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Everton's plans to build a new stadium won't be realised until the 2023-24 season at the earliest.

And the Blues are ready to drop an agreement with Liverpool City Council over financing, to instead pursue private funding for their state-of-the-art £500million arena on the banks of the Mersey.

The Merseyside club have unveiled the second phase of their ambitious project with the announcement of a public consultation, which will see them gauge opinion from the people of the city before submitting full planning.

That will delay the official planning application until the second half of 2019, which will have a knock-on effect for the actual build of the stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, with completion now more likely to be in 2023-24, rather than 2022.

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

The club have explained they want to get the full support of the entire community before submitting their plans, which would reduce the risk of the application being called in for a lengthy examination by central government...and delaying the build even further.

Plans are yet to be finalised, with Everton officials explaining only when they have spoken to the public at a series of roadshows can they decide on the ultimate design of the stadium.

But it is understood capacity is likely to be in the 52,000-55,000 region, rather than the 63,000-plus fans have been campaigning for.

(Image: Reuters) (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

The Blues had been offered a deal by the city council, which would see them underwrite costs through a £220m loan from the government’s Public Works Loan Board. The club would repay that in full, in addition to annual interest payments of £7m to the council.

But many critics have been unable to understand the agreement, causing some political fall-out in the city. That has led to deputy chairman Keith Harris instead searching for private money, which is viewed as a cleaner, less politically-sensitive option.

Everton know the stadium is a delicate issue because the development is contained within a World Heritage Site and want to ensure there are no serious objections to a plan they suggest will draw hundreds of millions of pounds into the local economy.

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The consultation, named ‘The People’s Project,’ will see a series of roadshows presented across the city and beyond over the coming months before the submission of planning applications for Bramley Moore and Goodison Park in a year’s time.

Everton CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale has been in New York this week, meeting stadium architect Dan Meis.

She said: “This consultation marks a very significant moment as we progress with this project. We would like as many people as possible – and not just football fans – to take part and let us know their views.”

A second public consultation will take place next summer when the official plans for the stadium are unveiled, before being formally submitted.