Green's blocking Amex expansion plans? Steve Bassam

[Foster House]

SteveTheQuipSteve Bassam
[MENTION=13823]jason[/MENTION]kitcat so in principle do you favour the expansion of capacity to 8,000 seats. That cannot be hard to say YES Too. Go on try the words

jasonkitcatJason Kitcat
[MENTION=21687]stevet[/MENTION]heQuip I support a successful #bhafc but yet to see details or a planing app so will see what they propose.

SteveTheQuipSteve Bassam
[MENTION=13823]jason[/MENTION]kitcat Ok but would you as a Green member support the extra 8,000 seats independent of planning yes or no.


We await the answer.

At this stage I don't think it's a yes or no answer, Brackers. Lord Bassam knows this. I think the transport issue is directly connected to the expansion. As a Green Party member and Albion fan I am all for the stadium expansion, but obviously the transport issue cannot be overlooked. Already we are seeing loads of supporters leaving early because of the current situation, and it notices, the comments on the BBC coverage were embarrasing this week. I hope over time it corrects itself. I'd love to see 30,000 at a game.

 

[algie]

At this stage I don't think it's a yes or no answer, Brackers. Lord Bassam knows this. I think the transport issue is directly connected to the expansion. As a Green Party member and Albion fan I am all for the stadium expansion, but obviously the transport issue cannot be overlooked. Already we are seeing loads of supporters leaving early because of the current situation, and it notices, the comments on the BBC coverage were embarrasing this week. I hope over time it corrects itself. I'd love to see 30,000 at a game.

The BBC were merely pointing out that people who left early missed the last minute dramatic goal. They could have said this about any club and so it really isn't embarrassing. . You will always get early leavers up and down the country.

 

[Foster House]

The BBC were merely pointing out that people who left early missed the last minute dramatic goal. They could have said this about any club and so it really isn't embarrassing. . You will always get early leavers up and down the country.

You're probably right. It was mentioned on Sky at the West Ham game though. I think what I'm really saying is that people would stay longer if the transport situation was better.

 

[BensGrandad]

As I have pointed in a previous post on this thread the train service to Lewes is very good and a great improvement on when we started at The Amex.

 

[Jim in the West]

You're probably right. It was mentioned on Sky at the West Ham game though. I think what I'm really saying is that people would stay longer if the transport situation was better.

Hordes of people used to leave early from Withdean, when transport was a doddle. Transport from the Amex is actually remarkably good when you compare it to most other similar sized venues - and, in fact, many much smaller ones. Recently my wife was caught in a queue in central Bristol for ONE HOUR after going to the theatre (capacity less than a thousand!). Basically it seemed that virtually every theatre go-er that night had parked in the same multi-storey car park, and the congestion that ensued was horrendous. Last Saturday I watched the rugby at Bath. Around 8,000 at the game, I think - took over half an hour to get out of the centre of Bath.

The great thing about the Amex is that, even if you need to queue a bit to get out of car parks (or on the train to Lewes in my case), once you are on the A27 it is a dream.

 

[algie]

Hordes of people used to leave early from Withdean, when transport was a doddle. Transport from the Amex is actually remarkably good when you compare it to most other similar sized venues - and, in fact, many much smaller ones. Recently my wife was caught in a queue in central Bristol for ONE HOUR after going to the theatre (capacity less than a thousand!). Basically it seemed that virtually every theatre go-er that night had parked in the same multi-storey car park, and the congestion that ensued was horrendous. Last Saturday I watched the rugby at Bath. Around 8,000 at the game, I think - took over half an hour to get out of the centre of Bath.

The great thing about the Amex is that, even if you need to queue a bit to get out of car parks (or on the train to Lewes in my case), once you are on the A27 it is a dream.

Totally agree. Nearly every home game that i left on the final whistle i have made it back to Crawley within an hour. Only snag sometimes is going up Coldean Lane. On the occasions i have caught the train i have stayed behind for an hour for a beer.

Once i hit the A27 it's plain sailing and so too is the A23.

 

[Working class pride]

At this stage I don't think it's a yes or no answer, Brackers. Lord Bassam knows this. I think the transport issue is directly connected to the expansion. As a Green Party member and Albion fan I am all for the stadium expansion, but obviously the transport issue cannot be overlooked. Already we are seeing loads of supporters leaving early because of the current situation, and it notices, the comments on the BBC coverage were embarrasing this week. I hope over time it corrects itself. I'd love to see 30,000 at a game.

The Green party should not support expansion because they are fans, they should do so because Brighton is a tourist venue and they should be looking to get as many customers down to Brighton as possible.

As for transport, then what is the difference between someone parking in Moulscoombe and walking to the ground and someone driving to a park and ride site and getting a bus to the ground?

Just let people park in Moulscoombe. People really dont mind, it happens up and down the country.

Cheers

 

[mona]

Perhaps I'm ill-informed but my impression is that the Brighton and Hove Green Party politicians have absolutely no interest whatsoever in BHAFC or their well-being. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Foster House]

Hordes of people used to leave early from Withdean, when transport was a doddle. Transport from the Amex is actually remarkably good when you compare it to most other similar sized venues - and, in fact, many much smaller ones. Recently my wife was caught in a queue in central Bristol for ONE HOUR after going to the theatre (capacity less than a thousand!). Basically it seemed that virtually every theatre go-er that night had parked in the same multi-storey car park, and the congestion that ensued was horrendous. Last Saturday I watched the rugby at Bath. Around 8,000 at the game, I think - took over half an hour to get out of the centre of Bath.

The great thing about the Amex is that, even if you need to queue a bit to get out of car parks (or on the train to Lewes in my case), once you are on the A27 it is a dream.

I'm not sure what is most annoying, an hour in a jam in Bath, or a home defeat to Sale. Sorry I'm just a smug Quins STH who is revelling in the current season, but waiting to get the smile wiped off his face.

 

[Working class pride]

..one other point. You cannot un-invent cars. People like them, and they are best form of transport for most people. Therefore it might be a a better idea to make them greener instead of tryng to fight against the tide and ban things that people want to use. Just a thought.

 

[sagaman]

The idea of 1000 cars going along the narrow Lucraft Road to BACA seems unbelievable -i.e mad!!
There must be better answers than building more car parks that will only be used for less than 30 days per year

Surely we need better public transport solutions like improving the signalling and platforms for longer trains on the Falmer line before more tarmac. Also the P & R buses leaving the Amex still load hopelessly slow and this could be easily improved

 

[clapham_gull]

Soon, she may well need all the help she can get!

Presumably you will out there next election canvassing and helping her get in like last time ?

 

[zego]

Yes, but that's because of business rates rather than parking revenue. They get three times more revenue from business rates than residential, hence the subsidy.

Parking is an area where the council over-spends, and ends up having to write off a lot of the fines as bad debts anyway.

What I have noticed with transport policy here in London is that too many cooks spoil the broth, what with the GLC doing one thing and the councils another. We have just had a cycle priority lane put in, with no consultation, and they have removed all the pedestrian crossings on the basis that "during the rush hour there were more cars than pedestrians". So no kids can get across to go to the park now.

This is quite a good document / proposal based on improvng transport links to the London clubs
http://legacy.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/transport/sports_travel.rtfhttp://

Your link has an illegal http:// tagged on after the rtf file type.

This works:

http://legacy.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/transport/sports_travel.rtf

 

[Brovion]

I would have absolutely no problem with my work place instituting a meat free day.
I don't claim I wouldn't eat meat when I got home, though. I like meat a lot, but I can go one meal without it.

That's not what he asked. He said would you be happy if there was a 'meat only' day? No vegetarian options, (veggies could eat their food before or after work). I guess that's a closed question as given what you've said before you have to say 'yes'.

 

[AMEXican Wave]

Doesn't look that good does it? The argus article suggests a difficult planning process for expansion, with the Greens not exactly being helpful.

I'm sure Bassam still has connections with the club, so is he making these comments as part of a strategy to put pressure on the Greens from the voters?

Maybe expansion plans will have to be put on hold until after the Greens are voted out, whenever that may be...

 

[Gwylan]

Doesn't look that good does it? The argus article suggests a difficult planning process for expansion, with the Greens not exactly being helpful.

I'm sure Bassam still has connections with the club, so is he making these comments as part of a strategy to put pressure on the Greens from the voters?

Maybe expansion plans will have to be put on hold until after the Greens are voted out, whenever that may be...

I've come late to this thread but I'm a bit confused on this. Why should we have to wait? As has been pointed out on this thread, the Greens don't have a majority on the planning committee so for the plans to be voted out, either Labour or the Tories have to back them. Labour is not likely to do that (it's Labour that's driving the debate so it's not going to reverse its opinions), so if it's true that the plans could get voted out, then it will be down to the Tories.

But this is all speculation: no plans have been submitted, we have no inkling of any of the parties' minds on this, we don't know if the plans will be passed or not. But one thing we do know for sure - the Greens can't reject this on their own.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

no plans have been submitted, we have no inkling of any of the parties' minds on this, we don't know if the plans will be passed or not. But one thing we do know for sure - the Greens can't reject this on their own.

The Green administration does have the power (on its own) not to release the land that the Club wants to use for car parking. Or to delay the release of the land. That could have as big an impact as the decision of the planning committee (which is a quite separate matter).

 

[5mins-from-amex]

im getting sick of all this red-tape, how many new buildings do the university seem to build every year? and i do understand about the transport issues, but take me to any stadium in this country with 25.000 plus and ill show you transport issues! the emirates being a good example.

 

[Acker79]

That's not what he asked. He said would you be happy if there was a 'meat only' day? No vegetarian options, (veggies could eat their food before or after work). I guess that's a closed question as given what you've said before you have to say 'yes'.

Whoops

That would explain why it seemed like such a redundant question given what I had written before.

I like meat, so wouldn't have a problem with meat only fridays. I would probably have a salad when I got home, or something to balance it out, which people were free to do on meat-free mondays after/before work

But, nutritionally speaking, it's not as balanced as a meat free day. Meat free day still allows for you to meet nutritional needs. You can still get proteins, you can have rice, pasta, pulses, nuts, dairy, sweets, as well as fruit and veg.

Removing one of a number of options is not the same as removing all but one option.

 

[Jim D]

I like meat, so wouldn't have a problem with meat only fridays. I would probably have a salad when I got home, or something to balance it out, which people were free to do on meat-free mondays after/before work

But, nutritionally speaking, it's not as balanced as a meat free day. Meat free day still allows for you to meet nutritional needs. You can still get proteins, you can have rice, pasta, pulses, nuts, dairy, sweets, as well as fruit and veg.

Removing one of a number of options is not the same as removing all but one option.

You can have a meat free day but I can't see anyone going for a meat only day. 'Would you like some beef or pork with your chicken?'