South Yarra Seagull
Member
The battle goes to the high court to protect Sussex idyll of Falmer from the building of football club's new ground
David Conn; Sports news reporter of the year
Wednesday January 18, 2006
Chat to Eric Huxham, 63, an arable farmer all his life, by the achingly pretty pond of Falmer village, a few delighted children feeding the ducks as the sun sets over the gentle South Downs, and this seems the unlikeliest spot on earth to be building a new 22,000-seat, £50m football stadium, with all the commercial trimmings and a coach park.
"We're very sympathetic to the football club," says Huxham of unfortunate, itinerant Brighton and Hove Albion. "We want them to have a new stadium. But we believe this is the wrong place"
Then listen to Paul Samrah, an Albion fan and veteran of the protests after the old Goldstone Ground was sold in 1995 to make way for a retail park by the previous majority owner, Bill Archer, with no replacement lined up, and he is persuasive. The club's need is great and a new stadium will bring many benefits. A public inquiry found no other site available, so the ploughed field across the road from Falmer village in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is, unlikely as it seems, the only option.
"The club has spent £3m on the planning process and now we have won," he says. "The continuing opposition is sheer bloody-minded nimby-ism."
The field itself is hardly an unblemished corner of green and pleasant land. It is cramped on two sides by Brighton's two universities, bordered by the minor road separating the field from the village and the A27 thunders by. Only on the other side does it stretch away to join the gorgeous expanses of the downs. Yet to those like Huxham, the chairman of Falmer Parish Council, and Lewes District Council, which are jointly challenging the decision of the deputy prime minister John Prescott to grant the club planning permission, the nondescript field is worth fighting for.
"AONBs have the highest protection in planning law," a spokesperson for Lewes says. "As a planning authority we have a duty to defend that."
In football the Seagulls are one of the most deserving clubs. Barely a decade after the "and [Gordon] Smith must score" FA Cup Final against Manchester United, Brighton were insolvent, the ground sold for a Toys 'R' Us and other chains. Samrah discovered the club's constitution had been changed to remove the Football Association protection against clubs being wound up and their grounds sold to make a profit for owners and Brighton fans have not stopped campaigning since.
Falmer, offered by the local council, promises a permanent home after two years of tramping to Gillingham and six playing temporarily at the Withdean Stadium. Other sites were considered and dismissed but the impression that none was suitable is not quite correct. The council was desperately keen to find a site after planning permission had been allowed on the Goldstone Ground and the club, under new owners led by the advertising businessman Dick Knight, did not have enough money to buy valuable development land from an owner or decontaminate a brownfield site. Cost was a major factor. Brighton council owns the land at Falmer, apart from a section owned by Brighton University, and offered it to the club for free. It is greenfield, so there are no decontamination costs.
The club has stressed how environmentally friendly the design and transport arrangements will be but the adjoining councils, supported by the South Downs Joint Committee, the Sussex Downs Society and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, were astonished at the very idea of a stadium at Falmer. The decision to protect Britain's most precious natural landscapes from commercial development and to open the countryside for walkers was made by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government, partly following 1930s protests by working class young people excluded by aristocratic landowners. AONB designation now applies to 41 areas across England and Wales, including the Sussex Downs. Its primary purpose, enshrined in planning law, is: "To conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the landscape."
In December 2003, following a long public inquiry, a government planning inspector, John Collyer, ruled against building the football stadium at Falmer. In his 240-page report Collyer said it would cause "significant damage" to the landscape and that, although there would be benefits - jobs for the deprived nearby area of Moulscoomb, access by public transport - "those plus factors are far outweighed by the compelling objections to this proposal". The inspector said one alternative site, at Sheepcote Valley, not in AONB land, was "demonstrably" more suitable.
The objectors believed the club would have to grapple with the challenges of other sites. One, Shoreham Harbour, would involve regenerating a depressed industrial area, but the ownership is complicated and it would be expensive. Rather than make a final decision Prescott commissioned a second inquiry to look in more detail at the other sites. This lasted from February to May last year and in his report another inspector, DH Brier, ruled that no other site had a "reasonable prospect of planning permission being granted".
Shoreham Harbour was dismissed because of the difficulties of assembling a site, although Brier said it was "more attractive" to regenerate a brownfield area and "potentially far less damaging to its surrounds" than Falmer. Sheepcote Valley had "persuasive reasons" for being preferred but was ruled out because of transport difficulties, although Brier said, "further investigations could provide workable solutions to congestion". Nevertheless, he ruled that none of the alternatives was "sufficiently advantageous" to be preferred to Falmer.
On October 27 last year Prescott decided the club should have its stadium at Falmer. While agreeing that developments should not take place on AONB land other than in "exceptional circumstances", he decided there were nationally important factors here, namely the jobs and the wider benefits to the local economy. He agreed, however, that these had been exaggerated by the club; the jobs will mostly be part-time or stewarding with around 75 "commercial" jobs.
The two councils issued their high court challenge last month. They argue that Prescott was unreasonable to ignore the first inspector's recommendation about Sheepcote Valley and that the second inspector was wrong to make the test of alternatives whether they would get planning permission when the appropriate degree of detailed analysis had not been done on them. Brighton has three marginal seats, held by Labour, and the objectors accuse Prescott of making the decision for short-term, political popularity.
"This sets an extremely dangerous precedent for the preservation of the countryside nationally," says Charlie Hopkins, of Earthrights Solicitors, representing Falmer Parish Council. "All developers can now apply to build on AONB or National Park land, arguing they will provide a few jobs locally."
The club counters that it has exhaustively followed all necessary procedures, when all it wants is a stadium which will allow it to make enough money to compete for a Premier League place. Martin Perry, the club's chief executive, promises that Falmer will work out: "In return for the council giving us the land we have agreed to provide community benefits, including education and coaching programmes, many to the most deprived children in the city. We are committed to being good neighbours."
A different voice came from another director, Derek Chapman, who has bought an option for his construction company, Adenstar, to build the stadium: "The objectors can hug trees and wear green wellies all they want. We've won and they don't like it."
Prescott's conduct was indefensible, says MP
The deputy prime minister did not do the credibility of his planning decisions a huge favour when he turned up at Brighton's match against his home club, Hull City, on December 16, eight days after the high court challenge was served on his granting of planning permission at Falmer. If the challenge is successful, the application will be referred back to John Prescott. At the match he was given a standing ovation, posed for pictures with fans' campaigning groups and had a meal with the directors.
In 2003 Prescott opened the new offices of Adenstar, the construction company owned by one of Brighton's directors, Derek Chapman. Chapman paid £500,000 for a 13% stake in the club and a further £500,000 for an option to tender for the building of the new ground at Falmer.
Earlier this month the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, Norman Baker, wrote to the prime minister, arguing that Prescott's conduct was "indefensible" and a breach of the ministerial code of impartiality. "Mr Prescott should be removed from hearing the Falmer matter if the court refers it back to him," said Baker.
Tony Blair has not yet replied. Chapman, however, is not impressed with the row: "When I met John Prescott," he says, "I was told not to mention the planning application, so I didn't. What do they think, that we bunged him? I think Norman Baker is a wanker, and you can print that."
http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9753,1688933,00.html
David Conn; Sports news reporter of the year
Wednesday January 18, 2006
Chat to Eric Huxham, 63, an arable farmer all his life, by the achingly pretty pond of Falmer village, a few delighted children feeding the ducks as the sun sets over the gentle South Downs, and this seems the unlikeliest spot on earth to be building a new 22,000-seat, £50m football stadium, with all the commercial trimmings and a coach park.
"We're very sympathetic to the football club," says Huxham of unfortunate, itinerant Brighton and Hove Albion. "We want them to have a new stadium. But we believe this is the wrong place"
Then listen to Paul Samrah, an Albion fan and veteran of the protests after the old Goldstone Ground was sold in 1995 to make way for a retail park by the previous majority owner, Bill Archer, with no replacement lined up, and he is persuasive. The club's need is great and a new stadium will bring many benefits. A public inquiry found no other site available, so the ploughed field across the road from Falmer village in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is, unlikely as it seems, the only option.
"The club has spent £3m on the planning process and now we have won," he says. "The continuing opposition is sheer bloody-minded nimby-ism."
The field itself is hardly an unblemished corner of green and pleasant land. It is cramped on two sides by Brighton's two universities, bordered by the minor road separating the field from the village and the A27 thunders by. Only on the other side does it stretch away to join the gorgeous expanses of the downs. Yet to those like Huxham, the chairman of Falmer Parish Council, and Lewes District Council, which are jointly challenging the decision of the deputy prime minister John Prescott to grant the club planning permission, the nondescript field is worth fighting for.
"AONBs have the highest protection in planning law," a spokesperson for Lewes says. "As a planning authority we have a duty to defend that."
In football the Seagulls are one of the most deserving clubs. Barely a decade after the "and [Gordon] Smith must score" FA Cup Final against Manchester United, Brighton were insolvent, the ground sold for a Toys 'R' Us and other chains. Samrah discovered the club's constitution had been changed to remove the Football Association protection against clubs being wound up and their grounds sold to make a profit for owners and Brighton fans have not stopped campaigning since.
Falmer, offered by the local council, promises a permanent home after two years of tramping to Gillingham and six playing temporarily at the Withdean Stadium. Other sites were considered and dismissed but the impression that none was suitable is not quite correct. The council was desperately keen to find a site after planning permission had been allowed on the Goldstone Ground and the club, under new owners led by the advertising businessman Dick Knight, did not have enough money to buy valuable development land from an owner or decontaminate a brownfield site. Cost was a major factor. Brighton council owns the land at Falmer, apart from a section owned by Brighton University, and offered it to the club for free. It is greenfield, so there are no decontamination costs.
The club has stressed how environmentally friendly the design and transport arrangements will be but the adjoining councils, supported by the South Downs Joint Committee, the Sussex Downs Society and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, were astonished at the very idea of a stadium at Falmer. The decision to protect Britain's most precious natural landscapes from commercial development and to open the countryside for walkers was made by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government, partly following 1930s protests by working class young people excluded by aristocratic landowners. AONB designation now applies to 41 areas across England and Wales, including the Sussex Downs. Its primary purpose, enshrined in planning law, is: "To conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the landscape."
In December 2003, following a long public inquiry, a government planning inspector, John Collyer, ruled against building the football stadium at Falmer. In his 240-page report Collyer said it would cause "significant damage" to the landscape and that, although there would be benefits - jobs for the deprived nearby area of Moulscoomb, access by public transport - "those plus factors are far outweighed by the compelling objections to this proposal". The inspector said one alternative site, at Sheepcote Valley, not in AONB land, was "demonstrably" more suitable.
The objectors believed the club would have to grapple with the challenges of other sites. One, Shoreham Harbour, would involve regenerating a depressed industrial area, but the ownership is complicated and it would be expensive. Rather than make a final decision Prescott commissioned a second inquiry to look in more detail at the other sites. This lasted from February to May last year and in his report another inspector, DH Brier, ruled that no other site had a "reasonable prospect of planning permission being granted".
Shoreham Harbour was dismissed because of the difficulties of assembling a site, although Brier said it was "more attractive" to regenerate a brownfield area and "potentially far less damaging to its surrounds" than Falmer. Sheepcote Valley had "persuasive reasons" for being preferred but was ruled out because of transport difficulties, although Brier said, "further investigations could provide workable solutions to congestion". Nevertheless, he ruled that none of the alternatives was "sufficiently advantageous" to be preferred to Falmer.
On October 27 last year Prescott decided the club should have its stadium at Falmer. While agreeing that developments should not take place on AONB land other than in "exceptional circumstances", he decided there were nationally important factors here, namely the jobs and the wider benefits to the local economy. He agreed, however, that these had been exaggerated by the club; the jobs will mostly be part-time or stewarding with around 75 "commercial" jobs.
The two councils issued their high court challenge last month. They argue that Prescott was unreasonable to ignore the first inspector's recommendation about Sheepcote Valley and that the second inspector was wrong to make the test of alternatives whether they would get planning permission when the appropriate degree of detailed analysis had not been done on them. Brighton has three marginal seats, held by Labour, and the objectors accuse Prescott of making the decision for short-term, political popularity.
"This sets an extremely dangerous precedent for the preservation of the countryside nationally," says Charlie Hopkins, of Earthrights Solicitors, representing Falmer Parish Council. "All developers can now apply to build on AONB or National Park land, arguing they will provide a few jobs locally."
The club counters that it has exhaustively followed all necessary procedures, when all it wants is a stadium which will allow it to make enough money to compete for a Premier League place. Martin Perry, the club's chief executive, promises that Falmer will work out: "In return for the council giving us the land we have agreed to provide community benefits, including education and coaching programmes, many to the most deprived children in the city. We are committed to being good neighbours."
A different voice came from another director, Derek Chapman, who has bought an option for his construction company, Adenstar, to build the stadium: "The objectors can hug trees and wear green wellies all they want. We've won and they don't like it."
Prescott's conduct was indefensible, says MP
The deputy prime minister did not do the credibility of his planning decisions a huge favour when he turned up at Brighton's match against his home club, Hull City, on December 16, eight days after the high court challenge was served on his granting of planning permission at Falmer. If the challenge is successful, the application will be referred back to John Prescott. At the match he was given a standing ovation, posed for pictures with fans' campaigning groups and had a meal with the directors.
In 2003 Prescott opened the new offices of Adenstar, the construction company owned by one of Brighton's directors, Derek Chapman. Chapman paid £500,000 for a 13% stake in the club and a further £500,000 for an option to tender for the building of the new ground at Falmer.
Earlier this month the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, Norman Baker, wrote to the prime minister, arguing that Prescott's conduct was "indefensible" and a breach of the ministerial code of impartiality. "Mr Prescott should be removed from hearing the Falmer matter if the court refers it back to him," said Baker.
Tony Blair has not yet replied. Chapman, however, is not impressed with the row: "When I met John Prescott," he says, "I was told not to mention the planning application, so I didn't. What do they think, that we bunged him? I think Norman Baker is a wanker, and you can print that."
http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9753,1688933,00.html
I only know the skanky one in the village.
