Footpath Threat To Albion Stadium!

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Well, that's screaming from all the Argus billboards here in BN1 today.

No doubt some piece of utter bullshit about a leafy glade (if your against the stadium) a.k.a a crappy rubbish-strewn shortcut through the trees (if you're for the stadium).

Can't even be arsed to read it to be honest.

 

[Icy Gull]

Could lead need to another enquiry after this one apparently

 

[rool]

Get Hoogstratten to help out on this one

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Don't know the details. Missed that session of the Inquiry. Haven't read the Argus.

But would guess that there might be a conflict between the route of a public footpath and the presence of a stadium.

There are thousands of precedents for this sort of situation. Here's just one.

The tennis club in the village I live in built a new tennis court. They had to apply to divert a public footpath that crossed the site. The diversion was agreed by the Highway Authority in about six weeks. This was in the Area of Outstanding National Beauty and will be in the new National Park, btw. Makes no difference.

 

[Everest]

Here's another one LB.

The new Fishersgate Hall was to be built partly where a public footpath was located. Some twat from Adur District Council decided to put this path down on the plans as a listed building (for some totally inexplicable reason)!
Therefore this had to be put in all the local papers giving the public the opportunity to object to the changing of the path (with some idiot did). This then had to go through all the legal procedures adding God knows how long to the project.

In short, I've waited long enough for this bloody stadium. A little longer won't hurt me, 'cos WE WILL GET FALMER.

 

[Seagull Stew]

Only in this country!

Say what you like about the Europeans. But I imagine if , say, a Spaniard were to look at how much red tape there is to get through before anything is actually ever done in this country, and how totally irrelevant little things like the redirecting of a footpath can cause the delay of a major project like a football stadium just because some Nimby who probably didn't know the existance of said footpath in the first place were to object to it's redirection, then they'd probably roll about on the floor in tears of laughter.

Why, because this country is ruled by regulations set in f***ing stone, and no-one seems to have the authority to use their common sense and bend these rules for the good of the majority.



And Relax

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Although, in fairness, the British have an honourable tradition of protecting their right to walk across private land. Public footpaths (and the laws that protect them) are the way we exercise this right.

Only thugs like Hoogstraaten try to take these rights away. Sensible landowners (like the Albion) will behave sensibly - as they will in this case.

 

[Seagull Stew]

Yes, my point entirely Lord B.

Hoogstraaten simply took these rights away by blocking this path, but how much red tape did the authorities have to go through before anything could be done about it?

It wasn't as simple as sending in the bulldozers was it? It took months, maybe years of legal wrangling to get these obstacles removed.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

On the other hand, it's why France can build a high-speed rail link twenty years before we can. It's just SO f***ing frustrating that the Albion's spent about eighteen months and a big chunk of money even trying to get just two thousand poxy seats put in at Withdean. There's something seriously f***ed up with English planning regulations. And they may well yet result in the death of the Albion. Grrr....

 

[Braders]

right hands up if you want to help me destroy/move the path

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

Martin Perry was on Harty's show saying that it's a strom in a teacup, and he was clearly very angry with the Anus for putting it on the front page. It's the approach road that is the probelm I think, and the path needs moving. If someone onjected to the rerouting of the path then it goes back to Prescott eventually, who would be mad to call the whole stadium plan (that he would have just approved) off for the sake of moving a footpath a few yards. Does this make any sense? I'm tired.

 

[Beach Hut]

Sort of DRF.

Surely not another enquiry for the sake of a footpath ?

 

[gong]

Build the ground right on top of the path, then that way if things go wrong at Falmer we can legaly excercise our rights to walk the footpath across the pitch without getting arrested for pitch invasion.

 

[Kenhead]

 

[Albionite83]

The Argus story was a scare story designed to sell papers. It was written by Chris Baker, who has known leanings towards the Green Party and Friends of the Earth and whose stories repeatedly stir up trouble for the club. The Argus have the cheek to put an "Albion for Falmer" logo on the stuff he writes, even when it's totally destructive.

Consider this: How likely is Prescott to turn down a footpath diversion having already approved a 22,000-seat stadium?

We have nothing to worry about, except that at the paper.

Keep the faith. Falmer WILL happen.

 

[Yorkie]

Build the ground right on top of the path, then that way if things go wrong at Falmer we can legaly excercise our rights to walk the footpath across the pitch without getting arrested for pitch invasion.

Sounds good to me. You lead and I'll follow.

Morning gong

 

[gong]

You know me Yorkie i`m never backward at coming forward.
Chaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggee.

 

[Kenhead]

thats why i never buy the argus!!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Yes, my point entirely Lord B.

Hoogstraaten simply took these rights away by blocking this path, but how much red tape did the authorities have to go through before anything could be done about it?

It wasn't as simple as sending in the bulldozers was it? It took months, maybe years of legal wrangling to get these obstacles removed.

What happened in the Hoogstraaten case was that the landowner (convicted thug) blocked the footpath that crossed his land. The Highway Authority suggested that the footpath be diverted. The Ramblers Association took the Highway Authority to court because they wanted action to be taken against Hoogstraaten. The Ramblers won the legal case. Hoogstraaten is now banged up (for more thuggery), so clearing the footpath has become easier.

There are several lessons to be learned from this. One is that the Highway Authority has no problem diverting a footpath when it sees a good case for doing so (even if the good case amounts to nothing more than a wish to avoid upsetting a convicted thug like Hoogstraaten).

The footpath at Falmer will present no difficulties. Even if it requires a Public Inquiry, such an Inquiry is unlikely to last more than a day.