Green's blocking Amex expansion plans? Steve Bassam

[Guinness Boy]

Jason Kitcat has posted on Twitter using the #bhafc hashtag that fans can ask him questions re the Amex and he would try to answer. To his credit I did and he did He was great at pointing out what hasn't happened but terrible at explaining what probably will. My concern is that all concerned will simply procrastinate over the BACA parking spaces replacement until it's too late in which case inadequate parking will be used as the refusal reason for expansion. Merely saying they will work with 'all available stakeholders' is a rather unclear use of business jargon, disappointing in a supposedly progressive politician.

 

[BensGrandad]

Being an outsider who is not driectly affected by the Greens other than obvioiusly via The Amex but it appears to me that that what they are doing and proposing should ensure that no other minority party ever gets into running a council anywhere else in the country and that their terms in office wll be the minimum.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

In fairness, I am pretty sure Bassam would be well aware that any councillor who would be likely to have to vote on a planning issue cannot declare a pre-emptive opinion on it.

But Jason Kitcat isn't a member of the Planning Committee. His position is as a member of the Cabinet - who have already decided NOT to consider the Albion's offer to take over the site they want to use for car parking and provide community facilities as well - at no cost to the Council. Kitcat's reasoning is that the Council might get a better offer. But the delay in searching for a better offer will scupper the plans to get the parking facility up and running next season.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Being an outsider who is not driectly affected by the Greens other than obvioiusly via The Amex but it appears to me that that what they are doing and proposing should ensure that no other minority party ever gets into running a council anywhere else in the country and that their terms in office wll be the minimum.

They are the largest party on the City Council and it is the policy of both the Labour Party and the Tories that the largest party should form the administration. That was how the Tories ran B&H Council as a minority administration and how Labour did so before the Tories overtook them.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

But Jason Kitcat isn't a member of the Planning Committee. His position is as a member of the Cabinet - who have already decided NOT to consider the Albion's offer to take over the site they want to use for car parking and provide community facilities as well - at no cost to the Council. Kitcat's reasoning is that the Council might get a better offer. But the delay in searching for a better offer will scupper the plans to get the parking facility up and running next season.

As a matter of interest, what are the chances of them 'getting a better offer' in today's climate?

 

[keaton]

So after months of football fans whingeing about transport you expect a party to support adding another 8000 people to problem?

 

[BLOCK F]

What exactly is it you like about what the Green Council is trying to do? Please do summarise. It is evident to anyone with the slightest scrap of intelligence that the Green Council will do all within their power to veto the expansion of the stadium, unless significantly challenged.

None of it fits in with their ludicrous plans for the City.

In the past you have said unmentionable things about Norman Baker and Anne De Vecchi. How do you think their policies against the Stadium compare with the revelations made about the Green Council's intentions, as revealed by Lord Bassam yesterday?

Just out of interest like.

This!

 

[trueblue]

Serious question. If there is no health and safety issue, why should the expansion be opposed? Without extra car parking, there won't be any more car traffic around the ground. And public transport will be stewarded so that it's not dangerously overcrowded. Therefore, the upshot is that bigger crowds will just mean longer queuing times for public transport - although you'd expect steps to be taken to alleviate some of that problem e.g. More buses. So it ultimately comes down to inconvenience for those attending the matches who have the choice on whether or not they feel it's acceptable and can stay at home if they want.

 

[BensGrandad]

They are the largest party on the City Council and it is the policy of both the Labour Party and the Tories that the largest party should form the administration. That was how the Tories ran B&H Council as a minority administration and how Labour did so before the Tories overtook them.

I accept that but my term of minority party was in relation to a national party of which they are obviously a minority party.

 

[trueblue]

So after months of football fans whingeing about transport you expect a party to support adding another 8000 people to problem?

On Saturday I walked straight on to a train having stayed for 1 beer after the game. The previous match a friend of mine (Cov fan who'd never been before) was on the train by 5.10 having left at full-time. I don't see there's much to complain about.

 

[BLOCK F]

Always a risk voting in a party of deluded idealists..............it could only happen in Brighton tho',where there are loads of deluded idealist voters or are they just stupid buggers!

 

[Uter]

I just can't see how that site could ever be worth a huge amount of money. I'd say unless it's sold with planning consent for a development of some sort it's pretty much worthless. Presumably any planning persmission would have to be approved by the planning committee and the Greens are in a minority on that.

I realise that councillors have a responsibility to gain the maximum value for the taxpayer from selling assets but how much can that site really be worth?

EDIT: Mind you it's worth a lot to us isn't it. They have got us over a barrel if when the 3 years is up on Bennett's Field we haven't found anywhere to relocate those parking spaces.

 

[The Large One]

Jason KitKat said on Twitter that he is not on any planning committee so he is allowed to say whatever he wants about it, but at the least the Green Party's policy on this would be a start.

Caroline Lucas, then MEP, commenting at a time when there was a minority Labour administration on the council. I would suggest that party policy is largely unchanged.


MEP Celebrates End Of Falmer Stadium Uncertainty But Challenge Now Is To Deliver ‘Green’ Stadium

25 July 2007 - Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas has welcomed the Government’s ruling on Falmer Stadium, which she said was ‘an end to an uncertainty which has hung over fans for ‘too long’.

Speaking after the Government granted permission for the community stadium to be built on land bordering the proposed South Downs national Park at Falmer, Dr Lucas said:

"This decision is long-overdue and the uncertainty has hung over fans and locals too long.

"Today’s decision is good news for Albion supporters and I am delighted the club is at last to get a much-needed local stadium. The challenge now is to make sure its construction and operation meet exceptional sustainability standards, and that the stadium fulfils its promise to be one of the ‘greenest’ in the country.

"There is clearly still a lot of work to do and a lot of tough decisions to make: the council must ensure adequate public transport provision is available and that the stadium has minimal impact on the surrounding countryside.

"The proposals to turn Falmer High School into a city academy already include plans for a car park serving the stadium and I am deeply concerned that this is essentially a land-grab which will encourage fans to travel to matches by car. The council must nip this is the bud immediately."

 

[Vegas Seagull]

So after months of football fans whingeing about transport you expect a party to support adding another 8000 people to problem?

There is NO problem with transport just impatient fans. Every match has started & finished on time & no'one has died. Add 8,000 will mean longer queues. SO WHAT?

 

[Bozza]

So after months of football fans whingeing about transport you expect a party to support adding another 8000 people to problem?

I think those that moan are very much in the minority, all be it a somewhat vocal one at times.

I was one of those who was deeply sceptical about how transport to, but mainly from, the Amex was going to work but I've been very pleasantly surprised at how well it works.

Those who are less pleased really do need to adjust their expectations - we're not a tinpot club playing in front of c6,000 die-hards any more - every game at the Amex is a big game featuring big clubs and is played in front of 20,000 people. I can't think of any ground in the country where such volumes of people are able to dissipate a few minutes from the end of the match.

 

[Dover]

I personally think this has been an issue for a long time, and before the stadium was built. For a city this size and having no Park & Ride scheme has been a folly for some 20plus years. After all a quaint little place called Canterbury had had one for as long as I can remember. So although the Greens have really picked up on the issue, this I feel has been a long standing issue.

As I have said earlier, the bus is the way forward, and also the club providing further entertainment pre and post match. Which I believe the club quietly and not by some text messaging, wash our laundry in public, new fangled rubbish.

As for soloutions to the problem I have one or two. Firstly promote the 23 Marina to University bus, and extend it's hours untill 22.30, all week. This will serve the Queens Park, Hanover, and provide extra services for London Road.

Use the top two levels of the Marina car park. This is empty for the majority of the time and car drivers have told me this is free. Yes not 8,000 people but a start.

The Racecourse park and ride. Not advertised enough in these parts. so I question the uptake of the route.

Also I believe Brighton & Buses now have a depot at Newhaven. Surely once the buses are on the road, it is empty. park cars form there, and use the bus, and hopefully some could run direct.

 

[The Large One]

There is NO problem with transport just impatient fans. Every match has started & finished on time & no'one has died. Add 8,000 will mean longer queues. SO WHAT?

Are you suggesting that the club doesn't need to find additional car parking sites after all?

Sorted.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Rumour is that it will be in the next two weeks....

Which is why this thread, and the comments regarding what cllrs are going to vote what is so ridiculous given no application has even been submitted yet. Just posturing.

 

[Was not Was]

As I have said earlier, the bus is the way forward, and also the club providing further entertainment pre and post match. Which I believe the club quietly and not by some text messaging, wash our laundry in public, new fangled rubbish.

What does this mean?

 

[Acker79]

Serious question. If there is no health and safety issue, why should the expansion be opposed? Without extra car parking, there won't be any more car traffic around the ground. And public transport will be stewarded so that it's not dangerously overcrowded. Therefore, the upshot is that bigger crowds will just mean longer queuing times for public transport - although you'd expect steps to be taken to alleviate some of that problem e.g. More buses. So it ultimately comes down to inconvenience for those attending the matches who have the choice on whether or not they feel it's acceptable and can stay at home if they want.

The extra 8,000 people won't be any different to the current 18,000 brighton fans that come each week. A 45% increase.

Some of them will be able to walk, some will need to get the bus or train, and some will feel they have to drive. Park and Ride sites are pretty full as they are, add another 45% to them and there will not be enough car parking spaces for the park and ride, 45% more cars parking in an already over crowded moulsecoomb and coldean, and extra 45% trying to get trains - a particular problem on evening games. Special bus services are already receiving complaints about buses being full early in their route leading to many people missing out. The buses used need to come from somewhere, if we have extra special service buses or P&R buses, there will be fewer buses available for regular service, loading up the 49/25/23 bus routes with extra buses takes buses away from the other services.