Everton Stadium parking zone 'will be tweaked'
BBCThe leader of Liverpool City Council has said parking rules around the new Everton stadium will be "tweaked" after businesses claimed trade was already suffering.
Business owners said plans to restrict parking in the roads around Bramley-Moore Dock were initially described to them as "match day parking" – but in reality, restrictions are proposed for 365 days a year.
Councillor Liam Robinson told BBC Radio Merseyside the council would make "tweaks, alterations or changes" to the parking zone amid mounting pressure.
Paul Blair, owner of Hot Water Comedy Club and Blackstock Market, called the station during a phone-in and said bookings were 47% down since the rules had been publicised.
Mr Blair said: "Words and ideas and promises aren't enough, we need actual implementation and we need it fast."
He said the market "had our best ever week" before the restrictions came into play.
However he said bookings plummeted and said a community fun day event on weekends was down 60%, which he said was because "80% of the people coming are driving".
"On those particular days Blackstock Street will be completely empty apart from people coming to our events and that will be a large part of the season," he added.
Robinson said he was "genuinely sorry" for the impact.
He suggested there could end up being "compromises" on both sides to reach an agreement.
Last week, 10,000 fans attended the first of three trial games at the £500m waterfront stadium.
Robinson acknowledged there had been some traffic problems linked to road closures and had taken on board concerns about poor street lighting.
Silversmith Brittany Kefira, from Noctua Jewellery on Regent Street, told him: "I appreciate the council is now talking about pay and display options and looking at increasing the number of business permits but right now, businesses are still suffering and we're still waiting for answers and timelines."
Robinson said the test event had been an "important milestone", but acknowledged that the transport and parking arrangements had been criticised.
He said there could not be a "parking free for all" in the area which he said was "starting to grow" through investment.
Public transport infrastructure was also criticised, with fans claiming that a "fanzone" at Sandhills station had been overcrowded with only a fraction of the crowd expected when the stadium is at capacity.
Robinson said improvements to signage, a new foot bridge and the introduction of eight carriage trains on match-days should help.
He added that meetings were taking place with the Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, Everton and fan groups in the coming days.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.