The owner of Liverpool’s 60,000 sq ft entertainment venue and food market says the new parking zone around Everton Stadium is “actively driving people away” and causing “irreversible damage” to local businesses.
The new scheme, introduced under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), went live just over two weeks ago, to coincide with Everton FC’s inaugural test match at their new home on Bramley-Moore Dock.
The focus of the parking zone covers the area within a 30-minute walk of Everton Stadium, which is serviced by the city’s historic “Dock Road”, and encompasses the surrounding Ten Streets district, into the city centre and up to Great Homer Street in Everton.
Liverpool City Council says the overall aim of the measure is to “reduce congestion, improve air quality, safety and journey times to and from the stadium”, however it has faced criticism from residents and businesses, with the nearby Blackstock Market venue, home to the city’s famous Hot Water Comedy Club, impacted by the restrictions.
Paul Blair, co-owner of Hot Water Comedy Club and Blackstock Market, told LiverpoolWorld: “The ETRO has had a huge impact on Blackstock Market, with a significant drop in attendance since it was introduced. In the first week alone, our sales were down 47% week-on-week, and our Saturday and Sunday Fun Days—where 80% of visitors usually arrive by car—saw a 60% decline in attendance.
“While numbers were slightly higher last week than the week before, the damage is already being done. Customers are scared to park for fear of fines and, worse, have been given no alternative parking options. Many people won’t or simply can’t walk 20+ minutes from the nearest car parks, especially families attending Fun Days with kids and prams.”
Noting that the restrictions are “actively driving people away”, Paul said that the impact on businesses will only get worse without “immediate action”. “What’s most frustrating is that Liverpool City Council did not conduct any economic impact assessment before implementing these restrictions,” he explained, adding: “There was no real preparation or consultation on how this would affect businesses.”
Paul said he understands some compromises are necessary and that match day restrictions are “not the issue”. “The real problem is the 365-day, 8am to midnight restrictions, which are completely unnecessary and will cause irreversible damage if they aren’t changed soon,” he explained. “If businesses are forced to absorb these losses for too long, we’ll start seeing closures—and once that happens, it will be too late to undo the damage.”
It’s not just customer numbers that are worrying local business owners, with Paul commenting that staff parking is a “serious concern” for the late-night hospitality venue. He said: “[Staff] are now being forced to walk long distances in poorly lit areas. The fact that the council is allowing this to happen is extremely worrying.
“This isn’t just affecting us—our neighbours at Downland Bedding have around 80 staff cars parked on the street daily, and now they have nowhere at all to park. They’ve already lost staff because of this, and if nothing changes, more businesses will face the same issue.”
After receiving feedback from businesses and residents in the city’s North Docks community, as well as initial findings from the first test match at Everton Stadium, Liverpool City Council announced on Monday (March 3), that it would be implementing changes to the ETRO. The proposed amendments include:
Applications for more than 10 business permits will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Note: Business permits cost £50 each. Resident and visitor permits are free.
Safety-focussed enforcement of the zone on the second stadium test event, on Sunday, March 23. The Council said: “This will allow more time for businesses and Residents to apply for permits and for the Council to investigate the level of appropriate enforcement during events.”
The one-hour limited waiting restriction will be extended to two hours, where possible.
Permit Parking will be introduced in the Pumpfields area (i.e. the Blackstock Street, Paul Street, Pall Mall and Chisenhale Street areas).
However, the local authority said the process to modify the ETRO to implement the initial recommendations (including new signage) could take up to three months to enact. The council will also explore the scope for on-street pay and display parking bays in key locations to identify options, where possible, for longer-stay parking. A further series of improvements, identified from the first test event, will also now be implemented, including the following:
A review of the event traffic management plan on road closures ahead of the second test event. This is to ensure closures are enacted and communicated more effectively.
Improvements to Street Lighting on walking routes to and from the stadium.
Improved pedestrian wayfinding signage between Sandhills station and City Centre stations and the stadium.
Temporary signage to shuttle bus and taxi rank locations.
A spokesperson for the Liverpool City Council said: “Following the amendments, the council’s Highways team will continue to monitor the impact of the ETRO to determine whether this has positively assisted businesses, visitors, and public opinion and if other amendments are required.”
While Paul believes the council’s latest update is “yet another small step in the right direction for match days” he said it “completely misses the real issue” of non-match day restrictions.
He explained: “Increasing the loading time from one hour to two hours in ‘some’ areas where possible is vague at best, and while it helps slightly on match days, the reality is that these restrictions should never have been this excessive to begin with.
“On non-match days, they shouldn’t exist at all. The fact that businesses are still waiting for this to be addressed is simply not good enough. The damage is already happening, and the longer they take to fix their misjudgement and poor planning, the worse it will get. They need to act now—not in months, not after another review, but immediately—before it’s too late.”
Paul continued: “Branding this as a ‘match day’ parking scheme is insulting to the entire business community, who operate here every single day, not just when there’s football. If this really were about match days, the restrictions would only apply when necessary. Instead, businesses are being penalised 365 days a year, with no justification.
“There is no logical reason why our customers—or anyone visiting businesses in the area—should be fined for parking when there is no event at Bramley Moore Stadium. This goes against common sense, and the fact that it’s still being enforced despite overwhelming opposition shows a complete disregard for businesses and visitors.
“The solution is simple—non-match day restrictions need to be removed immediately, and the council needs to make a public statement confirming this.
“The signs must be changed as soon as possible to prevent further damage to businesses in the area. The council has said that changes can be made quickly under the ETRO, so now is the time to follow through with action, not just words.
“Businesses like ours rely heavily on tourism, with over 75% of our customers being visitors from outside the city. They won’t see council updates or local news—they’ll only go by the signposts outside the venue. If those signs say restrictions are in place, they’ll assume they can’t park and simply won’t come.”
Bramley-Moore Dock matchday parking scheme is insulting and driving our customers away
