Falmer another delay!!!

[DTES]

The Government should have the courage of their convictions, make the decision they know to be right, and not fear anyone on Lib Dem front bench.

But you keep forgetting - the Government can have courage of their convictions, they can even be absolutely right. That won't make a blind bit of difference if Norman Baker challenges. He doesn't have to be right, he doesn't have to win - he can still cause a delay if he has the tiniest glimmer of a possible, potential, crack in the case. And like I said, that would be more than 16 days...

 

[Monkster]

Didn't the RT honourable **** Norman Baker say that he would accept the decision, no matter what the decision was?

 

[portlock seagull]

That is the correct answer.

I am not convinced she will make the decision by the 25th July at all. If something else more important happens, terrorist attacks, martians landing, someone caught having a cigarette in a pub, she will just delay it again and again, after all they have lied so many times to us now who can believe anything they say, as said Ruth Kelly should have announced it a week ago knowing the possibility of changes, this Labour government should yet again be thoroughly ashamed of themselves, their deputy leader fecked it up in the first place, they truely are the goverment of total incompetance

 

[mansfieldwhippy]

This is rubbish cant believe it someone should make a film about it its so unbelieveable.
but deep down i have a bad feeling about the decision, hope im wrong

 

[Mrs Coach]

I'm as angry as you are Uncle, just had a phone call from Alex to tell me this was all going on, and I thought she was winding me up!

Still. What a party it'll be at Kerry's testimonial eh? Maybe it's a ploy BY Kerry to sell out the ground!! Gotta smile havent you? Otherwise you'd cry!

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

Whats the point of saying the decision HAS to be made on or around the 9th of July if they can then turn around and say sorry chaps, you know that deadline we imposed on ourselves, would yopu mind awfully if we put it back a couple of weeks ? Awfully sorry but we really will try to let you know about your hockey stadium on or around the 25th July

 

[Pondicherry]

By any standards this seems to me to be poor planning by the the ministers and their civil servants. The 9th July date was the last date by which a decision should have been made. The change in PM and cabinet reshuffle did not come out of the blue, they were very foreseeable events and should have been accounted for in their annoucement planning. This mistake is compounded by the fact that a government error was largely the basis of the original LDC challenge and by the fact that this issue has been discussed for 5 years now.

 

[Scoffers]

And as the Colbourne Kid has said ... It will be very helpful to the whole process if the decision letter is worded in a way that is entirely consistent with this week's announcement by Defra of the conclusions of the Inspector who has been dealing with the National Park boundary.

Actually, that could work against us, because it will look manufactured, or altered at the last minute.

Do you honestly believe that the new Secretary of State is delaying it for 3 weeks just because of what Norman Baker may or may not say? I don't.

The decision is either the right one, reached with two inquiries and countless months of debate, or it isn't. At the end of the day, it is the substance of the findings that will determine whether or not LDC appeal, not the actual decision itself.

 

[Icy Gull]

I'm with the pessimists on this thread I fear. To have a self imposed deadline that you cannot meet sounds like a decision has still not been made which is very worrying given the length of time this has been going on. A change in figurehead should make no difference when something is as far down the line as Falmer is.

 

[DTES]

Do you honestly believe that the new Secretary of State is delaying it for 3 weeks just because of what Norman Baker may or may not say? I don't.

Do I believe that it's possible the Government are just as pissed off with the delays and constant appeals as we are? Do I believe that, like us, they realise they fact it's taken this long is very much his fault? Do I believe they want to shove this in his face with no way for him to moan again, so that this is finally done with, once and for all? Yes, I do actually.

 

[Lady Bracknell]

Reading through the streams of pessimism that persist on this topic despite a couple of INFORMED people who have DIRECT experience of working in the Civil Service (I am not one of them) attempting to explain what actually happens when there's a new Prime Minister and a new Cabinet, I'm left wondering whether some people want the f***ing stadium in the first place or would simply prefer to grizzle for another ten f***ing years.

 

[Lady Bracknell]

PS. I am now going Out. I may be a while...

 

[tedebear]

Reading through the streams of pessimism that persist on this topic despite a couple of INFORMED people who have DIRECT experience of working in the Civil Service (I am not one of them) attempting to explain what actually happens when there's a new Prime Minister and a new Cabinet, I'm left wondering whether some people want the f***ing stadium in the first place or would simply prefer to grizzle for another ten f***ing years.

Well said.

Exactly why I haven't posted - well until now that is...

I've so expected this I'm more enthused by winding up Dwayne on his i-telephoney thingy thread...think I'll have a cup of tea now...

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Boulderdash my old mate. Your legendary pink glasses are leading you down the politician's path. As I said, we've all become so used to being messed around that even die-hards like you roll over and accept their excuses these days. We should sue the bastards. And bastards they are.

Oi, my glasses are ROSE-TINTED, thank you very much, not PINK!!

 

[Scoffers]

Do I believe that it's possible the Government are just as pissed off with the delays and constant appeals as we are? Do I believe that, like us, they realise they fact it's taken this long is very much his fault? Do I believe they want to shove this in his face with no way for him to moan again, so that this is finally done with, once and for all? Yes, I do actually.

Well then, I think that you are sadly misguided, I don't think Blears and Co are particularly bothered about Brighton Hove Albion FC full stop.

I think that the delay is MUCH more likely to be because what is critically important to us, is very low down on their priorities. To think differently, I think you'd be kidding yourself.

I believe that if this Government had been properly organised, they would have made this decision before Gordon came to power, and I would argue that if they did truly consider us as a priority, they would have done just that.

 

[Captain Haddock]

It's not that "they need more time". They need to be seen to be taking more time.

And as the Colbourne Kid has said ... It will be very helpful to the whole process if the decision letter is worded in a way that is entirely consistent with this week's announcement by Defra of the conclusions of the Inspector who has been dealing with the National Park boundary.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Didn't Ruth Kelly answer a question in Parliament about the date by which a verdict would be given, and said by the closing date of 9th July?

What is the point of a deadline if it is ignored and overridden with no recourse? These delays are costing the club MONEY!

I don't buy the argument that even if the decision has been taken you need to wait 2 weeks just to be seen to be giving it consideration. If the decision WAS made it should have been announced, and if Kelly was fully conversant with the case she should have briefed her colleague so that the deadline of 9th July could still have applied.

It seems to me that the longer a decision is dragged out the more outside factors can come in to delay it. Ministerial changes, COBRA meetings, National Park boundaries? Rubbish. Government deadlines build in other factors and workload.

You wouldn't get away with this in the private sector - it's like a building firm saying you can't have you conservatory for 2 more weeks because Barry's left and didn't tell Dave what was going on. If you engage a firm (i.e. the government) to perform a service (i.e. decision on Falmer) and they give you a deadline why should a change of personnel make a blind bit of difference?

When the last decision was quashed we were told it was a civil servant and that Prescott probably didn't know much about the content of the verdict. Now we're expected to believe that, unlike Prescott, Blears is going to try and get a personal handle on all things Falmer in the next 2 weeks - do me a favour!

 

[Captain Haddock]

Don't know if / how much the govt care about us but I do know they care about their own welfare and they'll not be wanting this case to drag on any more, so are ensuring it's fool (Norman Baker?)proof.

They'll seek to avoid as much contention and quibbling as poss early doors by 'being seen to take time' as LB has said..

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Reading through the streams of pessimism that persist on this topic despite a couple of INFORMED people who have DIRECT experience of working in the Civil Service (I am not one of them) attempting to explain what actually happens when there's a new Prime Minister and a new Cabinet, I'm left wondering whether some people want the f***ing stadium in the first place or would simply prefer to grizzle for another ten f***ing years.

Fair comments Roz but enough really is enough, can we believe 25th July will be kept and then there the obligatory 6 week delay when LDC stick their Spade in again. This decision should have been made a week ago before the reshuffle, there really is no more excuses.

 

[The Large One]

Sorry Lord B, that just doesn’t cut in my book. They said on or BEFORE 9th July. Nothing but sheer incompetence has let this happen. Should have made a decision before the reshuffle – they’ve known Tony Blair was going for months and they’ve known we’ve had a planning application in for Nine Years. Problem is we’re all so used to it now (which is what politicians trade on by the way) we’re happy to get pushed around. Why wasn’t the decision ring-fenced to be made by Ruth Kelly? What if Hazel Blairs get’s run over (wishful thinking eh?). Do we just go on and on and on waiting for yet another politician to ‘get their heads round it?’ You could probably give Falmer one of those ‘probability’ calculations e.g just like if you put a group of monkeys in a room with a typewriter, one of them will eventually write the Bible.....one day there won’t be a person left on this planet who won’t have been consented about our stadium application. Trouble is that last person is looking like being Buck Rogers......

Oh my days...

How on earth can a decision be ring-fenced? It's only conceited arrogance which can presume that the Falmer Stadium application is so important that all other affairs of state, together with the 350 other applications that week, can be pushed aside.