Liverpool FC 'asked for an inch but now want a mile' as road plan erodes trust

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Liverpool Football Club said the proposal to permanently close parts of Anfield Road is based on security challenges, and believes pedestrianisation works better for the areaPeople living next to Anfield Stadium have raised concerns about Liverpool Football Club's relationship with the local community, after the announcement that the club plans to permanently close part of Anfield Road to motorists.The proposal has become a bit of a lightning rod for other issues, and prompted one local councillor to call it a "complete betrayal of trust", after the club previously said the road would be re-opened after the stadium expansion project was completed. In response, Cllr Billy Marrat, who represents Anfield ward, went so far as to question the club's integrity.Cllr Marrat said: "My personal thought, along with many residents, is that LFC never intended to restore Anfield Road back to the way it was with traffic flowing both ways, and they wanted a pedestrianised area around the ground for tourists, visitors and fans alike.”Representatives for the club rejected any suggestion it had deviated from its original plan, and confirmed the road is suitable for use by vehicles.

He said: "We do feel it does help to have [part of the road] pedestrianised and remain closed, so that it can feed into the park and make the area work a lot better, but also the security challenges were and are a major part of the reason for us to bring this application.”Anfield ward councillor Lena Simic highlighted the lack of a detailed risk assessment relating to the security issue, and also said the road closure plan would also see the removal of established street trees, together with displacement of existing parking provision, including a blue-badge space.After assessing the club's two-part application - including a proposal to alter the dates on which concerts could take place - the planning committee deferred its final decision pending a site visit.The ECHO has been told the extension of concert events into July, will increase the chances of the club bringing more world-renowned artists to Anfield, and that residents will still have a 31-day respite period.To gauge the public feeling about the road closure proposal, the Liverpool ECHO visited Anfield the day after the planning committee (July 1) and spoke to several local people about the plan.As we arrived on Walton Breck Road, and in the aftermath of the previous night's My Chemical Romance concert, the area was bustling with activity, including a thorough clean up operation, with large lorries shipping out the staging equipment.For the best part of 60 years, Glen Townley and his mum Eileen have lived less than a hundred metres from the stadium, and said parking is a "nightmare" for local people on match days and during events.In relation to the proposed road closure, they still remember getting an information flyer from the club before the Anfield Road expansion, "They said it was still going to be a road [for cars]"Both Glen and Eileen remember the previous road, and said it had two lanes and was similar in appearance to every other road in the area, "Look at it now" says Glen and he points to the flag paving, the pedestrianised appearance and the single lane.Eileen added: "When they first started [the work] you could tell it was never meant for cars. [...So] I'm not surprised they want to close it."It is a sentiment summed up by Cllr Lena Simic, who said residents have 'accepted years of disruption' because they were told the replacement Anfield Road section would be reopened.Cllr Portia Fahey, who represents the neighbouring Everton North ward, said she backed the plans based on the adoption of improved terror planning in the form of Martyn’s Law. But, she pointed out: “Residents feel beholden to LFC, they feel their community is depleted and they are deprived of free movement due to the stadium being there.”Graham Lunt is another neighbour of Liverpool Football Club dismayed by the new proposal.

He said: "They asked for an inch didn't they? They just put the barriers all against my wall here."Robbie Smyth has lived in the Anfield area for the last 40 years, and said parking is a big problem, as well as noise and littering.In reference to the music events, Robbie points to the traffic diversions, and as we watch staging apparatus shipped out from the stadium, the multiple lorries and wagons driving up and down narrow residential roads.He added: "On match days or other events, you can't find a parking spot outside your own house, even with the permit system. [...] I blame the council because they control the parking."Robbie was not alone in raising concerns about the council's management of the big events, and their associated impact on the surrounding neighbourhoods, especially traffic management and parking.Responding to some of the concerns raised by people living and working in Anfield, a Liverpool City Council spokesperson told the ECHO: “We work closely with Liverpool FC, Merseyside Police, and other partners to help manage traffic, parking, crowd movements and public safety arrangements around events at Anfield.“We have strengthened our parking enforcement resource in the area and increased Civil Enforcement Officer capacity, resulting in a significant increase in Penalty Charge Notices being issued where drivers are found to be in breach of parking restrictions.“We have also invested in enhanced environmental enforcement and cleansing services to tackle issues such as fly-tipping and litter, helping to improve the local environment.”