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Construction has officially started on Laing O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 Everton stadium three weeks after the scheme was held partly to blame for Liverpool losing its Unesco World Heritage Status.

An Everton branded excavator made the first incision into the eastern quayside of the grade II-listed Bramley-Moore Dock this morning at an event attended by the club鈥檚 chairman Bill Kenwright and senior construction staff.

When the 53,000-seat stadium is complete, the historic dock will be almost completely infilled with half a million tonnes of sand.

Hailing the groundbreaking as a 鈥渕omentous day鈥�, Kenwright said: 鈥淭o know that Evertonians and the people of this great city are together with us on this journey is a special feeling. 

鈥淣ow that the work has commenced we can all watch our magnificent home as it comes to life.鈥�

The initial enabling works will prepare the ground for what will become the stadium鈥檚 Fan Plaza, which will welcome more than 9,000 spectators on match days.

Everton said that work is already under way to 鈥渞epair and preserve鈥� the dock wall, to stabilise a listed hydraulic tower on the site and to prepare for the demolition of unlisted structures including a two-storey warehouse building.

The scheme, which was designed by recent BDP acquisition Pattern and US practice Dan Meis, is the largest single-site private sector development in the UK.

> Also read views from Liverpool鈥檚 mayor: Development and heritage are not mutually exclusive

But its location and size has proved highly controversial and was deemed 鈥渃ompletely unacceptable鈥� by Unesco a month before the body announced its decision to strip Liverpool of its World Heritage Status.

In a report in June recommending the move, Unesco said the scheme would have a 鈥渕ajor adverse impact on the authenticity and integrity鈥� of the area and showed the city council鈥檚 鈥渓ack of commitment鈥� in protecting the dock.

But Everton chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale said today鈥檚 event was the culmination of an 鈥渆xtensive and robust planning process鈥� which provided an exciting future for the club. 

And in a comment piece published on 好色先生TV today, Liverpool mayor Joanne Anderson said she found it 鈥渋ncomprehensible鈥� that Unesco would prefer that Bramley Moore dock remain a 鈥渄erelict wasteland鈥� rather than be regenerated.

The city鈥檚 north docks, which are also the site of Peel鈥檚 拢5bn Liverpool Waters masterplan, are one of the most deprived areas in the UK.

Dipesh Patel, BDP Pattern principal and chair, said that the effect the stadium will have on regeneration in Liverpool鈥檚 deprived north docks 鈥渃annot be underestimated鈥�.

He added: 鈥淎s well as being an amazing place to enjoy football, the new public spaces will be a significant addition to the urban fabric of the city.鈥�

The stadium has not proved a hit with all architects, with Sean Griffiths, co-founder of defunct practice Fat, describing it as like a 鈥渟paceship from a 1930s Flash Gordon episode that鈥檚 landed on a warehouse roof鈥�.

It is the first major UK project for Pattern, which was snapped up by BDP at the beginning of July.

The acquisition of the practice, which has 40 employees, puts BDP within striking distance of being crowned the UK鈥檚 biggest practice in 好色先生TV鈥檚 sister title 好色先生TV Design鈥檚 annual report behind Fosters + Partners.