Stadium shown a red card

OPPONENTS of the proposed Brighton and Hove Albion football stadium at Falmer were presenting their case at a public inquiry this week.

And their opposition will continue well into next week.

Among those who have given evidence against the controversial scheme are Falmer Parish Council and Lewes MP Norman Baker.

Due to start today (Friday) was evidence from Lewes District Council, with the Society of Sussex Downsmen pencilled in for early next week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

All take the view that a huge stadium with lights and large amounts of traffic in an area of outstanding natural beauty and next to a village which has already taken its share of development is unacceptable.

There is no proven national interest for such a stadium at Falmer, Dereck Wade, a barrister representing Lewes District Council, was due to say today.

And he added: 'I also rebut the evidence put forward by both the club and the city council that there is a lack of alternative suitable sites.'

There also appeared to be an inherent conflict between the stated objective of the football club to construct a landmark building on the one hand, with a need to minimise the visual impact of such a structure in the local and wider landscapes on the other.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There would be an unacceptable adverse impact on Falmer and the surrounding conservation area in ways including:

l The spectre of illegal parking (as evidenced at Withdean Stadium, notwithstanding the football club's claims to the contrary).

l The inability of villagers to access and maximise use of their own local facilities, such as the village hall on match days.

l The breaking of the surrounding sky, or ridge, line by such a massive structure would also represent an alien intrusion into the surrounding landscape.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

l The proposals would represent a real threat to the open gap between the university campuses and Falmer, which is an important issue to Lewes District Council and to the residents of Falmer itself.

Norman Baker was due to say yesterday (Thursday) that he opposed the stadium because of its impact on the countryside, the impending National Park and the village as a whole.

At the same time he was sorry to see the football club in this position.