23 March 2017 it was announced that a deal had been agreed between Liverpool City Council, Everton F.C. and Peel Holdings to acquire the dock for a new football stadium.[20]

On 31 March 2017, Liverpool City Council voted in favour of creating a Special Purpose Vehicle company. The company was proposed with securing the funds for the stadium. The lenders would acquire a 200-year head-lease of the land from Peel, the landowners, and leasing the stadium to the SPV, which would in turn sub-lease to Everton for 40 years.[21][22]

The current funding model now proposed before Liverpool City Council (revealed at Everton's AGM on 9 January 2018) [23] would be an arrangement that will see the council borrow £280m at ultra-low interest rates from the government, and then pass that loan on to the club at a profit to the city of around £7m a year over 25 years.[24][25]. Costs for the new stadium now escalating to an estimated £500m,[26] would mean the club would still require to find the remaining £220m. As of June 2018 the council funding still not in place doubts were raised by Mayor Anderson if this funding model would be agreed.[27]

In March 2019, while attending the MIPIM property convention in Cannes, Everton’s chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale said the Club was “the most confident it has ever been” on securing funding for its new stadium. [28] In January 2019, deputy chairman Keith Harris said funding would not be triggered until planning permission had been granted.[29]

In July 2019, it was reported that the Club had options to fund the development from both the private and public sectors, which could include selling naming rights to a sponsor. [30] In January 2020, it was announced that Everton have agreed a naming right deal worth £30 million with Alisher Usmanov who already sponsors Everton's training ground, Finch Farm, strengthening his tie with the club.[31]

On 24 October 2018 Everton announced details of the start of the public consultation for the new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock and the legacy of Goodison Park[32] under the name "The People's Project". Consultation would begin on 15 November and last for three weeks.

In addition a new website was launched to provide information and updates in the project.[33]

In February 2019, Everton announced that more than 20,000 people had taken part in its first stage public consultation, "confirming overwhelming community support". [34]

In October 2019, the Club announced that 43,000 people had responded to its second stage of consultation, believed to be one of the largest responses to a commercial public consultation in Liverpool’s history. [35] It also announced that it remained on track to submit a planning application by the end of 2019. [36]

In November 2019, the results of the second stage consultation were announced, with 96 per cent of respondents supporting the plans and 98 per cent in favour of the design of the 52,000-capacity Bramley-Moore Dock stadium. [37]

The consultation has been praised by academic and marketers. Head of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Chris Daly said, “Strong brands put their customer at the heart of everything they do, and Everton's stadium consultation is a shining example of this.” [38] The campaign was also nominated for the Northern Marketing Awards, winning ‘Best Property & Construction Campaign in November 2019. [39]

Following the success of the consultation the Club said it would submit its planning application “with confidence”. [40]

The proposed stadium is planned to be located behind this hydraulic tower at Bramley-Moore Dock. The tower will be kept as a feature.

The stadium will have a capacity of 52,888 seats, however the club have said that this could be increased to 62,000 seats in the future. The initial capacity will make it the seventh-largest Premier League stadium by capacity.

A key feature is the “home end”, a single-tier stand that will have a capacity of 13,000.

The Stadium architects described its brick and steel construction as appearing to have “risen from the dock" in tribute to the city's maritime past, with "a subtle nod" to the steel lattice trusses designed by Goodison Park's architect Archibald Leitch. [41]

The designs include a range of measures to preserve the heritage of the dock. As part of the proposed development a water channel would be maintained to the west of the stadium to ensure the visual continuity of the dock system, which is a key feature of the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage Site. The proposals include restoring the dock’s historic Hydraulic Tower to create a unique visitor attraction. A number of other historic features would be preserved including, restoring and relaying the tracks of the old rail lines and restoring original features such as old gratings, paving and cobble stones, bollards, mooring posts, capstones and granite steps. [42]