The Liverpool FC Society VI

Liverpool have been granted a reprieve over plans for a 60,000-plus-seat stadium at Stanley Park after planning consents expired last month. The local?authority deadline for approved works to take place elapsed on 19 June.

A council spokesman, however, said it considers that the club has undertaken "sufficient works" in the three years since the decision to approve development was taken in 2008. The spokesman said it is now waiting on the club to take up the £300,000-a-year lease on the park site but he would not discuss when it must do that by.

It seems the council set a low threshold for what it considered sufficient development, since only enabling works to local infrastructure and the demolition of a row of 100?year?old houses behind the Anfield Road stand have so far taken place. This would also assist the club in expanding the existing stadium at Anfield, without having to move to Stanley Park.

"Work continues on examining both options open to us: refurbishment of Anfield and Stanley Park," a club spokesman said. However, there is no planning consent for an Anfield development and last October the council leader, Joe Anderson, made clear the council's opposition to the expansion of the existing ground. "I would discourage [Liverpool] from redeveloping Anfield and would encourage them to stick to the commitment that is already in place," he said.

Digger heard on Wednesday that the 19 June deadline had been enforced, obliging the club to open talks requesting a 12-month extension to the current Stanley Park consents. This is said to have been refused, along with a six-month extension, leading the council to wave through a three-month extension to September this year.

The council denied this is the case, saying: "A condition of the planning decision was that Liverpool had to start work by 19 June but we've accepted they have done sufficient work."