Falmer - ODPM asks interested parties to comment on Inspectors report

[Sergi Gotsmanov]

Shit. I thought the application was still sitting on a civil servants desk somewhere.

Its got to be good news.

Politicians don't want to take responsibility. By asking for this JP can cover his arse when he says yes and Hoile comes moaning.

 

[Bwian]

And keep on nagging people to write, sign the petition or do it for them (with their permission of course).....

When is the petition due to land in JP's in-tray?

 

[Thimble Keegan]

I think this is good news. I reckon they have seen the reaction since Hoile's report and have thought: "f*** me, we had better think this one through". They are now fully aware of the feelings on this national issue from up and down the country and the fact they are sitting up and taking notice is a major confidence boost.

The pressure must be kept up. I am attending another londonenglandfans meeting on Thursday and I will take some more pro-forma letters to get signed and sent off.

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Worthing BHA

 

[Marc]

awaits expert post from Lord B!

My view, Good News! As already said it shows that the massive campaigning that we have been doing plus the help from 90 other football clubs and they're fans have made a difference.
Fact is now the new info from the Club pointing out all the flaws in Hoile's report (as was also done on here) will show the ODPM where he went wrong and what he should've said. Of course the all parties mean the Anti-Falmer bridade will jump to their typewriters and get out their own feathered ink pens and do their own updated report pointing out where they believe Hoile got it right!
But the fact and this is a FACT that Hoile's report was mentally unfair towards the Club may still swing to a NO decision but at least we get another crack at showing the ODPM that Falmer *IS* the best site and where Holie went wrong.

Thats my view, Big well done to EVERYONE involved in the campaign as it looks as though its paying off. Just the tension will undoubtley move right into the summer now which cant be good on any of our hearts!

(make this a sticky mods)

 

[SussexSpur]

Looks positive, that Prescott's office has been taken a little aback either by Hoile's conclusions or the outcry since. Seems like a patient requesting a second opinion after being left nonplussed/alienated by the first so-called "expert" view.
Don't see how the massive efforts of Albion fans (and others) since then can have failed to have an impact, big up y'all.

If Collyer's report has been on his desk all this time, though, where are the leaks? Someone's obviously not doing their job! ie. whispering to a friendly face in the cosiest Whitehall boozer or being that friendly face, albeit with a friendly hand offering a hefty brown envelope under the table. . .

 

[TSB]

sounds like a good thing,but im wondering if he's hoping we'll go out of business soon and then he won't have to make the decision

 

[Yorkie]

I think it was Palace (club supportive but couldn't contact megalomaniac Simon Jordan in time) and Southend just said No, for some reason. But that's bye the bye now.

We are one club & I believe the other might have been Southend declined because they have a similar planning application waiting & didn't want to jeopardise it.


I think it is good news & reiterates what I typed a few weeks ago

Ezra 6:22

For 7 days they celebrated with joy because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the King of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God.


Anyone fancy a 7 day party when we get the good news

 

[TSB]

sticky

 

[SussexSpur]

I think it is good news & reiterates what I typed a few weeks ago

Ezra 6:22

For 7 days they celebrated with joy because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the King of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God.


Anyone fancy a 7 day party when we get the good news

Never mind Prescott, that's bound to get Blair's juices flowing!

And there was me thinking the truest, most affecting football/religion moment was the chant "Hoddle, Hoddle - Hoddle, Hoddle - born is the king of White Hart Lane. . ."

 

[southstandandy]

Agreed - I think the delay is positive in that it means the application is obviously getting serious consideration.

But April 9th - Good Friday........that means if they take the rest of the next Easter week to look at any new comments I reckon we won't get a decision until week commencing 19th or 26th April !

In other words it will probably be another month before we hear.

Come on JP - I want to start building !

 

[Marc]

Agreed - I think the delay is positive in that it means the application is obviously getting serious consideration.

But April 9th - Good Friday........that means if they take the rest of the next Easter week to look at any new comments I reckon we won't get a decision until week commencing 19th or 26th April !

In other words it will probably be another month before we hear.

Come on JP - I want to start building !

Labour Spring Break or some bollocks happens after April 9th too, not sure for how long but thats bound to delay it. I'm thinking mid-late summer at this rate unless its of top priority

 

[Scoffers]

Interesting indeed, the campaign MUST have had an effect. But Jp is asking all parties to report on the plan, not just pro Falmer groups. I am confused as to why this has happened, I didn't think that anything else could effect the final result, once the application had been called in, and the details submitted to the ODPM. Oh well, how much longer after April 9th? One month, two months? No idea !

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This is good news, in my opinion.

But it does delay the decision. ALL interested parties have been asked to comment on Hoile's report and the submission that the Club has made about it. That, of course, opens the door to all the NIMBYs to write to Prescott, to add to the weight of stuff he has already received from our side of the argument.

They are no doubt sharpening their pencils at this very moment.

I can't see a final decision being made until some weeks after 9 April.

But, as Dick Knight says, "This demonstrates that the campaign mounted by the fans is having a significant effect". The ODPM has obviously got its own doubts about Hoile's Report and they must be seriously considering whether to reject its conclusions.

That can only be a promising sign. But we need to keep up the pressure.

 

[perseus]

This is relevant inasmuch as it gives some idea of Prescott's thinking .......



Green belt fears over plans for two million new houses

Kamal Ahmed, political editor
Sunday March 21, 2004
The Observer

The government is to give the go-ahead for building more than two million
houses over the next decade in a desperate attempt to rein in house price
inflation which is preventing millions of people buying their own home.
In an interview with The Observer, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who
has overall control of housing policy, said it was time for a 'step change'
in house building.

He said that planning regulations would be relaxed, developers would have to
pay windfall taxes on profits to pay for more housing and local authorities
would have to earmark new land for development.

Although he said that most of the green belt would be protected, some
greenfield sites would have to be used for the massive building programme,
which will see between 220,000 and 260,000 new houses built every year.

Admitting the figure was 'one hell of a target', Prescott said he would
consider pushing for second home owners to pay more council tax and propose
that land developers pay tax on financial gains they make when sites receive
planning permission.

'The most important thing is to get the numbers up,' he said. 'And to get
houses that people can afford. There has to be a step change, and that means
changing the delivery mechanism.

'We need to keep sustainability in housing and get a more moderate increase
in prices. We inherited a growing crisis in housing: prices ... roaring
ahead faster than earnings, and people's ability to pay.'

Prescott said the planning system was 'too conservative', and developers too
obsessed with building 'executive homes' than whole new communities. He
insisted the new homes would take up 'less than 1 per cent' of the available
land across the south and east of England where problems are most acute. By
2010 the equivalent of a city twice the size of Birmingham will have been
built. Whitehall sources said the Government was close to announcing tens of
thousands of hectares of new land that will be used for housing. Local
authorities have been ordered to come up with new sites for homes.

Although the bulk of the houses would be privately bought, Prescott said
many tens of thousands would be 'social housing': affordable properties for
teachers, nurses, police and other public sector workers.

Many are not able to buy their own home, particularly in London and the
South East where house price inflation outstrips salary increases.

Prescott's announcement will bring him into conflict with green groups. The
Council for the Protection of Rural England said it was impossible to 'build
you way out' of the house price problem as it was fuelled by other factors.

'The argument is that if we double house building that will have a
substantial impact on house prices,' said Nicholas Schoon, of the council.
'But prices are as much affected by speculation and low interest rates as
supply.'

In his interview, Prescott said rural groups were 'always shouting' about
protecting greenfield sites even when it was the most sensible place to
build, for example near roads or railway links. [extract]

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1174547,00.html


Comment: it is a bit late at night tfor this, but I have always thought we could have got Village Way South if the Brighton Councillors were not so weak-willed and really got to grips with the real world outside their cossetted houses with gardens.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Looks to me to be good news, for all the reasons already mentioned.

 

[Spicy]

It is good news in that all sides are being consulted and no doubt this will balance the Hoile report. I hate to be cynical but I wonder whether further opposition will come forward as a result of that consultation? I would imagine that the consultation period would have to be, let's say, 3 months, so this is not going to be a quick decision. The level of support we have had, not only from both our own fans but other clubs as well, can only be good news - I am also cynical enough to think that with that level of support old Johnny will be looking to keep as many votes as possible in the Election, scheduled to be in around 18 months time. I still think it will be "Yes", albeit a delayed one.

 

[balloonboy]

That can only be a promising sign. But we need to keep up the pressure.

But How?? I think we need some guidance. Who are the interested parties? There must be LOADS on our side.....we MUST get them to come forward and yet again state their support, etc. Plus, WE dear friends are the most interested of the lot. What do we do?

 

[kevinsmith]

ITS HIT THE FRONT PAGE OF THE ARGUS TODAY ACCORDING TO LOCAL RADIO.

 

[alan partridge]

cautiously optimistic

 

[JJ McClure]

At least it show's that the ODPM have taken note of all the objections to Hoile's laughable report, but another delay! I can't stand it.