Plans to expand the queuing area for football fans at Sandhills station have been put on hold after city councillors raised concerns. Merseyrail’s proposal to extend the post-match gathering area for Everton supporters at Hill Dickinson Stadium was deferred by Liverpool Council’s planning committee, which requested a site visit before making a final decision.
Proposals criticised by councillors
Thousands of Everton fans use the Merseyrail network to reach Regent Road on matchdays. Changes already made at Sandhills include a new footbridge and a fan management zone with dedicated queuing lanes for each route. The latest plans would extend that zone along the strip of land between Dunes Way and the existing station ramp to the footbridge.
Daniel Hopkins, presenting to the committee on behalf of Merseyrail, said test events at the station and stadium showed “there was a requirement for improvements to safety in that capacity and some of the facilities we have there.” He said existing Merseytravel land would be repurposed to extend the “corralling zones.” Land to the south of the site would remain in use for storage equipment for rail maintenance activities of Merseytravel, Merseyrail and Network Rail.
Concerns over design and language
Mr Hopkins said the current arrangement left passengers vulnerable on the pavement queuing outside the station. He said: “By having this increased safety, increased operational robustness on site, that’ll in turn positively impact our operational resilience on the network.” Plans also include a new bus stop on Dunes Way, toilets and an area for food and drink kiosks. The extended queuing area would be uncovered, which Cllr Billy Lake described as a “glaring omission.”
Cllr Richard Kemp criticised how long improvements had taken, given lengthy discussions about Everton’s relocation from Goodison Park. He said: “Now you’re coming up with something that talks about corralling, compounds, sterile areas, to force people into using a system that would make the passport and security system at Liverpool Airport look like perfection.” He added that the proposals treated supporters “like cattle” and said: “It isn’t good enough, after 10 years, which it will be before this gets introduced, you should have done better than this.”
Deferral for site visit
Cllr Pat Moloney asked why Merseyrail had not “got this right the first time,” adding: “The language is appalling and dehumanising; a corralling area, a sterile zone, this is human beings we’re talking about here. This is like something out of a horrific death camp in Nazi Germany.” Matt Wilson, chief executive of Baltic Broadband, spoke on behalf of businesses around Sandhills Lane. He said: “We do not oppose station modernisation, but this committee cannot approve an expansion built upon a layout which is already fundamentally failing. Currently matchday event management routinely subjects our facility to total physical vehicle blockade.”
Mr Wilson said this “nuisance” created “real world harm” and paralyses operation of businesses. Cllr Moloney moved that the item be deferred for a site visit and further information on emergency routes and site capacity. Committee members supported the move, and a final decision is now on hold for a follow-up hearing.
