EVERTON FC’s possible move to Kirkby remains on track despite Liverpool council leader’s desire to keep the club inside the city boundaries.
Knowsley council and supermarket giant Tesco today both insisted talks about the stadium development were going well.
Meanwhile, the Blues and neighbours Liverpool FC again poured cold water on the idea of resurrecting the controversial ground-share idea.
The organisations all spoke out after Liverpool council leader Warren Bradley said he believed Everton would not leave the city and that sites were available if the club wanted them.
He also cast doubt on whether Kirkby, which he described as “a town with a falling population”, could support a massive Tesco store.
But Cllr Ron Round, leader of Knowsley council, said: “I think Warren is living in the past. He is talking about a long-forgotten Kirkby.
“In the last decade, we have had more than £600m invested in Kirkby, creating more than 8,000 new jobs and saving 5,000 which were under threat.
“Kirkby has to be one of the most attractive places in which to invest in the region, apart from Liverpool city centre.
“There is still a long way to go, and we are letting Everton and Tesco work on the fine detail while we await a planning application.
“I am reasonably confident that all the discussions are proceeding at a good pace, although there is some fine tuning to do.
“I would be very disappointed, to say the least, if Everton and Tesco decided not to pursue it. It is in their interests to take advantage of a virgin site to create this development.”
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