Inspector calls foul on 'need' for Albion Brendan Montague Wednesday July 28, 2004 The Argus THE planning inspector who almost wrecked the Albion's dream for a new stadium believes the team's collapse would be no loss to football. In the conclusion to his 262-page dossier John Collyer ripped apart almost every claim made in support of the community stadium at Falmer. He wrote: "If Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club were lost to the league there is no convincing evidence football nationally would suffer any serious harm." Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has rejected Mr Collyer's advice to immediately refuse planning permission for the 22,374-seater stadium. Instead, the public inquiry will be briefly reopened to determine once and for all if Falmer is the best option. From the vehemence of Mr Collyer's verdict it is more than a politically astute move - it could be the club's last chance. The inspector, who presided over the eightmonth inquiry, which began in February last year, said the £48 million development would be conspicuous and unwelcome. It fundamentally failed any test of need and would be a massive and alien intrusion, a blot on the attractive landscape blighting the entire South Downs. He dismissed claims the village of Falmer was already compromised by the presence of the A27 and university campus. New roads to serve the stadium would add "appreciably" to the environmental harm. Mr Collyer backed villagers' claims such as an interchange would lead to Falmer merging with the outskirts of Brighton. Light pollution from floodlights would cause "demonstrable" harm. Landscaping measures would not come close to repairing the damage. Noise from traffic would stretch into the late evening and weekends. Even the Albion's claims of the importance of the stadium to the city's economy ­ with the creation of 600 jobs and investment worth £24.4 million - were dismissed. The inspector wrote "the applicants' figures are an overestimate" and the figure for money generated would be more like £13 million as fans would be spending their money in the city anyway. He said: "Both the jobs provision and the boost to the economy would not be so great as they say." Any cultural, social, educational, recreational or health improvement would be felt whichever site was chosen. But the most galling comments for fans were saved until last. To justify developing an area of open downland, the club had to prove there was a need for a football club in the city and it could not survive elsewhere. Mr Collyer said there was little in the way of tangible evidence to support the claim the club's very existence depended on the plans. He said: "It has now survived into its seventh season away from its last permanent home, during which time it appears to have enjoyed a noticeable measure of success in terms of managing its finances. "While, given the wideranging benefits which professional football clubs can engender, I accept there is a national dimension to the continued operation of a league of such clubs throughout the UK, there is no compelling evidence that all major urban centres must be represented." Albion chairman Dick Knight yesterday was appalled by some of the inspector's comments. He said: "I am surprised this inspector has come up with this conclusion but I am not floored by it. "We have to look at this in the broader context. If John Prescott wanted to accept the recommendations, he would have said no to Falmer straight away. "I am absolutely convinced Mr Prescott will come to the conclusion the only site in Brighton is Falmer. We have already looked at and evaluated all the other sites." Addressing the report's findings, he added: "The idea that Falmer is an idyllic, tranquil spot of rural countryside is open to debate. "It is already surrounded by a dual carriageway, a railway line and the ugliest buildings from the university campus." Mr Knight also defended the club's figures on the number of jobs and amount of cash that would spring from the stadium. He said: "His comments are flawed because we have demonstrated the job numbers we put forward are totally sustainable. "If Brighton and Hove lost its football club there would be no football league representatives along 150 miles of the South Coast - if the inspector does not think that's a national problem, he does not understand football."   A village saved for now... THERE is a remarkable beauty and a sense of a bygone age about the village of Falmer. There is the pond at the centre of the green, the Church of St Laurence, the flint buildings, a homely local pub and friendly farm shop. Villagers and visitors can enjoy the tranquillity and stillness of the open fields, leafy lanes and quaint terraces. But Falmer is a village that has been at war with the outside world for the past five years, in a struggle for its very survival. The proposal to build a community football stadium for Brighton and Hove Albion on the edge of fivethe village has sparked a clash between two Engety lands. Dilemma The residents - young families, university staff and pensioners who have lived there all their lives - want to preserve the old. An army of football fans, avid supporters of the national team during Euro 2004, want to usher in a brave new world. This divide is indicative of a struggle taking place across the country between those who want to conserve our green and pleasant land and those who want to build for the future. The same dilemma is facing planners presiding over proposals for every home, every new building. Now the highest planning authority in the land, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott continues to wring his hands rather than commit to a final decision. Falmer has suffered at the hands of a modernising Britain before. The expansion of the road network came dangerously close. The A23 diversion, completed in 1981, slices through the village, cutting those who enjoy a pint at the Swan pub in the north from those walking around the picturesque pond to the south. A concrete footbridge straddles the road as an uncomfortable concession. The huge growth of higher education since the redbrick revolution of the Sixties - of which Sussex University is one of the finest examples - has also been felt. The campus to the northwest dominates the landscape so much the word Falmer is now, for many people, synonymous with academia. The battle to oppose the planning application, from the public inquiry to the agonising wait for Mr Prescott's decision, has itself changed the character of the village and the people who live there. They have complained of sleepless nights and growing anxiety alongside a sense of isolation. Some may argue they are clutching at the last straw but yesterday's stay of execution is seen by many as a landmark victory. Hilda Saunter, 79, a retired foster mother living in Park Street, has been in the village all her life. She said: "Whatever decision comes out of this new inquiry we will have to accept but it does give us optimism. "I am desperately hoping this means Falmer can be saved but we cannot be sure. How can we be sure of anything in this day and age? "The stadium would just tear the village to bits. It has already been completely ruined. Spoilsports "I was born in Falmer and have lived here all my life. We have seen the road go through, the university build the campus and now this. "We just feel we don't exist as a village at all. Every house that is up for sale the university buys or puts its people in. We are ending up as a suburb. "I'm an old person now and it's not going to affect me for too many years. But my children and grandchildren absolutely love this village but it's all going to disappear. "To the outside it looks like we're spoilsports and that's sad because it's not like that at all. "They need to find a place for the stadium which would make everybody happy." Pete Lenihan, 48, is a tenant farmer renting the fields earmarked for the stadium from Brighton and Hove City Council. Since the proposal he says he has "turned grey" with worry, his eldest child Rebecca has left for university and his livelihood has been left hanging in the balance. If Mr Prescott rules in favour of Falmer, the farm would almost certainly close and his Park Farm Shop would also be in jeopardy. The father-of-three said: "We are having to put up with further doubt but we do feel the day has been won and Falmer is not an option any more. "Everything in the report vindicated what we in Falmer have been saying about the stadium. The planning inspector has come out so hard against it. "The politics of this have come out. If all the Brighton and Hove seats were safe, they would have told the club to go away again. "But there are three Labour MPs who would be out of a job if Falmer was refused. "As a farmer, I have not been able to plan with any surety. We have to plan ahead ­ crop rotation does not happen overnight. "Having this hanging over our heads and not knowing if we will be here in ten years has been difficult. "We've spent a lot of money just to defend this village for the county ­ for the country." Melanie Cutress, whose husband Tim is managing director of Sussex bakers Forfars, lives in South Street. She has perfect views over the village pond, which she hopes will be preserved for future generations in light of the latest decision. The mother-of-three is a member of the parish council and has been involved in the campaign from the beginning. She said: "We cannot say for sure the village has been saved but we have won round one. "Prescott has turned down Falmer - that is the position at the moment. We don't know what the future holds but this is great for us. "The whole village has been opposed to the stadium. This has been going on since 1999 and we've fought it and opposed it vigorously. "I've lived here 20 years. You think it's going to stay the same forever. You expect the odd house to be built next door but never a football stadium. "The campaign has taken up a huge amount of time and has been like a full-time job but we are now much more optimistic." Uncertainty Computer analyst Simon Barnes is one of the many University of Sussex staff who have moved into the village and become part of its community. Mr Barnes, 53, lives in Mill Street with his wife. His two grown-up children have left home. He said: "This will be another year of uncertainty. But there were champagne corks popping yesterday and people in Falmer are very pleased. "From what people have been saying, it seems it will be very hard for the club to get Falmer through now. "John Prescott could not go against two planning inspectors so he has fudged it and called for a new inquiry that will not be complete until after the next election. "He is worried about the Labour MPs in Brighton and Hove so he could not reject Falmer but if he passed it there would be a judicial review. "We feel this is a moral victory because we have won the planning inquiry. The inspector's report is pretty strong against Falmer." The collective sigh of relief comes after a huge amount of stress and anxiety among the families of Falmer. Mr Barnes said: "My wife and I found it difficult to sleep because of the stadium proposal. A lot of people said it gave them sleepless nights. "People felt this was a weight on them because it has been such a long time. We also felt under siege and isolated. "This has split us from the city - in particular there is quite a lot of ill feeling because the fans seem to think it's all our fault this went to a public inquiry in the first place. "The village is still idyllic but the thought of taking that away has had an impact on the people living here. "They have felt bullied by Brighton and Hove City Council ­ in the referendum we were not allowed to vote. "We felt they may have selected Falmer because it's a very small village and they thought it would be no trouble." Michele Nocentini, 38, is a mother of two who runs a property business and lives in Park Street. She said: "There are some very dedicated and caring people who were committed to the campaign for a long time. "The quality of life here is special enough not to want to sell up and leave if the stadium does finally go ahead. "But it would change the character of the village and the whole aura would be destroyed. "People need to have some peace but the stadium would interfere with that. If we keep filling in spaces like this, where will the lungs of the city be? Where will people go to escape for a moment? "If Falmer can be saved, it will show something of value can be protected from the relentless pace of the new world. It would preserve something small and beautiful rather than favour the big and moneywielding." The fiveyear planning process has provoked anger and upset among homeowners in the village. But it has also inspired another quintessential English quality - what in more troubled times would be known as the Dunkirk spirit. Already closeknit, the residents of Falmer have been drawn together in their fight against the stadium. The very thing that threatens to tear this community apart has brought it closer together.   Hands up who wants a stadium next door! Brendan Montague Thursday July 29, 2004 The Argus JOHN Prescott's decision to reopen the public inquiry into Brighton and Hove Albion's new stadium has caused frustration for supporters - but united one swathe of the city. Neighbours of seven areas proposed as alternatives to the favoured spot yesterday discovered their homes could fall into the shadow of a new £48 million arena. And they spoke with an equal voice: Falmer is the right place for the Albion ­ not our backyards! The seven plots are spread across Brighton and Hove with Shoreham harbour to the west, Sheepcote Valley to the east and Waterhall in the north. All have accompanying problems which is the reason they were ruled out by the club in its earlier investigations. But in the light of planning inspector John Collyer's damning assessment of the Falmer plan and his perception of the village as an unspoilt rural idyll, they are all back in the running. Waterhall, while meeting many of the criteria laid down for the public inquiry's assessment, lies to the north of the A27. Development there could set a dangerous precedent and would encroach on to the Downs. Julie Sproul, 51, lives in a large semi-detached house on the edge of playing fields in Waterhall Road, one of just two homes in the area. She said: "This is a beautiful landscape and it has been said for years there should be no commercial sites here. "This is an outstanding area of natural beauty and a wonderful habitat for wildlife." Toad's Hole Valley, which sits one junction west of Waterhall, is south of the A27. The triangle of land sits between the dual carriageway, King George VI Avenue and Downland Drive. It is in private hands, has poor transport links and has been turned down once before as a possible spot for the club. Juliette Gordon, 40, a nurse, of Dowling Avenue, said: "Quite a lot of people go for walks there. It's a pretty spot. The stadium will be noisy and I think unpopular." The Coral greyhound stadium is also on the shortlist, even though it is not for sale. Neighbours are just as unhappy about a stadium being built on their doorstep. Teacher Nina Moore, 50, of Nevill Road, does not want the track or nextdoor Coop supermarket bulldozed. She said: "I just don't think the logistics will handle it. There have already been concerns about traffic and the drains. "We lived here when the Albion were at Goldstone and on a match day we could not go out." A small slip road opens out to Shoreham harbour where the stadium is envisaged as part of a huge redevelopment. The work itself is, however, being hampered by the need for a proper access road. It is a little on the small side and although land could be reclaimed from the sea, it would become astronomically expensive. Dozens of holidaymakers were making the most of the sunshine near the beach cafe yesterday, despite the industrial backdrop. Theresa Fowler, 41, feared plans to add a stadium to regeneration plans would take too long and be too costly. She said: "We love coming down here and it is really popular. It would be terrible if this was destroyed. "I think Falmer is the perfect spot and it is already built up there anyway." Mick Moore, 60, a delivery driver, of Cuckmere Way, Hollingbury, said: "How are they going to get people coming to watch the games in and out? There is only one road and it's really busy anyway. "We have articulated lorries making deliveries and it's absolutely gridlocked ­ there is just no access." Behind Brighton station diggers, bulldozers and heavy trucks plough into the dust and rubble. Mr Collyer believes this, of all the possibilities, is the perfect spot. Sadly, work on a supermarket, hotel and office complex has already begun. Steve Hughes-Landers, 23, a plant operative, of Brunswick Square, Hove, was among dozens of men hard at work on the site. He said: "This would have been perfect for the stadium. There is the train station, it's just two minutes from everywhere and it's got the space. "But we are already demolishing the site and clearing it. They are knocking all the buildings down. Work has definitely started." Sue Townsend , 37, of Collingwood Close, Peacehaven, was meeting family at the station with her son Ben. She said: "It is quite clear they have started work here and it looks like they are making progress. "I would like to see the stadium built anywhere although I have to say the station site is already quite congested." Members of the Friends of Sheepcote are expected to put up a strong fight against proposals for a stadium in the valley to the east of Whitehawk. The site, a former landfill, is protected by a binding covenant that it will remain undeveloped for future generations. The cost of decontaminating the site is likely to be high. Carole Dudson (pictured top), 50, of Wilson Avenue, Brighton, said: "This has been designated a green area and the Friends have done a lot of hard work. "They have put a lot of effort into restoring the chalkland and put a lot of flora and fauna up there so we don't want to get rid of that just for a stadium." Her neighbour Maria Alfonzo, 70, a retired greengrocer, said: "We don't want this thing here ­ never. "We don't like the noise. We have a lot of peace here and this is the last thing we want." Homeowners living close to the Withdean sports centre are just as likely to fight if the club is forced to remain. The 7,000-seat stadium is crippling the club's finances but any expansion would be virtually impossible. Paula Darby, 34, a mother of two, of Tongdean Lane, said the club using the grounds opposite had caused problems. "We are not happy about the idea of Albion staying here at all. They deserve better. "We feel really sorry for the players ­ they must feel embarrassed to have Championship teams play at a little athletics stadium. "We were told it was only going to be a temporary measure and that was the understanding. But it's been years and nothing seems to be happening." Barry Jones, 41, landlord of the Sportsman pub next to the stadium, said: "A lot of residents would be very upset if the club did stay here and fear house prices would drop."