Green's blocking Amex expansion plans? Steve Bassam

[Gordon Bennett]

Without getting into the whole quagmire of councillors’ predetermination and predisposition, we have to remember that all the councillors have to be fairly circumspect in what they say about supporting any expansion plans, particularly when there is nothing definite in front of them – if they come out too strongly one way or the other then if they are a member of the planning committee they probably won’t be allowed to take part in the discussion/vote when the time comes. Also, if/when it comes to it, the Councillors on the planning committee shouldn’t (in theory) be voting on party lines but purely on the information in front of them.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Without getting into the whole quagmire of councillors’ predetermination and predisposition, we have to remember that all the councillors have to be fairly circumspect in what they say about supporting any expansion plans, particularly when there is nothing definite in front of them – if they come out too strongly one way or the other then if they are a member of the planning committee they probably won’t be allowed to take part in the discussion/vote when the time comes. Also, if/when it comes to it, the Councillors on the planning committee shouldn’t (in theory) be voting on party lines but purely on the information in front of them.

Kitcat isn't on the planning committee and won't even answer if he's in favour of 8000 new seats in principle.

 

[Gordon Bennett]

Fair enough although I was making a more general point.

 

[Acker79]

Kitcat isn't on the planning committee and won't even answer if he's in favour of 8000 new seats in principle.

Because people will ignore 'in principle' if he votes differently to what he says. They won't accept that the plans didn't meet requirements, they will see a man who said yes last month and now says no.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Because people will ignore 'in principle' if he votes differently to what he says. They won't accept that the plans didn't meet requirements, they will see a man who said yes last month and now says no.

a) he's not on the planning committee so they won't
b) here's a tweet for him. "I am in favour of the Albion expanding so long as the plans meet the needs of the city" Tweet that as Ricky Gervais would say.

 

[Acker79]

a) he's not on the planning committee so they won't
b) here's a tweet for him. "I am in favour of the Albion expanding so long as the plans meet the needs of the city" Tweet that as Ricky Gervais would say.

a) It's irrelevant, he is a councillor for the green party, who are in charge of the council. The majority of people won't distinguish between the council and the planning committee, so the fact he isn't part of the committee doesn't count for much. It is perception.
b) And when the club and/or Bassam come out and say "we feel this application meets the needs of the city" and the planning committee disagree? People won't think "well, the planning committee obviously studied the application and disagree" they will think "it meets the needs, he said they would ok it if it meets the needs now they don't, damn those greens, liars!" (remember my first point about people not distinguishing between the council and the planning committee)

 

[Tory Boy]

The greens are, in my opinion, a group of nice people who make great activists.

However they are well out of their depths trying to run this council.

Until they go the city will stagnate and jobs will go elsewhere.

Unlike the travellers and tent dwellers.

TB

 

[CHAPPERS]

tent dwellers.

TB

Who?

 

[Hotchilidog]

Well Caroline Lucas has tweeted this morning that she supports the expansion 100per cent and that the stadium has been a great success story for the city.

Bassam is being a total tool over this, it's just shameless political point scoring playing to people's preconceptions about what the greens are all about.

 

[Tory Boy]

Who?

I take it you never go down Grand Parade?

TB

 

[Gwylan]

The Green administration does have the power (on its own) not to release the land that the Club wants to use for car parking. Or to delay the release of the land. That could have as big an impact as the decision of the planning committee (which is a quite separate matter).

Ed, thanks for this.

I can't be bothered to wade through all these pages but is the success or failure of the planning application for 8000 seats solely dependent on those car parking spaces? In other words, if people can't park there, then the planning application has to be rejected?

 

[CHAPPERS]

I take it you never go down Grand Parade?

TB

Yes I do and I do know who you were pointing out now but what have they got to do with the Greens?

 

[Danny-Boy]

They don't, unless you count an unsustainable transport policy - and no parties would agree to expansion without that.

Like Southern Water, Brighton Aldridge Community Academy doesn't want Albion car parking on its site. BACA is a non-starter.

Bassam's tweet is a bit like saying 'Greens block car parking in Falmer Village'.

What about the approach to LDC for planning permission for more car-parking? Is that going to tarmac over the one bit of the original field left?

I expect though it won't fall on deaf ears.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Well Caroline Lucas has tweeted this morning that she supports the expansion 100per cent and that the stadium has been a great success story for the city.

Bassam is being a total tool over this, it's just shameless political point scoring playing to people's preconceptions about what the greens are all about.

Indeed...

CarolineLucas Caroline Lucas
[MENTION=5978]bhafc[/MENTION]tweets For the record, I'm 100% in favour of expansion of the ground - #bhafc is huge success story for city, & I fully support it

 

[Tory Boy]

Yes I do and I do know who you were pointing out now but what have they got to do with the Greens?

Well if you don't know I can't be bothered to educate you.

Let's get back to why the Greens are putting rather large barriers up to our club growing.

TB

 

[Hotchilidog]

Ed, thanks for this.

I can't be bothered to wade through all these pages but is the success or failure of the planning application for 8000 seats solely dependent on those car parking spaces? In other words, if people can't park there, then the planning application has to be rejected?

I doubt it, but it would suit Bassam to say so. According to the latest tweets from Kitcat the greens and the club are working together on long term solutions and that the Albion are also in talks with the universities.

I would expect the key to approval will lie in the additional provision on public transport ie bus/train and p+r rather than stadium adjacent parking. As has been pointed out by quite a few posters the exisiting arrangements seem to be coping pretty well now, so I would suggest there is still some room for an increase in capacity with what we have. Certainly I cannot see 1000 new parking spaces being part of any solution. But who knows? the club haven't even submitted their proposals yet, so no-one actually knows what they are talking about, least of all Steve Bassam.

 

[Acker79]

Ed, thanks for this.

I can't be bothered to wade through all these pages but is the success or failure of the planning application for 8000 seats solely dependent on those car parking spaces? In other words, if people can't park there, then the planning application has to be rejected?

If the ground isn't released, I suspect the application won't go in, unless they find an alternative parking site, or an alternative to parking at all.

 

[algie]

Well Caroline Lucas has tweeted this morning that she supports the expansion 100per cent and that the stadium has been a great success story for the city.

Bassam is being a total tool over this, it's just shameless political point scoring playing to people's preconceptions about what the greens are all about.

Can you give me a link to Lucas tweet page thanks.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Indeed...

CarolineLucas Caroline Lucas
[MENTION=5978]bhafc[/MENTION]tweets For the record, I'm 100% in favour of expansion of the ground - #bhafc is huge success story for city, & I fully support it

In terms of the Green party as a whole Lucas is the organ grinder and the councillors are the monkeys. When it comes to land and planning it's the other way round. All she's doing is protecting her seat at General if her foot soldiers stuff this up. No less political than Lord Bassam.

 

[algie]

Well Caroline Lucas has tweeted this morning that she supports the expansion 100per cent and that the stadium has been a great success story for the city.

Bassam is being a total tool over this, it's just shameless political point scoring playing to people's preconceptions about what the greens are all about.

It's funny how she has tweeted this after this news has reached the front page of the Argus today and will be on local news later. I'm delighted Baasam has brought it to our attention even if it is to score political points.