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From the Argus
LEWES District Council is facing a national backlash over its campaign to derail Brighton and Hove Albion's plans for a new stadium.
Councillors have been told to "keep their noses out of Brighton and Hove's business".
MPs from all over the UK are expected to back a House of Commons motion demanding district councillors drop their legal challenge to Falmer.
The Parliamentary motion has been tabled by all three of Brighton and Hove's MPs who took the rare step of ganging-up against a local council to pressure councillors into changing their minds.
Meanwhile, Albion supporters are stepping-up their pressure on the council by descending on Lewes tonight at 6.30pm to bring their campaign to the council's streets during the town's annual Christmas shopping event.
Members of the Falmer For All campaign are meeting outside Costa Coffee in Cliffe High Street to dish out posters to shops and collect signatures for its petition.
They hope to persuade Lewes District Council to drop its legal fight at the High Court in London to call for a judicial review of John Prescott's decision to allow Albion to build a 22,000-capacity stadium at Falmer.
The demonstration was announced as Des Turner, MP for Kemptown, David Lepper, MP for Brighton Pavilion, and Celia Barlow, MP for Hove and Portslade, claimed in an Early Day Motion to the House of Commons that the cost of launching the bid did not represent good value for taxpayers in Lewes.
Early Day Motions (EDMs) are a way by which MPs can put on record their opinion on a subject and canvass support for it from fellow-members in the Commons.
The city MPs' motion states: "That this House regrets the decision taken by Cabinet members of Lewes District Council, at a meeting from which the public was excluded, to seek to challenge by judicial review the decision of the Deputy Prime Minister, which supported the siting of a new community stadium at Falmer."
The EDM adds that Mr Prescott's decision "would benefit Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club and the wider local and regional community" and decries the estimated £100,000 costs of a judicial challenge.
Mr Turner admitted it was "unusual" for MPs to bond together against a local council but said the district council had "asked for it".
He said: "They should keep their noses out of Brighton and Hove's business.
"We have been living with this issue for years now and it really is time to put it to rest.
"I think Lewes may have misjudged this terribly.
"Lewes will be aware that there may be more of a comeback on this than they thought."
Mr Lepper said: "I think we will get a lot of support for this. MPs from elsewhere in the country told me they had been asked how they felt about the Albion stadium when they were out campaigning for the general election.
"Those MPs went on to sign a previous early day motion I tabled calling for John Prescott to make a decision.
"It's that kind of support the poor misguided council at Lewes is hoping for."
Mr Lepper added: "It's important the councillors who took this decision realise it's not just a local issue, it's a regional and national issue.
"We anticipate that a number of MPs from across the country will support this motion."
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You have to say that whatever complaints we've had about the paper in the past they are certainly 100% behind us now.
LEWES District Council is facing a national backlash over its campaign to derail Brighton and Hove Albion's plans for a new stadium.
Councillors have been told to "keep their noses out of Brighton and Hove's business".
MPs from all over the UK are expected to back a House of Commons motion demanding district councillors drop their legal challenge to Falmer.
The Parliamentary motion has been tabled by all three of Brighton and Hove's MPs who took the rare step of ganging-up against a local council to pressure councillors into changing their minds.
Meanwhile, Albion supporters are stepping-up their pressure on the council by descending on Lewes tonight at 6.30pm to bring their campaign to the council's streets during the town's annual Christmas shopping event.
Members of the Falmer For All campaign are meeting outside Costa Coffee in Cliffe High Street to dish out posters to shops and collect signatures for its petition.
They hope to persuade Lewes District Council to drop its legal fight at the High Court in London to call for a judicial review of John Prescott's decision to allow Albion to build a 22,000-capacity stadium at Falmer.
The demonstration was announced as Des Turner, MP for Kemptown, David Lepper, MP for Brighton Pavilion, and Celia Barlow, MP for Hove and Portslade, claimed in an Early Day Motion to the House of Commons that the cost of launching the bid did not represent good value for taxpayers in Lewes.
Early Day Motions (EDMs) are a way by which MPs can put on record their opinion on a subject and canvass support for it from fellow-members in the Commons.
The city MPs' motion states: "That this House regrets the decision taken by Cabinet members of Lewes District Council, at a meeting from which the public was excluded, to seek to challenge by judicial review the decision of the Deputy Prime Minister, which supported the siting of a new community stadium at Falmer."
The EDM adds that Mr Prescott's decision "would benefit Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club and the wider local and regional community" and decries the estimated £100,000 costs of a judicial challenge.
Mr Turner admitted it was "unusual" for MPs to bond together against a local council but said the district council had "asked for it".
He said: "They should keep their noses out of Brighton and Hove's business.
"We have been living with this issue for years now and it really is time to put it to rest.
"I think Lewes may have misjudged this terribly.
"Lewes will be aware that there may be more of a comeback on this than they thought."
Mr Lepper said: "I think we will get a lot of support for this. MPs from elsewhere in the country told me they had been asked how they felt about the Albion stadium when they were out campaigning for the general election.
"Those MPs went on to sign a previous early day motion I tabled calling for John Prescott to make a decision.
"It's that kind of support the poor misguided council at Lewes is hoping for."
Mr Lepper added: "It's important the councillors who took this decision realise it's not just a local issue, it's a regional and national issue.
"We anticipate that a number of MPs from across the country will support this motion."
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You have to say that whatever complaints we've had about the paper in the past they are certainly 100% behind us now.
