Letter: Forget Falmer, Toad's Hole is best
I do sincerely believe Falmer is not the right place for Brighton and Hove Albion's new stadium.
Lewes District Council (LDC) has every constitutional right, and is morally obliged, to challenge Mr Prescott's errant decision.
Non-supporters of the proposed development in the Lewes area have the right to expect LDC to go ahead with the High Court appeal, if for no other reason than it flagrantly contravenes long-standing planning principles relating to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).
It occurs to me the objection to LDC's court case has less to do with the Albion's finances and more to do with the apparently imminent implementation of the South Downs Country Park proposals. When this happens, the laws related to developments of this kind will be much more stringent than they are now.
As I have said before, Toad's Hole Valley, although nominally in an AONB, is south of the bypass (which at the time of its construction was deemed to be the definitive criterion limiting developments on the Downs) and is an ideal spot for the stadium.
It can hardly be described as being of outstanding natural beauty nowadays.
It is heavily scarred by motorcycles, bounded on two sides by main roads and encroached upon by housing. Anything natural which could move away has probably already done so and the remaining vegetation continues to be churned up, regardless of local by-laws.
How much more sensible to use this natural amphitheatre for an acclaimed "state-of-the-art community football stadium".
One wonders why the offer made some time ago from the builder who owns the land was never taken up. It would have saved the Albion and LDC taxpayers loadsamoney.
Transport links are good (Snakey Hill and the bypass) and the only thing lacking is a railway station. But it should be possible to organise bus runs to and from Brighton or Hove on match days. After all, park-and-ride schemes are all the rage these days - the fans wouldn't even have to park the train.
-JM Hawkins, Shoreham
I do sincerely believe Falmer is not the right place for Brighton and Hove Albion's new stadium.
Lewes District Council (LDC) has every constitutional right, and is morally obliged, to challenge Mr Prescott's errant decision.
Non-supporters of the proposed development in the Lewes area have the right to expect LDC to go ahead with the High Court appeal, if for no other reason than it flagrantly contravenes long-standing planning principles relating to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).
It occurs to me the objection to LDC's court case has less to do with the Albion's finances and more to do with the apparently imminent implementation of the South Downs Country Park proposals. When this happens, the laws related to developments of this kind will be much more stringent than they are now.
As I have said before, Toad's Hole Valley, although nominally in an AONB, is south of the bypass (which at the time of its construction was deemed to be the definitive criterion limiting developments on the Downs) and is an ideal spot for the stadium.
It can hardly be described as being of outstanding natural beauty nowadays.
It is heavily scarred by motorcycles, bounded on two sides by main roads and encroached upon by housing. Anything natural which could move away has probably already done so and the remaining vegetation continues to be churned up, regardless of local by-laws.
How much more sensible to use this natural amphitheatre for an acclaimed "state-of-the-art community football stadium".
One wonders why the offer made some time ago from the builder who owns the land was never taken up. It would have saved the Albion and LDC taxpayers loadsamoney.
Transport links are good (Snakey Hill and the bypass) and the only thing lacking is a railway station. But it should be possible to organise bus runs to and from Brighton or Hove on match days. After all, park-and-ride schemes are all the rage these days - the fans wouldn't even have to park the train.
-JM Hawkins, Shoreham
