CONFIRMED: Everton have deal to purchase land around Bramley-Moore dock

The Telegraph have confirmed that Everton have agreed to a deal to purchase the land around the Bramley-Moore docks from Peel Holdings, and that a formal announcement will be made later today after today’s Council meeting.

The report also went on to say that the Blues would pay less than the £30m quoted price, with the club only formally acquiring the land once funding for the new Everton stadium is fully in place.

The dock is part of the Port of Liverpool, and is connected to Sandon Half Tide Dock to the north and Nelson Dock to the south. It was named after and opened by John Bramley-Moore, Chairman of the dock committee in 1848.

Bramley-Moore was used primarily a coal dock, including both coal for export and also bunker coal for steamships. After the decline in use of coal-fired steamships, the dock continued to be used to export coal. The dock was closed in 1988 after the Miners' Strike and the decline in demand for coal.

The Peel Group, owners of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, unveiled the £5.5 billion Liverpool Waters regeneration programme in 2007, with the Bramley-Moore Dock part of the scheme. For the last two years the area has been used for the Liverpool Sound City music festival.

The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson had also dropped some hints about the location of the new stadium, including comments he made in press conferences and on Twitter.

In August, he said it was "closer now than it was last month", it’s "closer now than it's ever been" - and then a cryptic hint to the proposed location he teased "the Moore the merrier". And then as recently as March he promised the new stadium was “happening and real”.

The dock is just over two miles from Everton’s current home at Goodison Park.

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The Everton ownership group visited two proposed locations for the stadium in October, the Bramley-Moore dock as well as the Stonebridge Cross site in Croxteth.

Dan Meis, owner of architecture firm Meis Associates, was also present for the visit. Architect Xan Young, who works for Meis, has previously been mentioned as working on designs for the new stadium. Meis’ firm has worked on numerous sporting arenas across the world, with Italian side AS Roma his latest clients.