OK, so what ARE the other possible sites and why can't we build a stadium there?

[goldstone]

its still got the works railway going into it apparently - that could easily be used to transport fans

The track has been lifted and (I believe) the bridge may have been taken out that links it to the main line at Shoreham. In any case no one is going to build, reinstate or maintain a couple of miles of railway for a stadium used for 25 football games per year plus maybe some concerts and stuff.

If the cement works was an option then much better to run buses from Shoreham station.

 

[chips and gravy]

The bridge is definitely gone. There would also be massive cleanup costs of the contaminated land. The person who said it is on a small B road is also wrong - the A283 is classed as a primary route

 

[perseus]

Pende

You will have trouble finding anything wrong with it. It is just will power and politics, personal preferences.

It is better than all the other sites on every single criterion. Not just one point. Everything.

Bigger. Faster. Not AONB. Better transport links. Better parking (no park 'n ride). No NIMBYs. Cheaper (wasn't at first but by the time the University wanted their cut.) Room for expansion. No concert restrictions. Local support, the complete works.

But of you don't want it .....

The main plus is it is better than Southampton's stadium, twice the size of Manchester United (space available). It is better than any other stadium location in the whole of Britain.

Portsmouth, Reading and Crystal Palace would just be provincial clubs comparatively: even in their wildest dreams they could never compete.

 

[BensGrandad]

Talking to some residents of Woodingdean the other day they ARE IN FAVOUR of Sheepcote Valley. Plenty of space for parking and Park & Ride from Brighton station. This is quite worrying. We need them to object to it.

 

[goldstone]

Pende

You will have trouble finding anything wrong with it. It is just will power and politics, personal preferences.

It is better than all the other sites on every single criterion. Not just one point. Everything.

Bigger. Faster. Not AONB. Better transport links. Better parking (no park 'n ride). No NIMBYs. Cheaper (wasn't at first but by the time the University wanted their cut.) Room for expansion. No concert restrictions. Local support, the complete works.

But of you don't want it .....

The main plus is it is better than Southampton's stadium, twice the size of Manchester United (space available). It is better than any other stadium location in the whole of Britain.

Portsmouth, Reading and Crystal Palace would just be provincial clubs comapratively: even in their wildest dreams they could never compete.

Perseus HAS got a point. Why not look at Pende? Appears to have plenty of pluses.

And, at the risk of repeating myself, I couldn't care less where our stadium is located as long as we get one and FAST!

 

[Curious Orange]

Pende

You will have trouble finding anything wrong with it. It is just will power and politics, personal preferences.

It is better than all the other sites on every single criterion. Not just one point. Everything.

Bigger. Faster. Not AONB. Better transport links. Better parking (no park 'n ride). No NIMBYs. Cheaper (wasn't at first but by the time the University wanted their cut.) Room for expansion. No concert restrictions. Local support, the complete works.

But of you don't want it .....

The main plus is it is better than Southampton's stadium, twice the size of Manchester United (space available). It is better than any other stadium location in the whole of Britain.

Portsmouth, Reading and Crystal Palace would just be provincial clubs comparatively: even in their wildest dreams they could never compete.

Does it fall within the City of Brighton & Hove though? I thought Shoreham was in West Sussex.

 

[perseus]

Quite right about the political boundaries. The Labour cronies won't be able to put their foot in.

In fact, in a secret meeting this is why it was deliberately overlooked in the first place.

Amended criterion: not just better than Falmer on every single criterion (ignoring ripping politicians's faces off the wall), it is better than every single football stadium in the whole of Britain on every criteria.

Your job, if you choose to accept Falmer , is to find one criterion that it is not better on, and then make your point.

 

[The Large One]

I wondered how long Perseus would take before f***ing Pende came up. It's not even in the same county. Piss off Percy, you bloody turncoat.

 

[Oval Gull]

Pende

You will have trouble finding anything wrong with it. It is just will power and politics, personal preferences.

It is better than all the other sites on every single criterion. Not just one point. Everything.

Bigger. Faster. Not AONB. Better transport links. Better parking (no park 'n ride). No NIMBYs. Cheaper (wasn't at first but by the time the University wanted their cut.) Room for expansion. No concert restrictions. Local support, the complete works.

But of you don't want it .....

The main plus is it is better than Southampton's stadium, twice the size of Manchester United (space available). It is better than any other stadium location in the whole of Britain.

Portsmouth, Reading and Crystal Palace would just be provincial clubs comparatively: even in their wildest dreams they could never compete.

Not having visited Shoreham for a few years (ever since a relative moved away haven't had much call to do so), can you put up a clearer map reference showing exactly where the site is that you are talking about?

And is it not also a greenfield site?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Nooooooooooooooooooo, not fecking PENDGAY again.

f*** SAKE.

 

[perseus]

In answer to Tommy's point, the whole Planning Procedure would have to start from scratch again if Falmer is not chosen.

This means a Public Inquiry for every single site in Brighton & Hove because the opponents have seen to it that it is not included in the Local Plan as zoned for sporting uses/tourism/leisure.

The exception of this could be Toad's Hole which does not seem to have been zoned yet. However, for the next two years or more, this area will be an AONB. This means the south downs lobby would object and it will be a Public Inquiry. The Inspector could recommend Toad's Hole but there is no imperative for the local Councillors of other parties to agree and it would get stalled.

The only possible exception to a Public Inquiry is to choose a site outside the boundaries which is not AONB, within the coastal regeneration area (to get the plans passed), and the choices are few and far between.

Worthing is ruled out because the roads are a complete mess. This leaves Shoreham/Lancing with the only site of Pende in between which is zoned for sports/leisure/tourism so it might well be possible to get away without a Public Inquiry. (If the Councillors vote against, there would have to be a Public Inquiry though).

And then there is Newhaven, which is too far out on a limb, without the transport connections and there does not seem an obvious site.

I think political will is the single most important factor in getting a stadium built. Falmer seems to be the leader in this. Albeit up to the time Prescott make his decision.

There is not much choice really. Being aware of the limitations of Falmer should we be knocking on the Premiership door.

Bit like the Millionaire quiz game, stuck on a question for the multi-million prize with Prescott as the quizmaster:

Your choice is

A: Falmer
B: Waterhall
C: Toad's Hole
D: Pende

or

Withdean (getting the question worng and slipping back down the money rung.)

My inclination is to knock out B and C straight away as I can't wait that long for the whole Public Inquiry process all over again.

Has I anything like this happened in the past. The answer is yes. In Shoreham. The Ropetackle supermarket Public Inquiry resulted in the site being changed to Holmbush. The site was obvious. In this case the Public Inquiry ruled in favour of Ropetackle, but the bankers pulled out for loss of confidence. Even supermarket plans can be baulked by lack of public support.

 

[perseus]

Is this brown or green ?

See also:

http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Pende.htm

 

[perseus]

Nice flat piles of rubble just right to build football stadia on.

 

[mitch]

it does'nt matter if its brown or green it not in brighton and that comes from someone who lives no more than a mile from lancing

 

[perseus]

 

[Curious Orange]

Quite right about the political boundaries. The Labour cronies won't be able to put their foot in.

In fact, in a secret meeting this is why it was deliberately overlooked in the first place.

Amended criterion: not just better than Falmer on every single criterion (ignoring ripping politicians's faces off the wall), it is better than every single football stadium in the whole of Britain on every criteria.

Your job, if you choose to accept Falmer , is to find one criterion that it is not better on, and then make your point.

But what you are basically saying is that this site can't be included in the re-opened Inquiry because it doesn't meet the ODPM's criteria of being in Brighton & Hove. So we don't need to consider it any further. End of story.

 

[perseus]

Not really.

I expect I could get it in, if I wanted to.

It would be nothing more than Belotti's drawing on the back of an envelope without a hell of lot of work to fulfill the other criteria like availability, financial realistic aspirations, release of land, public support from the fans, and most importantly, the support of the Albion (not necessarily as a first choice).

Even then, political clout would have to be developed which would mean support from the public, Albion fans, and the regional planning chiefs as well (not necessarily the local planning office, but the County Council highways department).

Which means that the opponents of Falmer really have not got a cat's chance in hell of bringing any of the other proposals to the table. The land owners will not agree or the highways department would veto any project. That's why the Albion got the political clout in first over Falmer.

From what I gather the opponents of Falmer did not even have the nous to draw up an alternative plan on the back of an envelope. They were so arrogant and thought they swould say "boo to the goose" and it would go away.

I still think Pende is the best site, but without the power to go with it, it is just a shot in the dark. Bodfish could maybe swing it, he is the political representative on SEEDA. The plan is much too big for one person anyrate. It would need a team working on it.

I keep coming back to the Insopector at the Wycombe Public Inquiry, saying to the Council, "where do you want the ground then?".

In the absence of the answer, Wycombe ended up with a ground that was too small and in the wrong place for their aspirations. Could this be Falmer?

 

[The Large One]

Shut up and f*** off, Percy.

 

[perseus]

This is the close-up for the piles for Mitch. they are getting closer every day. Looks like its green turning browner every minute.

The local people cannot complain that Pende is not a community project. The locals will get a park and a cycle path (this will have a dual function as a priority bus lane for matches) instead of piles of shit masquerading as a private golf course, they will get a stadium (if they have got any sense they will wangle a free hire of the stadium for one weekend a year for the Adur Festival), the plan will create hundreds of jobs (literally), it will put the kybosh on the airport runway forever (they don't know its a dead duck already), and it would not cost the taxpayer a single penny (they might even make some dosh if they relocate Lancing FC). Every single sporting concern that thinks the Albion are getting priority will get their own space as well. They could knock down Withdean and build a decent athletics stadium around the reserve team ground.

And the NIMBYs cannot even say they have won, because the idea did not come from them.

 

[perseus]