Leanne Harper

Liverpool City Council's planning committee has indicated that it intends to refuse Liverpool FC's application to keep a section of Anfield Road permanently closed to vehicles, despite planning officers recommending approval. The road was closed in 2021 during the Anfield Road Stand expansion and has remained closed, with residents saying it has increased traffic and made local journeys less safe. Liverpool FC and Counter Terrorism Policing North West argue that reopening the road would create stadium-security and hostile-vehicle risks, while a safety audit found reopening possible with appropriate signage and markings. The application will return to the committee for a formal decision and also seeks permission for concerts and other major events in July beyond 2026.

Liverpool City Council's planning committee is minded to reject Liverpool FC's request to keep a road beside Anfield permanently closed to vehicles, although a final decision is still pending. The road has been closed since 2021 during the Anfield Road Stand expansion, and residents and councillors say the closure has increased traffic and made nearby streets harder to navigate. Liverpool FC argues that reopening the road would create pedestrian and stadium-security risks, while Counter Terrorism Policing North West supports maintaining the closure. Council officers found that the traffic and air-quality impacts of reopening would not be significant, and some councillors proposed closing the road only on match and major-event days. The application also seeks one additional season of July concerts after 2026.