Everton FC have been hailed for their approach to the two-stage consultation on plans for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and community-led legacy project at Goodison Park. Under the banner of The People’s Project, the club held their events in two stages; November/December 2018 and July/August 2019.
During the first, the roadshow visited nine locations across the Liverpool City Region to prove the principle of Everton moving to the Bramley-Moore Dock site and to explain the socio-economic benefits the project would have. The results were used to help the Toffees finalise their thoughts on stadium design.
The second consultation featured a virtual reality experience to allow people to fly over and through the stadium to see the proposals in fine detail, as well as allowing users to place themselves in the centre-circle and in the stand on matchday.
The club also provided consultation materials to as many as 50,000 homes in the area.
Chris Daly, head of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), a professional body which has more than 30,000 members and operates in 132 countries, praised Everton’s consultation process as “outstanding”.
“Strong brands put their customer at the heart of everything they do and Everton’s stadium consultation is a shining example of this,” he said. “The club has not assumed, but asked fans what it is they want, inviting Evertonians and the wider public alike to play a meaningful part in the process.”
Professor Michael Parkinson, associate pro-vice chancellor for civic engagement at the University of Liverpool and an adviser to national governments and the European Commission on urban affairs, added: “Everton’s consultation and engagement has seen them live up to their reputation as the people’s club. There has been a real rigour and depth to their engagement over the last two years – so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that their plans have been received so well.”
Over the past two years, Everton has asked a total of 141 questions through engagement questionnaires and consultation surveys which have generated more than 1.6 million responses.
During the consultation process, the massive economic and social benefits of The People’s Project were revealed in two independent reports by CBRE and Real Worth. They indicated that it would yield a £1bn boost and have the potential for up to 15,000 new jobs. The societal value could reach £793.4m between 2024 and 2033, compared to £556m generated solely through Everton in the Community activity.
The results from the second stage public consultation are currently being analysed and fed into the stadium design team. The club remain on track to submit planning applications for both sites before the end of the year.
Article originally appeared on Insider Media Limited
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