Everton FC’s £9m Goodison upgrade given go ahead

EVERTON FC was given the go ahead for a £9m upgrade of Goodison Park.Liverpool council's planning committee yesterday agreed the proposal for a four-storey, stand-alone development which will include a football museum, hospitality suite and office block. The building will stand where the EFC lounge marquee currently sits at the west corner of the Park End car park. Planners heard from the club's planning consultant Colin Williams that the current hospitality offering at the club was 'one of the poorest in the Premier League'.The development will see a rooftop hospitality and cafe suite which will have views across Stanley Park and the Mersey.The development will also mean that the club can upgrade the matchday hospitality suites inside the stadium by freeing up space through moving back office staff into the new building.Planning consultant Mr Williams said: 'Everton are obviously very keen to improve hospitality offer of the club, probably one of the poorest in the Premier League.'This will enhance it. There will also be new retail opportunities, and the old [mega store] building will be refurbished and used by the Everton Foundation.'Tim Groom, of architects Formrooms, added: 'The museum will be a real visitors' attraction, not just for Everton fans but for the wider community.Spealing about the design of the building, which will be made from fractured glass referencing the clubs blue and grey colour colours, he added: 'When we met with Robert Elstone and [chairman] Bill Kenwright they said they wanted something that would show off the club's ambitions.'

Source: Liverpool_Echo