Results tagged “Kirkby” from Everton Banter - Join the debate with EFC fans, staff writers and club legends
EVERTON FC's chief executive yesterday told a public inquiry the club could not afford to miss the current "window of opportunity" to build its new stadium.
Failure to land the inspector's approval for a new club home would lead to a "vicious circle" of decline for one of the world's most prestigious clubs, Robert Elstone told the inquiry in Kirkby.
Mr Elstone, who began his evidence late yesterday, said: "The club has already incurred delays and any further delays means I can't commit.
"Should this window close, opportunity for substantial improvements looks highly limited."
AN EXPERT on master-planning and design issues was grilled on the sixth day of the inquiry into the Destination Kirkby scheme.
Melvin Davis, who was appearing for Tesco and Everton FC, was cross-examined on his report into its design.
He said the project was larger than anything he had previously been involved with and was "extremely exciting."
Story by Liza Williams
BUILDING Everton's stadium in Kirkby will bring residents back into its town centre and aid regeneration, according to one planning expert.
Jeremy Williams also said the development would not affect towns close by.
The partner at planning company DPP was speaking yesterday at the inquiry into proposals put forward by the football club and Tesco.
TWO groups to provide a soundtrack to the most contentious issue in the history of Everton Football Club - The Verve and The Animals.
After months of waiting, the public inquiry which will ultimately decide whether Everton can leave Goodison Park for a new home in Kirkby began when Inspector Wendy Burden opened proceedings in the town's civic suite at 10am on Wednesday.
In one corner, we have Everton's acting chief executive Robert Elstone leading the fight for the club and the obvious tune to back his arguments being the one penned by The Animals in 1965 - "We've gotta get out of this place, if it's the last thing we ever do."
Story by Richard Down
THE quality of Everton FC and Tesco's £400m plan for Kirkby has come under fire at a public inquiry.
A planning inspector questioned yesterday whether the Destination Kirkby scheme, which includes a new stadium for the Blues, was based on "sound urban design principles".
Paul Jackson, who deputised for the unwell Wendy Burden, referred to a judgement by a Knowsley council officer, which was put before its planning committee in June.
Story by Marc Waddington
MOVERS and shakers behind the new Everton FC stadium in Knowsley have dispelled rumours of company closures and job losses being circulated by angry market traders.
Leaflets have been passed around in the town by the Kirkby Traders Association ahead of the beginning of today's public inquiry into the planned £400m development.
They claim that council offices, shops and Barclaycard's base in the town will be demolished, resulting in about 2,000 job losses.
ROBERT ELSTONE has warned failure of Everton to move into a new stadium will only increase the pressure on the manager to successfully wheel and deal in the transfer market.
And the acting chief executive admits the Goodison outfit's financial fortunes are at present largely reliant on the achievements of David Moyes and his players.
A public inquiry opens this morning into Everton's proposed move to a 50,000-seater stadium in Kirkby, a £400million project in partnership with Tesco that the club insist is their only viable option.
Story by Richard Down
EVERTON FC has to win its case in the planning inquiry or face a slide out of the football elite, acting chief executive Robert Elstone believes.
On the eve of the inquiry into the club's £400m bid to relocate to Kirkby, Mr Elstone took the Daily Post on an exclusive tour of Goodison Park to underscore his view that the move is vital to the club's future.
He said: "The Premier League is moving at a phenomenal pace and that's because of clubs which have billionaire benefactors or modern stadiums which they're able to fill.
"Everton has neither.
THE planning inspector in charge of investigating Everton FC and Tesco's joint bid to regenerate Kirkby is set to stage a second Pre Inquiry Meeting.
It will take place at 11.30am on November 5, in the Kirkby Civic Suite on Cherryfield Drive, Kirkby.
A council spokesman said: "The purpose of the meeting will be to finalise the administrative arrangements for the inquiry and address any outstanding matters."
Story by Ben Schofield
EVERTON'S plan to build a 50,000-seat stadium in Kirkby will be fought using a £275,000 legal war chest, it emerged last night.
Councils from across Merseyside and Lancashire will spend the six-figure sum when the Destination Kirkby scheme is debated at a planning inquiry.
They will argue the £400m project should be blocked because it threatens to take business away from city centre and high street shops.
Story by Vicki Kellaway
THE woman who will decide if Everton FC can make its move to Kirkby has admitted she has no interest in football.
Government inspector Wendy Burden has warned witnesses to be patient if she appears ignorant of the sport when the two-month inquiry unfolds in November.
The inspector's remarks came as detailed plans about the inquiry were released - including a list of all 22 parties who claim an interest in Destination Kirkby.
KNOWSLEY'S council leader broke his silence today to say why he believes Everton's proposed move to Kirkby is vital for the club and the town.
Cllr Ron Round is well-known for his dislike of speaking directly to the media, and has so far avoided publicly entering the debate.
But today in an exclusive interview with the ECHO he offered some hard-hitting views to defend the £400m project before November's public inquiry which will decide its fate.
THE government has offered to broker talks between Liverpool FC and Everton FC about building a shared stadium.
Sport secretary Andy Burnham MP, a lifelong Evertonian, made the pledge to mediate discussions while visiting young footballers in the city yesterday.
He spoke out after Liverpool's announcement of a significant delay in its stadium plans for Stanley Park and the decision to hold a time-consuming public inquiry into Everton's relocation to Kirkby.
Both Liverpool and Everton say a shared stadium is not on their agenda.
Mr Burnham said: "Obviously the situation has changed for both clubs, but it is for them to decide what represents the best way forward.
ANGRY Everton fans demanded answers at a jam-packed Alex Young Suite last night.
And for two-and-a-half hours they, mostly, got them.
Bill Kenwright assembled an array of experts and specialists to address every concern imaginable.
And in his bright and articulate acting CEO, Robert Elstone, had a hugely impressive front man who outlined clearly and concisely why Destination Kirkby was being pursued with such vigour, why remaining at Goodison Park was financially impossible, and who did so without patronising or preaching to men and women whose lives will be irreparably altered by a ground move.
For every question there was a logical answer.
For every concern there was an explanation.
Which begged one unanswered question, why was an EGM required to pass them on to supporters?
Bill Kenwright has been accused of prevaricating, and worse, on message boards, forums and letters pages. But last night he answered openly, sincerely and transparently.
David Bartlett, reporting from Everton's extraordinary general meeting this evening, tells us that the club has confirmed its commitment to the move to Kirkby.
It had been thought that the club could abandon its plan for a new stadium there after the Government called the plans in, potentially delaying the move for several months at least.
See tomorrow's Daily Post for report and analysis
A PUBLIC inquiry date has been set for Everton FC and Tesco's joint bid to build a stadium and superstore in Kirkby.
IF Warren Bradley really is serious about keeping Everton within the city boundaries, the time has come for him to deliver his trump card.
With the Destination Kirkby project being called in, much to everyone's frustration at Goodison Park, Cllr Bradley has the opportunity to provide a site for the Blues' new home that can be a viable alternative to the one in Knowsley that has caused such a furore.
From Royal Blue's point of view, two immediately spring to mind; one - as this column suggested a while back - is Walton Hall Park, the other is at the opposite end of Stanley Park from where Liverpool's new stadium is to be built.
Story by Neil Hodgson
THE government call-in of Everton's Kirkby project could see the club lose its talented manager, according to professor Tom Cannon.
The former head of Manchester Business School, chief executive of Liverpool-based Ideaopolis International and Everton fan said the loss of revenues from a proposed 55,000-seat stadium in Kirkby will seriously hamper David Moyes' efforts to take his side forward.
Kirkby-born Prof Cannon said: "Everton's revenue stream will be down by £10m a year just in gate revenues by staying at Goodison.
EVERTON FC are ready to challenge city leader Warren Bradley to find the club a viable site for a new home.
They believe Liverpool council is largely to blame for the decision to call in the Tesco-led stadium scheme at Kirkby.
They now want Cllr Bradley to show them a viable alternative.
At present they feel there is nothing on offer to beat the £400m Destination Kirkby project which would bring the club a brand new stadium for £78m.
But there is no guarantee they will get the go-ahead for the ground at the end of a costly public inquiry which could last up to two years.
The club has yet to decide whether to ditch the Knowsley scheme or fight for it side by side with Tesco.
Everton have already dismissed as unworkable three sites proposed by the city.
A CRUCIAL report from Everton FC's lawyers will decide whether the club should press ahead with its £400m dream move to Kirkby, the Daily Post has learned.
It came as Tesco, which will build a huge superstore as part of the project, called on the Government to fix a date for a public inquiry at the earliest possible time.
The legal advice being drawn up for the club will be put to an emergency club board meeting expected next week.
Everton has sought advice on the chances of success at the public inquiry - called on Wednesday - and therefore whether it should continue or walk away from the move to Knowsley.
It is understood that if the club presses ahead with the Kirkby stadium plan, now expected to be delayed by 12 to 18 months, an exclusivity agreement with Tesco will preclude Everton from drawing up alternative Plan B proposals
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