The Independent article makes out we're living in cloud cuckoo land including fantasies like a new cruise terminal in the plans. Whereas these are actually pre existing plans from Peel Holding's Liverpool Waters Scheme, that if I'm not mistaken have already gone through outline planning and are just waiting for something like BMD to kick start the development. Why don't these journalists do some proper research before going to print.
I do feel a bit sorry for some of the pubs in the area that probably are only kept open by the increased revenue they take in on match days. Some will inevitably close as the area will not be able to support the current number of pubs, but this will only mirror what has been happening in all other parts of the city (and the country as a whole) over the last 15 years or so. This is unfortunate, but I'm sure the loss of jobs will be more than made up by the redevelopment of Goodison plus the added benefit brought from the new affordable housing etc.
What both articles seem to ignore is that the whole North Docks area comprises run down old docks and wasteland. BMD in itself will bring in much needed permanent jobs and prosperity to the area, plus infrastructure such as improved roadworks, potential new rail station and ferry terminal. But it will also, as mentioned earlier, kick start a potential £10/15bn development over the next 25 years. Just an idea of the scale of this is that the whole Liverpool1 development was less than a billion.
To be honest I have no idea whether previous clubs plans for new grounds have come under the same sort of scrutiny from the press. But even if they had, I think these articles aimed at Everton are still completely wide of the mark. No other club does more for the community and I don't recall the sites of old grounds like Roker Park, Highbury, Whitehart Lane, Upton Park, The Dell, Burnden Park, Maine Road etc being used to serve the local community in the way Goodison will be. Plus how can anybody see the redevelopment of run down waste ground as anything but positive.
I'm not normally one to say this, but I can only assume that the writers of these articles are people with an axe to grind with Everton, possibly RS supporters who are allowing their envy of BMD to impinge on their day job.
