Liverpool FC’s plans to increase capacity of the club’s Anfield Stadium by around 13,000 seats have been given the green light by Liverpool City Council (LCC).

LCC’s planning committee met earlier today (23 September and resolved to grant planning permission for the expansion of the Main Stand by 8,300 seats and the Anfield Road Stand by 4,800. Construction will begin next year for completion by the 2016-17 season and will take capacity from the current 45,500 to almost 59,000.

Facilities management and construction services provider Carillion was named in July as the preferred bidder to carry out the expansion, which Liverpool FC says will enable the club to host major international and European games.

The work on the stadium – designed by architectural firm KSS – is itself part of a larger £260m (US$426m, €331m) plan to transform the area around Anfield into a mixed-use leisure hub.

Proposals include the creation of a wide avenue through the adjacent Stanley Park and a new public square area with a memorial to the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster of 1989. Also included is a new primary school, health centre, 250 new homes and a 100-bedroom hotel as well as a new business hub.

The mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: "This is a very important milestone in our ambitions to transform the Anfield area, bringing new jobs, investment and housing.

"The overall regeneration will see £260m invested in Anfield. Liverpool Football Club's proposals for the stadium are a key part of this. The club is a major employer in the area and its stadium is a major draw for tourists and visitors."