Seagulls Party Press Release: Lewes Council campaign a needless waste of public money

[The Seagulls Party]

Seagulls Party Press Release - Lewes Council campaign a needless waste of public mone

4 August 2006 -

Lewes Council campaign a needless waste of public money

Brighton & Hove Albion FC Chief Executive, Martin Perry, has confirmed that Lewes District Council is needlessly risking hundreds of thousands of pounds in pursuing High Court action against the proposed community stadium at Falmer. Speaking at the annual Fans’ Forum at Withdean on 3 August, he told supporters that the District Council have been offered the opportunity to have all the points contained in their legal challenge considered by the Secretary of State, Ruth Kelly, without waiting until under 5 December 2006 for a High Court Hearing.

The council’s refusal to accept this option for settling the matter has resulted in the football club issuing them a formal warning that they intend to recover their legal costs if the case goes to court unnecessarily. This could push the council’s total bill above £200,000 if the court orders that all defendants’ costs are to be met by Lewes District Council. This could happen even if the district council technically win the case.

The Seagulls Party candidate in the Ouse Valley and Ringmer council by-election, Ed Bassford, who attended the fans’ forum, said: “I am horrified by the continuing refusal of the council’s Lib Dem leadership to see reason. They should accept the offer that is on the table. By not doing so, they are recklessly risking an enormous sum of council tax payers’ money that should be spent on improving local services. The by-election on 17 th August is a chance for local people to send a message to the Lib Dem council that we have had enough.”

 

[The Seagulls Party]

... and a quick tutorial on legal terminology.


Calderbank offer

An offer of settlement made in a prescribed written form and marked 'without prejudice save as to costs'. Failure to accept such an offer at a level which succeeds at a subsequent trial or arbitration will mean that the party which should have accepted is likely to have to pay all the costs.

 

[Ed Bassford]

Just a reminder ...

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGN:-

If people want to help the campaign, the most important thing that needs to be done is getting the leaflet through all the front doors in the ward - all 2,700 of them.

We are working out a series of 'walks' (of about an hour each) that will achieve this. If individual supporters want to take one on, please come along to a gathering on the evening of Monday 7 August (between 7.30pm and 9.30pm) at the St Mary's Room, Ringmer Village Hall - which is on the main Lewes Road, next to the pub, in Ringmer.

If you can't get to Ringmer on Monday evening, but still want to help, send me a PM and we'll work something out.