People 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 lightning rod for other issues, prompting 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. That expansion finished in 2024, but while road access was granted for pedestrians and cyclists, cars have not been able to use it for the past five years.
Residents and councillors voice anger
Earlier this week (June 30), the Liverpool ECHO reported on a planning committee meeting where LFC presented its road closure proposal. In response, Cllr Billy Marrat, who represents Anfield ward, questioned the club's integrity. He 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. The club said the updated proposal was born out of a change in circumstance, "relating in particular to the increased threat of attacks using hostile vehicles". This view was supported by Merseyside Police at the committee meeting, which highlighted the current national terror threat being rated as substantial.
Club defends security rationale
Paul Cuttill, Liverpool FC chief operating officer, also spoke at the committee meeting. 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 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.
Residents share frustrations
To gauge 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. 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. 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]," Glen recalled. 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."
Graham Lunt, another neighbour, said: "They asked for an inch didn't they? And now they want to take the mile." He also raised concerns about inconvenience during large events, noting he has been unable to park in front of his own house despite having a resident parking permit. Robbie Smyth, who has lived in the area for 40 years, said parking is a big problem, along with noise and littering. 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."
Council responds to concerns
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."
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. The planning committee will make a final decision after a site visit.
