The state of a dangerous property in Anfield that was evacuated this month highlights exactly why the area desperately needs investment and development, a neighbour has claimed. A house on Walton Breck Road, right next to Liverpool FC's stadium, was evacuated on August 4 after being deemed unsafe.

A massive emergency response descended on the road, close to Anfield Stadium, as the property was sealed off with two people trapped inside. The terraced property was discovered to be structurally compromised with a crack stretching roughly five metres, causing the windows and bay to sag dangerously.

The fire service revealed two residents were inside the house when it was cordoned off and couldn't escape without help, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Adjacent properties were also evacuated and a structural engineer was called in.

The residents were moved out that evening and one person was rushed to hospital by North West Ambulance Service.

The house was deemed unfit for habitation and has now been placed behind security fencing that extends from the pavement into the road, with a council notice attached to the door.

In a statement issued on the day of the incident, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) said of the address: "It was determined that the house is unfit to be occupied, though there isn't any significant deterioration since an inspection one month ago."

Residents have told the ECHO they have repeatedly raised safety concerns about the building with Liverpool City Council on numerous occasions. Earlier this month, the city council informed the ECHO that its building control team was examining the situation.

The property is believed to be privately owned and the council has determined the house poses no immediate danger whilst considering what action to take next. Nevertheless, local residents are demanding more be done to enhance building conditions throughout Anfield.

Hilary Johnston, who resides close to the property on Walton Breck Road, told the ECHO she believes its state represents a wider issue with certain buildings in the neighbourhood. Consequently, she considers it evidence of why the area requires investment and enhancement.

She told the ECHO: "I've lived here all my life - I was born on Oakfield Road. Anfield has changed throughout the decades but I think its decline was around the '70s and early '80s. Nothing much happened after that. We've had small little pockets of improvements."

Regarding the house on her street, Ms Johnston said: "The council have known about it for a long time but it's privately owned. Whilst we know that is an issue, that's a private person and we can't force that issue unless the council can.

"But what would be symptomatic would be if that is just left now and we don't see any progress in that. That could be left for a couple of years.

"If that's left for years boarded up, then that's symptomatic of an issue that we've got. It feels like nobody really is bothered.

"It's the same with the one by Morrisons. It's been open to the elements for a long time and nobody's really bothered. Time ticks on. It's the same with the row of houses by Homebaked."

The Walton Breck Road property represents just one of several buildings near Liverpool FC's Anfield Stadium that have fallen into disrepair.

As highlighted by Ms Johnston, a string of abandoned terraced homes can be found adjacent to Homebaked bakery on Oakfield Road, whilst across the street sits a derelict barber shop that crumbled in May 2024.

The terraced properties became the centre of controversy when the council withdrew from a community development scheme in December.

Concerning the collapsed barber shop, the local authority informed the ECHO last year that no further intervention would be taken regarding the deteriorated structure - stating the responsibility for addressing the issue "lies solely with the owner".

Ms Johnston is calling for these problems to be addressed through substantial financial investment in the locality and increased development activity.

She said: "There's been a lack of investment. It's a fight for us to put any proposal for change. It feels like we rarely get anything developed and if we do, we have to fight for it.

"It's very frustrating. There are lots of other people who voice their opinion and want something to be done in the community."

When the ECHO spoke to locals in Anfield earlier this month following the announcement of £5million funding for the neighbourhood, numerous residents highlighted the abundance of derelict buildings and properties in poor repair as issues requiring immediate attention.

Robert Hart, 75, who has called Anfield home since the 1990s after relocating from Everton, said the terrace of houses on Oakfield exemplifies precisely why the area requires this investment.

He told the ECHO: "They've been like that for years. If they weren't going to pull them down, they should have renovated them all.

"I don't think it gives off a good impression of the area. It's derelict. There's a brand new housing estate here, but why haven't they done something with those houses? They're good houses, they'd not be bad houses if they'd been done up."

The £5million funding for the vicinity surrounding Anfield Stadium was revealed last month.

Liverpool City Council said it aims to establish a "safer, greener and more welcoming" environment around the football ground.

The suggested enhancements form part of a broader regeneration initiative under what is termed the Anfield Spatial Regeneration Framework (SRF), which will also bolster matchday operations and integrate with other continuing projects in the locality.

The proposals encompass Walton Breck Road, Oakfield Road, Pulford Street, Back Rockfield Road, and Gilman Street, with an aim to improve the area's appearance, safety, and accessibility. The proposed scheme boasts a plethora of improvements including enhanced public spaces, pedestrian connectivity, new soft landscaping and planting, upgraded footways, high-quality paving, carriageway resurfacing and improved drainage.

Additionally, the plan includes modernised street lighting, a new mini-roundabout at the junction of Walton Breck Road and Oakfield Road, reconfigured on-street parking, relocated pedestrian crossings and reduced road widths and speed limits to calm traffic.

Councillor Nick Small, the city council's cabinet member for growth and economy, spoke to the ECHO this week about his ambitions with this funding. He aims to address residents' concerns through various ongoing property and infrastructure projects.

He highlighted that a crucial part of this would be enhancing the area's housing offer, including the development at Anfield Square, land in the shadow of the stadium, purchased in March, enabling the local authority to progress with its plans to regenerate a key site.

Council documents reveal it agreed to buy 18 freeholds and leaseholds, which date from when there were houses on the site. The plot, comprising land north of Walton Breck Road and east of the stadium, has been cleared and the deal brought the full site under council ownership - it now intends to market the site for development.

Speaking about the council's efforts to rejuvenate Anfield, Cllr Small told the ECHO this week: "We've got to think 'how do we bring more value from having the football club, games, concerts, tours, museum'. How do we bring more value into Anfield and make it an even better place to live in?".

"We're working with the club for Anfield Square. We've got some big announcements coming to create a destination into the area, getting more money spent in the area. So there will be a couple of announcements about investment around the area.

"There are empty houses that were part of the housing market renewal that are in the city council's ownership. That will have a positive effect on the housing market more generally in the area and should drive more investment.

"I get where people are coming from. Anfield is a different area, it is changing, it has changed. But that investment, we are already seeing that coming into the area, it is up and coming, people do want to live there."