Everton Football Club have scrapped plans for a new stadium at Walton Hall Park, it has been announced.

Both the Club and Liverpool City Council are now exploring the potential of two other brownfield sites in the city boundary.

The proposals for Walton Hall Park were abandoned due to the plans heavy reliance on out-of-town retail investment.

Mayor Joe Anderson said: "Most people will be aware that I did give a commitment to Everton to support a potential scheme at Walton Hall Park with the aim of regenerating the area and creating new jobs. However, through the work that the Club and the council have done, we have concluded that effectively building a new village in North Liverpool with lots of retail space is a step too far in this current economic climate.

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"On the subject of the park itself, I can now say that the park will remain a park and will be designated as such in our Local Plan which will be out for consultation this summer

Robert Elstone, Chief Executive of Everton FC, added: "Our work with the council, particularly over the last few months, has been positive and progressive and whilst our work evaluating the alternatives is at an early stage, we are hopeful that the new sites provide us with a much more straightforward, deliverable opportunity to build a new stadium."

(LM/MH)