Was the original yes to Falmer sabotaged?

[mona]

Isn't that enough? They could easily have refused it or set conditions on the developers paying for a new ground, but no, they just let Archer have what he wanted.

I think you'll find that it was Greg Stanley who gained planning permission to build on the Goldstone. He claimed that the Goldstone would never be built on and that it was simply a means of re-mortgaging the ground for a larger amount.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

We have had 10 years of f*** ups under this Govt.

So I would think genuine mistake.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

... the Goldstone would never be built on and that it was simply a means of re-mortgaging the ground for a larger amount.

That was the original plan - hatched when Barry Lloyd was in charge.

Hove Borough Council turned down the application, largely as a result of pressure from local businesses, who didn't want competition from a new retail park on the Old Shoreham Road.

The Albion then threatened to appeal against the refusal.

The Borough Council were advised that the appeal was likely to succeed (because the grounds for refusal were not valid planning considerations).

So the council did a U-turn and granted planning permission. But forgot to impose a condition that prevented the site from being redeveloped before a new stadium was built.

Then Archer stepped in to make his profit.




The stupid thing is that Hove Borough Council could have got it right, if only they hadn't been so keen to dance to the tune of the bunch of small shopkeepers who had such undue influence with the Tory administration at the time.

 

[mona]

That was the original plan - hatched when Barry Lloyd was in charge.

Hove Borough Council turned down the application, largely as a result of pressure from local businesses, who didn't want competition from a new retail park on the Old Shoreham Road.

The Albion then threatened to appeal against the refusal.

The Borough Council were advised that the appeal was likely to succeed (because the grounds for refusal were not valid planning considerations).

So the council did a U-turn and granted planning permission. But forgot to impose a condition that prevented the site from being redeveloped before a new stadium was built.

Then Archer stepped in to make his profit.




The stupid thing is that Hove Borough Council could have got it right, if only they hadn't been so keen to dance to the tune of the bunch of small shopkeepers who had such undue influence with the Tory administration at the time.

I once had a long chat with a former Tory Hove councillor who was reasonably keen on football. He disliked and distrusted Stanley but said that the council felt they couldn't stand up to the pressure for the planning permission.
There have been so many cock-ups in this saga!

 

[The Large One]

Hove BC couldn't stand up to Stanley's planning application (or Barry Lloyd's as it ould have been), but they could have imposed conditions on said application.

Most importantly, they didn't.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Looking on the pragmatic side for a second, If Kelly says that there should be a PE into sheepcoat, as it appears that this seems to be the general view as the alternative ( however we and others may rubbish the idea), I wonder what the Clubs position would be.

Would they go along with the PE and spend more millions of fancy lawyers and "consultants" with the hope that we get this one right?

or would they say that enough is enough as the pot is empty?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Looking on the pragmatic side for a second, If Kelly says that there should be a PE into sheepcoat, as it appears that this seems to be the general view as the alternative ( however we and others may rubbish the idea), I wonder what the Clubs position would be.

Would they go along with the PE and spend more millions of fancy lawyers and "consultants" with the hope that we get this one right?

or would they say that enough is enough as the pot is empty?

Kelly won't ask for a Public Inquiry into Sheepcote. That would be a complete waste of time, because there isn't a planning application for any development at Sheepcote.

IF she decides that Sheepcote is an acceptable site, all she will do is say NO to Falmer.

It would then be up to the Club to decide whether or not to design a stadium at Sheepcote and submit a planning application to the City Council. The Council would then have TWO decisions to take - whether to grant the planning application and whether to let the football club use the land (which is owned by the Council).

If the Council refused planning permission for Sheepcote (which would be consistent with its current policy), the Club would have the right to appeal against that decision. Only then would a Public Inquiry (or, more strictly, a Planning Appeal to an independent Inspector) take place.

If the Council refused to make its land at Sheepcote available, there would be nothing that the Club could do.

Meanwhile ... the planning permission at Withdean would have run out. The Council would be within its powers to force us out of Withdean. In the light of the recent council elections, this may be much more likely than we have ever thought.



Alternatively ... Kelly says YES.