Green's blocking Amex expansion plans? Steve Bassam

[The Large One]

We'll ignore their complete refusal to implement the committee system so that they can force through polices ( good and bad ones ) then. The committee system would at least allow varying party views to be taken into account, especially given the Green Party don;t have a majority.

Which committee system has been done away with?

The planning, licensing, governance, health overview and scrutiny committees still exist.

 

[Billy the Fish]

I stand by the contention - no, fact - that their party line was that while they would have preferred not to have had the stadium where it is (even the club knows and has said that Falmer is not ideal - it is the 'least worst' option), they themselves offered no decent alternatives, and said at the time that they would accept the decision of the Inquiry. If you recall, they did not join in the appeals that LDC, the South Downsmen, CPRE etc lodged to Prescott's decision. True, they didn't speak out as a champion of the plan, but then, then nor did the Tories as a party line.

Sad though it may sound, I made a point of finding out which group said what about the stadium at the time of the inquiries, and I recall the Green Party being curiously quiet - and this was at a time when no-one would have thought of them running the council a few years down the line.

As regards today, as Westdene Seagull pointed out earlier - 'welcome to mainstream politics'. Everything for them has changed - they have to run the city now for everyone, Green voters and non-Green voters. They are now no longer just a political pressure group.

To that end, they do know and do acknowledge that the club is VITAL for the city, and they do work with them. They need for the club to not make traffic conditions in the city any worse - and any large event like a 30,000 gathering on the edge of the city will have knock-on effects in other parts of the city.

It is possible, nay probable, that they may put up one or two more hurdles than other parties might, but not - I don't believe - on the back of what Bassam is chirping on about.

Fair enough.

Like I said a few posts ago, I think Bassam is trying to get his punches in first as an insurance policy, if he draws attention to it now before the application has gone in they might think twice before being difficult. If they do block it or put too many hurdles in the way he can say "I told you so" and it could hurt them at the polls. If they don't, everyone's a winner. Could be a clever move actually.

 

[mikeyjh]

To be honest - and I say this as a Labour party member - Mr Bassam is coming across as a bit of a plank and very much blurring the lines between fan and politician - The planning process has to be adhered to, the Green Party have their ideology and will rightly battle for that ideology and his statement reads like a childish rant.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I really can't understand why the club should be looking to increase car parking in the stadium/Falmer area. People need to get used to leaving their cars at home. More coaches/buses, car sharing, bikes or walking is the order of the day. How many people use the Kingston park and ride?

Goodness, I didn't know that there was a Kingston Park and Ride. Where exactly is it?

 

[The Large One]

Fair enough.

Like I said a few posts ago, I think Bassam is trying to get his punches in first as an insurance policy, if he draws attention to it now before the application has gone in they might think twice before being difficult. If they do block it or put too many hurdles in the way he can say "I told you so" and it could hurt them at the polls. If they don't, everyone's a winner. Could be a clever move actually.

The other point that Bassam raises appears to be on the back of a planning application.

The planning committee (5 Greens, 4 Conservative, 3 Labour) last sat on November 23. Why raise this point (assuming it's relevant) now?

 

[Tory Boy]

The club want to move the cars currently using Bennett's field to Falmer School, and use bennett's field for bus parking.

How the f*** can the Greens object to that?

TB

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Which committee system has been done away with?
hung council
The planning, licensing, governance, health overview and scrutiny committees still exist.

When it comes to the budget the party "in power" can currently force the budget through - it should at least be a committee agreement in what is in affect a hung council. The permission to use the committee system for the budget is already in place and should be used. The Greens plan a 3.5% increase in council tax and something that affects the tax payer so significantly should have majority support not a single minority party support.

 

[algie]

Goodness, I didn't know that there was a Kingston Park and Ride. Where exactly is it?

Kingston ?

 

[The Large One]

When it comes to the budget the party "in power" can currently force the budget through - it should at least be a committee agreement in what is in affect a hung council. The permission to use the committee system for the budget is already in place and should be used. The Greens plan a 3.5% increase in council tax and something that affects the tax payer so significantly should have majority support not a single minority party support.

And it will be voted upon. It's not going to 'committee', it's going to the full council.

8 December 2011
Initial budget proposals go to cabinet for consideration. The report will set out the proposals, which are likely to include a combination of increasing council tax and changes in how we do things. The consultation process continues.

20 January 2012
Updated set of consultation results provided to all members

9 February 2012
Cabinet considers, and proposes budget to Full Council

23 February 2012
Full Council considers the budget proposed by cabinet, and any amendments. The final decision on the budget will be taken at this meeting.

It is possible that the budget will be voted down.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

It is possible that the budget will be voted down.

And this is the key phrase. If it's voted down then the Green Party can still force it through. Instead it they should be forced to agree an alternative budget by forming an alliance with another party as a very minimum.

 

[The Large One]

And this is the key phrase. If it's voted down then the Green Party can still force it through. Instead it they should be forced to agree an alternative budget by forming an alliance with another party as a very minimum.

They may well do.

 

[public school boy]

Goodness, I didn't know that there was a Kingston Park and Ride. Where exactly is it?

In the field over the road from the burger van.

 

[Don Quixote]

I despise the Green party.

 

[Seasidesage]

Two words for the Green's to consider - Seagulls Party

In a tight political landscape they should be very wary on the potential of a one issue party to force them out of power...

 

[paddy]

They may be Greens, but they're still politicians. I think we can rest assured they'll be putting any moral values they purport to have firmly in the back seat when decisions relating to expansion are made (rather like the way they fudged the issue of the stadium in the first place).

 

[Barry Izbak]

the greens have been an utter disaster for brighton...i hope all the idiots who voted for them haven't completely forgot about local politics now its not in the headlines and dont make the same mistake again.

is completely spot on.

All those who thought it would be "cool" to have a Green MP and a Green council ought to be fcuking ashamed of themselves.
These yoghurt knitters have found that being in control of the council is a lot tougher than spouting off about park and ride slagging off the previous lot. They've even broken the green policies they dreamed up to get elected as well as proposing council tax hikes and service cuts. They can't blame anyone else because they have turned down some of the central subsidy as I understand it..

The MP is a waste of space in Westminster and now the locals tree huggers are set to fcuk up the biggest success story in the city for years. I'd risk a banning order by telling them they are a bunch of amateurish forking cants.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

There are two quite separate questions here.

The first is whether the stadium explansion plans will get through the planning process. That will be decided by the City Council's Planning Committee - where the Greens have just five votes out of the twelve that will decide the issue. The biggest obstacle will be transport and it will be up to the Football Club to demonstrate that they have robust plans in place to deal with the increased number of spectators. If the Club can do this, they will get permission.

The second issue is whether the Council will agree to the redundant land at the corner of the Academy site being made available to the Football Club. That will be decided by the Green Party administration, not by the Planning Committee. There may be other purposes that the administration think the land could be better used for. I know for a FACT that some senior Green councillors think that it is too useful a site to be handed over to car parking. Steve Bassam seems to be claiming that, without the use of this particular patch of land, the expansion plans are scuppered. This isn't necessarily so - provided alternative car parking facilities can be found. If the Council won't make this site available, it will be up to the Club to find another one. How hard have they looked?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

It would appear from the twitter argument going on between Steve Bassam and Jason Kitcat that a report was going to be considered at the City Council's Cabinet meeting on Thursday, under the heading "Falmer - Released Land", but that this has now been withdrawn from the Agenda.

I may be wrong, though - since the forensics are rather thin.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

The B&H Greens could end up being even more despised than the LibDems on LDC

 

[Stoichkov]

I reckon the administration should spend a few days at the Amex in the company of the 'Albion in the Community' staff and then decide if they want to put some of their principles to one side in the face of an organisation and facility that does far more the town than, possibly, any political party could ever hope to achieve