Why Everton fans have been waiting five years for train station improvements near Hill Dickinson Stadium

Everton received planning permission for the Hill Dickinson Stadium in 2021, but upgrades to the nearest train station are only just being completed five years later.

According to recent claims, the need to ensure the best value for taxpayers was the reason plans to improve Sandhills station were only submitted this year.

Sandhills station improvements signed off

Five years after Everton received planning permission to construct their new stadium, the Hill Dickinson, the nearest train station is finally set to undergo improvements.

Earlier this week, members of Liverpool Council's planning committee signed off on proposals to extend the queuing area designed for supporters that are attending matches at Everton's home stadium.

The extended area will allow for an additional 2,000 supporters to queue, with the improvement designed in an attempt to stop the current overcrowding of Sandhills station on matchdays.

Simon Crawshaw, Liverpool Council principal major projects planning officer, said that it was “always envisaged” that the relocation of Everton to Bramley-Moore Dock “would have a significant impact on Sandhills station” and that was “well understood” during the planning phase for the venue in 2021.

However, according to the Liverpool ECHO, the need to secure best value for taxpayers meant the most recent scheme has taken five years to deliver since the initial go-ahead for the stadium to be constructed was granted.

Crawshaw went on to say that the new works proposed on the current application are associated with the necessary improvements for Sandhills station identified in the original stadium's transport assessment, which was part of the original planning permission for Hill Dickinson.

Other improvements being made to Sandhills station include an additional entrance at the station and a new footbridge to help ease queueing on matchdays.

FGG Says: Improvement well overdue

Everton fans have criticised the difficulty in travelling to Hill Dickinson since the club made the move from Goodison Park, and these long-overdue improvements should finally make it easier for the supporters travelling in by train.