Controversial Everton stadium parking zone on hold

A controversial raft of parking restrictions around Everton's new football stadium has been suspended after complaints from business owners.

An Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) had been imposed within a half-hour walking radius around the stadium at Bramley-Moore dock - including heavy restrictions for on-street parking.

Business owners in the streets around the stadium said they were astonished to learn the restrictions would apply all year round - not just on match days - and some claimed they would cause them to go under.

On Monday, Liverpool City Council said the restrictions were being paused until August in the areas where businesses would be most affected.

The council said the temporary postponement would take effect along the city's waterfront from its northern end by Canada Dock down to the Leeds Street area of the city centre boundary, and eastwards across to the Pumpfields district.

There will still be restrictions, but only in residential districts where people have been told to apply for up to two free parking permits per household.

The council said it had received more than 5,000 responses as part of a public consultation on the changes.

Business including Hot Water Comedy Club, based in Blackstock Market, and Ten Streets Social on Regent Road told the BBC the impact would be catastrophic.

Joseph Burns, whose family own bar, restaurant and events space Ten Streets, said at the time: "It really will ruin our business if they don't change this and if they don't change it quickly."

The council has now said an updated ETRO would be introduced in August ahead of the 2025/26 football season, when Everton's first team will begin playing in their new home.

Councillor Liam Robinson, leader of the authority, said the stadium had created new pressures on parking which needed to be balanced with "the changing needs of a growing area for business".

He said it was important to "get these measures right" and said the council had "listened carefully" to the feedback.

"We will now take the time between now and the start of the new football season to get the balance of new measures right, and in the meantime suspend the measures in the parts of the zone of most concern to local businesses," he said.

"There is still the year-round issue of commuter parking affecting our residential areas with the zone, so it makes absolute sense for the measures to continue there."

The announcement came after the second test event at Everton Stadium which saw 25,000 fans invited to trial at 14:00 GMT kick-off.

Councillor Dan Barrington, cabinet member for transport and connectivity, added: "The second test on Sunday feels like the right time to take stock of what we've learned so far and carefully consider the arrangements that need to apply from August.

"Our Highways team will continue to analyse all the feedback from the consultation, and the evidence generated from the test events, to find ways to make amendments and improvements."

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