Alternative plans for new Everton FC stadium 'based in a fantasy world' says club's chief

"I have the greatest respect for the people in Keep Everton In Our City who put their case to the inquiry.

"But what KEIOC has presented is not real world. It's building a stadium of your dreams but is based in fantasy."

An animated 3D virtual tour put together by the campaign group runs through a multi-use stadium on the Bestway tunnel loop site off Scotland Road.

They object to Destination Kirkby because the new ground would be nine miles away from Liverpool city centre and they are convinced that the new stadium is not properly financed.

Signing an exclusivity deal with Tesco prevented other sites in Liverpool's city boundaries from being considered, they believe.

But Mr Elstone said: "There has been no real testing on how viable it (the Bestway site) is."

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The fly-through is based on a report by HOK Sport, architects of the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, that suggests the central Liverpool site is viable.

But Mr Elstone yesterday said: "The report that was bandied about was thrown together in 48 hours.

"It was timed to coincide with the EGM for maximum effect but is flimsy and without any credible conclusions.

"The club has not been myopic in its search for alternatives."

Everton now face up to a five-month wait for a decision on Destination Kirkby from the planning inspector, Wendy Burden.
* VIEW a series of new video reports about the Kirkby inquiry by Liverpool Daily Post reporter Richard Down here