Falmer - we're in Big Trouble URGENT

[portlock seagull]

My letter, for what it's worth - get copying!


Mr John Prescott,
Deputy Prime Minister
26 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2WH

February 4th, 2004

Dear Mr Prescott,

REF: Falmer Community Stadium Planning Application in Brighton & Hove

I am writing with frustration and anger at the local plan inspector’s report tonight.

COMPELLING FACTS HAVE SIMPLY BEEN CASUALLY DISMISSED. HOW CAN ANY DEMOCRACTIC DECISION BE MADE FAIRLY BY SUCH AN INJUSTICE?

The timing of the report is appalling. Your final decision is imminent after YEARS of tireless hard work and campaigning by thousands of people, not to mention millions of pounds of precious resources, dedicated to this application. In its support; Brighton and Hove City Council have fully endorsed it, the largest petition in the county’s history has been hand delivered to you, a local referendum was found in its favour by a large majority…What is compelling is the overwhelming support the application has received at a local level. Tonight this appears to have been breezed over, making the Public Enquiry a near farce. The report is nothing short of scandalous and is outraging tens of thousands of people like myself, who yet again write to express our views.

How many more letters must we write to convince central government that the majority of people in the city of Brighton and Hove and Sussex want a 21st century sports facility and the enormous benefits it will inject into the local area; both social and economic?

· The Inspectorate’s report ignores the very real difficulties of finding such a suitable site in the conurbations area. An exhausted search has already been conducted over the past 4 years. Falmer is the only location.

· It does not reflect the overwhelming support for the stadium project at Falmer and the immensely detailed consultation process undertaken before site selection

· It does not reflect Brighton and Hove Albion’s need for a new stadium nor the clubs importance both nationally and locally

· It ignores the huge number of jobs and opportunities for education and skills training the project would develop

· It ignores the applications attention to pioneer sustainable transport to access the site

· It ignores the FACT that Falmer has the least environmental impact of any of the initially proposed sites.

I hope at this late hour in the application’s process, that such an unfair and undemocratic report does not influence your better judgement. It would be a travesty if it did Mr Prescott.

Yours sincerely,

 

[berkshire seagull]

The next home game must be void full stop and all must travel to london in there thousands.

 

[Yorkie]

I have been on the footballforums site and asked the moderators to sticky it in every decision to ask all fans to join with us and write letters from their clubs. (the mods have done this)

 

[berkshire seagull]

Fantastic portlock

 

[Blackadder]

What a great day I've had!!

Told that there are to be redundancies at work this morning, now this!!

This is doing my head in.

One more letter won't hurt. Come on everybody.

 

[Hilton]

The next home game is over 2 weeks away. If it has to be a trip to London, it HAS to be sooner.

 

[berkshire seagull]

Yeah reckon your right 2 weeks is way to long,so maybe next saturday.

 

[Albion Rob]

Can I just ask, if we submitted our plans under the old city plan and went to an inquiry on the strength of that, then surely what is said now by the planning inspector is irrelevant because the council have already approcved the stadium?

 

[portlock seagull]

Thanks Berkshire, I'm in Maidenhead for what it's worth.

Other action required - Sussex commuters, get printing copy letters and had them out on the train's to and from London tomorrow. But get 'em signed, addressed and back in your hands at the same time. What else have you got to do in an hour?

Emergency supporters meeting tomorrow in Sussex? Void the match and march on Whitehall this or next w/e. Letters need to be backed by a demonstration surely? And somebody tell the Argus tomorrow's story is crucial in terms of backing. Get it right or never get my money again.

 

[Albion Rob]

I'm sorry, but teh Argus will be going massive on Coutts getting found guilty. This will not get any of the first seven pages, I'm sure of that.

 

[Gritt23]

I have been on the footballforums site and asked the moderators to sticky it in every decision to ask all fans to join with us and write letters from their clubs. (the mods have done this)

Good work Yorkie.

That's what we need, some lateral thinking, how can we get this thing out in the open as the farsical decision that it is. The last thing the Government need right now is another ill-informed decision.

"You what? You mean the plan was rejected because you felt the car park at Brighton Station was a more feasible plan? Do you realise how stupid that makes you and the rest of us look? What's this about it being a 'provincial club'? Goodness gracious me."

The government need to realise how crazy this would be to reject. The stadium is good news for the whole area, and all alternatives are vastly inferior and generally unworkable non-starters.

We HAVE to make them see this, and the more voices, the louder the call and the better chance that they will listen.

What is Ivor Caplin doing tomorrow? Surely we need him saying this to JP.

 

[Yorkie]

John Prescott has given decisions against inspectors recommends before.

Wasn't there a decision made about an asylum seekers place that the inspector sided with the NIMBY's and JP gave permission anyway?

Can the local Labour MP's be called in to help out?

 

[Albion Rob]

Get in there Yorkie! We need more of that talk!!!!

 

[Gritt23]

Of course he CAN go against the recommendations, and if he didn't make his own mind up then the process would have been quicker. He'd have received the report and basically rubber stamped it.

No, we HAVE to believe he will view all the evidence and of course be influenced by the recommendation, but for once I'm pleased it's in the hands of a man who is not afraid to make his OWN mind up.

Come on John, PLEASE.

 

[Albion Rob]

With a general election not a million miles away I would consider it political suicide to go against Falmer.

For possibly the first time in my life I am relieved this could well be a political decision rather than one based on what his civil servants suggest.

I consider myself a Labour man and tactically vote Lib Dem in a desperate bid to oust the Tories in Eastbourne thus helping on a national scale, but if the decision goes against us it will be hard to draw any positives from this Labour term from my personal perspective.

 

[Bwian]

Ivor and Bassam had better have already bent JP's ear to remind him that Labour will never get another vote in Sussex, let alone the seat they were so proud to capture-Hove.

If they haven't then tell me where I can locate them and I'll drive there and kick their asses into action.

I'm angry and I'm not going to stand for The Albion and its fans being screwed yet again.

 

[Eddie the Seagull]

I was concerned from the out-set that Perry & Knight had put all their eggs in one basket in selecting Falmer only.

As someone pointed out earlier there must f***ing thousands of acres of land knocking around within 8 miles of Brighton.

I am now gravely concerned for the future now.

When we lose Withdean the only option for survival would be at Crawley as Brighton & Hove Franchised Albion a la Wimbledon.

I am so, so, f***ing angry.

 

[eiregull]

they had to put all thier eggs in one basket, as it is it seems we are in serious trouble, but to of had an alternative site would have manner from heaven for all the nimbys, besides which planning and public enquirys are not cheap, falmer has allready cost in excess of 2 million pounds, btw can we ban fg and earnest now becuase posts from them tommorow might just drive me to the brink.

 

[Turkey]

Posted on www.footballforums.net.

Man U fan pissed me off tho.. http://www.footballforums.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57071

Also on SI Games website.

I know I have a Wolves & Middlesborough fan already writing.

 

[Ernest]

they had to put all thier eggs in one basket, as it is it seems we are in serious trouble, but to of had an alternative site would have manner from heaven for all the nimbys, besides which planning and public enquirys are not cheap, falmer has allready cost in excess of 2 million pounds, btw can we ban fg and earnest now becuase posts from them tommorow might just drive me to the brink.

Why you **** I'm as angry about this as you

I hate anyone who tries to screw us