Affordable housing to be built on Liverpool FC’s training ground
Affordable housing will be built on Liverpool FC’s Melwood training ground after local firm Torus acquired the site.
The club announced in 2017 that they will be moving to a new training ground in West Kirkby and would choose a ‘socially responsible’ housing developer to take over the Melwood site.
A charitable, not-for-profit trust, Torus is well established with 1,600 homes in the West Derby area and manages around 40,000 social homes across the north-west.
Liverpool FC says all money raised from the sale will be ‘reinvested into the first-team squad’ and the new training centre.
Liverpool FC and Torus says they will be working together with local residents to ensure the Melwood legacy lives on as part of the future plans.
Chris Bowen, managing director of Torus Developments, said: ‘With more than 1,600 homes in the area, we’re already a long-standing part of the West Derby community, so being selected to develop this site at the heart of the neighbourhood means a great deal to us.
‘Consultation with local residents is very important to us and we look forward to meeting with the community in due course. We will also be working closely with LFC to ensure the legacy of this incredibly historical site is a theme throughout.
‘Our plans are still at an early stage but will be driven by providing quality affordable homes that address local need, including specialist housing provision where older people and those with additional care needs can lead sociable, fulfilling and independent lives.’
In related news, Everton Football Club last week unveiled its designs for a new riverside stadium which will be built on semi-derelict dockland in North Liverpool, paving the way for new housing in one of the UK’s most deprived areas.
The club claims the new stadium will deliver a £1bn boost to the city’s economy and will see a range of community assets such as homes, health, education and enterprise amenities built around the site.
Photo Credit – Liverpool FC
