Bennetts Field Car Park - Recommendation to Lewes DC is to Approve, with Conditions

[Lord Bracknell]

Just as well, really.

The final decision will be made by the District Council's Planning Committee on 22 June.

The conditions are:-

1. Permission is until June 2014 only. The car park must then be reinstated as agricultural land;

2. The road layout at the end of Village Way must be altered and the traffic signals must be re-phased;

3. The arrangements for pedestrians to cross the B2123 must be changed;

4. New road layout arrangements must be made to allow traffic to leave the stadium and join the A27 towards Brighton;

5. A traffic management scheme to control traffic leaving the car park must be agreed;

6. Use of the car park to be limited to 50 events per year;

7. Any land contamination must be dealt with;

8. Any lighting must be approved by Lewes DC;

9. Final design details must be approved by Lewes DC.


The report identifies some real concerns about the potential for traffic congestion, but recommends approval because neither the Highways Agency or East Sussex County Council's Highway Authority made an outright recommendation to refuse the application. ESCC are, however, insisting on the highway changes set out in the conditions, because otherwise "the proposal would lead to extended periods of congestion at the signalised junction on to the B2123 and at the A27 interchange".


Phew!

 

[KNC]

Ed, could you show on a map, exactly where this piece of ground is.
Ta

 

[Flavor Flav]

What are the club going to do after the 2014 deadline? Convieniently forget it?

 

[The Large One]

What are the club going to do after the 2014 deadline? Convieniently forget it?

Use the field at the Aldridge Academy (Falmer School to you and me) as a car park.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Ed, could you show on a map, exactly where this piece of ground is.
Ta

It's the area with the red line around it, marked out like a car park. The way in and out is via Village Way and the edge of the coach park, to the south.

 

[Easy 10]

Its obviously not going to be ready in time. Are there any estimates as to how long its going to take to get this car park and the new road layout in place ?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Its obviously not going to be ready in time. Are there any estimates as to how long its going to take to get this car park and the new road layout in place ?

The full East Sussex County Council representation to LDC reckons that the highway works can be completed by 30 September 2011.

I presume the Club believe that the car park itself will be ready for the first game. "Full travel details are to be announced in due course, on the club website and in the local media".

 

[Easy 10]

The full East Sussex County Council representation to LDC reckons that the highway works can be completed by 30 September 2011.

I presume the Club believe that the car park itself will be ready for the first game. "Full travel details are to be announced in due course, on the club website and in the local media".

Thanks Lord B. Looks like a VERY tight timescale dunnit.

Be interesting to see how they plan to enable pedestrians to cross the B2123. Its such a busy road, and on matchdays its going to be chocka. Perhaps a footbridge might be in order ? A pedestrian crossing would hold things up no end.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Thanks Lord B. Looks like a VERY tight timescale dunnit.

Be interesting to see how they plan to enable pedestrians to cross the B2123. Its such a busy road, and on matchdays its going to be chocka. Perhaps a footbridge might be in order ? A pedestrian crossing would hold things up no end.

There is currently a pedestrian refuge in the middle of the B2123, but that needs to be removed to allow for a better right turn lane into Village Way, which will accommodate more cars. At the moment, only 6 cars can be fitted into the right turn lane (which would cause a long tailback for matchday traffic). The revised road layout will allow 20 cars to queue to turn right.

If I read the paperwork correctly, the new pedestrian crossing arrangements will be controlled by the traffic signals, rather than depend on a central refuge.

 

[Notters]

It's the area with the red line around it, marked out like a car park. The way in and out is via Village Way and the edge of the coach park, to the south.

Er, the red line area on the drawing should go right up to the public highway. Should someone tell them this?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Er, the red line area on the drawing should go right up to the public highway. Should someone tell them this?

No. It goes only to the boundary of the piece of land that the Bennett family are releasing for the Club to use. The trees will remain.

 

[Notters]

No. It goes only to the boundary of the piece of land that the Bennett family are releasing for the Club to use. The trees will remain.

Sorry LB, I bow to your superior knowledge... but I've been working on Planning Applications for a number of local authorities and been told that the red line area should include any areas within which traffic associated with the new development will operate. This area has to be shown on the drawings but isn't used in the fee calculations.

Maybe car parks are different to industrial facilities, though.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

My concern about this proposal is that, with 650 cars entering Village Way to get to the car park, the queues to turn in will delay all of the other traffic wanting to do the same thing - including all the buses and coaches (including the park and ride vehicles). The original plans had NO cars parking on the stadium side of the railway. 650 cars will get in the way of everybody who is using a bus or coach. Let's hope that nobody misses the kick-off.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Sorry LB, I bow to your superior knowledge... but I've been working on Planning Applications for a number of local authorities and been told that the red line area should include any areas within which traffic associated with the new development will operate. This area has to be shown on the drawings but isn't used in the fee calculations.

Maybe car parks are different to industrial facilities, though.

Your general point is correct. As far as this application is concerned, the entrance to the car park is, I believe, between the two marked out parking areas on the south side of the car park. The area to the east of the red line won't be touched by any vehicle movements.

 

[Napper]

Who can use this car park then ?

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Use the field at the Aldridge Academy (Falmer School to you and me) as a car park.

But there's no evidence that the Academy has or will agree to this, just a statement of intent/wish from the applicant (BHA) in the Bennett's Wood application. As LB has commented elsewhere, it may well be that a lack of a agreement for "permanent" parking at the stadium together with the 2014 time limit recommendation for Bennett's Wood could make any application to extend the stadium capacity more difficult to get approved.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Who can use this car park then ?

I believe it is mainly "hospitality parking" - presumably 1901 Club members. There will also be a small number of spaces for disabled supporters (the splodgy spaces in the south west corner of the car par, shown in the drawing).

 

[Bozza]

I believe it is mainly "hospitality parking" - presumably 1901 Club members. There will also be a small number of spaces for disabled supporters (the splodgy spaces in the south west corner of the car par, shown in the drawing).

This bit? Council sells land for players Brighton and Hove News

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This bit? Council sells land for players Brighton and Hove News

No. That is an entirely different car park - north of the railway line and next to the A27. And a different council - B&H.

A bit of that car park has crept on to the map shown above, the pink bit, just below the words FALMER HILL at the west side of the map.

 

[Bozza]

No. That is an entirely different car park - north of the railway line and next to the A27. And a different council - B&H.

A bit of that car park has crept on to the map shown above, just below the words FALMER HILL.

Right. Sounds nice and close for the disabled fans.