Planning permission granted

[clapham_gull]

I'm quite excited about the sheep.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

An unusual source for Albion news, I know, but there are a few items of interest ...

Falmer Village

FALMER PARISH COUNCIL
NEWS UPDATE
April 2011

Football Stadium

We have been informed by BHA football club of their intention to submit two planning applications for car parking on the stadium site. This is because they cannot use the Falmer Academy site as they intended, until all the building works there have been completed.

The football club intends to give every household a letter outlining their intentions.

The first application will be to park 650 cars on match days on the small field which is owned by the Bennett family who used to live in the village. This is the field next to the railway line in the corner of the site. Access will be via the traffic light junction and then around the perimeter of the bus and coach park.

The second application is for car parking for 500 cars on the bus and coach interchange where all the porta cabins currently stand. This will be for non match days when there are hospitality events on at the stadium. The planning applications will be submitted to Lewes District Council in the next 2-3 weeks. The Parish Council will be discussing the implications of these planning applications at their next meeting and will advise villagers of their views.

The stadium will be completed at the end of May. In July there will be 5-6 events, each for around 2,000 people to test the workings of the stadium. On July 16th there will be a Sussex Senior cup final for 10,000 as a trial event and then a football friendly match for 17,000 on July 30th again as a trial event. The first real match will be on August 6th. The list of football season fixtures for 2011/2012 comes out on June 6th.

BHA will soon be advertising stadium jobs for catering and stewarding on their website.


Parking

An East Sussex County Council representative informed the Parish Council that a draft response to the January consultation is currently being completed looking at how to deal with parking problems generated by the football stadium. We await the details.


Village Way South

After the completion of the football stadium this field will be farmed again by Peter Lenihan. It will not be suitable for crop growing for at least five years until the land settles, so in the meanwhile Peter intends to keep sheep there.

FPC's response to the second application might be interesting since Martin Perry, following a contention from Melanie Cutress, denied that the club had any intention to do this at the B&H Council Planning Committee meeting in April 2009.

Potentially 650 cars using the A27 Falmer/Univ junction, turning into/out of Village Way before and after the game with all the coaches, B&H buses, x3 P&R buses etc seems like a lot of congestion to me.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Potentially 650 cars using the A27 Falmer/Univ junction, turning into/out of Village Way before and after the game with all the coaches, B&H buses, x3 P&R buses etc seems like a lot of congestion to me.

... as, indeed, it does to the Club's own transport consultants. But they have a cunning traffic management plan that will minimise the impact.

 

[Notters]

FPC's response to the second application might be interesting since Martin Perry, following a contention from Melanie Cutress, denied that the club had any intention to do this at the B&H Council Planning Committee meeting in April 2009.

Potentially 650 cars using the A27 Falmer/Univ junction, turning into/out of Village Way before and after the game with all the coaches, B&H buses, x3 P&R buses etc seems like a lot of congestion to me.

er, it's 1,150, not 650, isn't it?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

er, it's 1,150, not 650, isn't it?

Nope. It's ...

Temporary change of use of land for car parking (up to 650 spaces) for outdoor events at the American Express Community Stadium (to be used no more than 50 times per year).
Land East Of American Express Community Stadium Village Way Falmer East Sussex.

Ref. No: LW/11/0466 | Received: Wed 13 Apr 2011 | Validated: Wed 13 Apr 2011 | Status: Pending Consideration


From the Transport Assessment submitted by the Club:-

3 THE APPLICATION

3.1 Need for the Application

3.1.1 As a result of the current construction activity at the Falmer Academy there will be a
shortfall in parking available at the Academy site in the period up to June 2014.

3.1.2 In order to deliver the minimum requirement for parking within 1.5 km of the Stadium as
defined at Condition 35 of the extant consent, a quantum of alternative temporary
parking is required until the Academy Site becomes fully available.

3.1.3 Our instructions are that some of the shortfall can be made up by retaining an area of
parking within the Academy site and by utilising other existing parking resources at
Southern Water, which is adjacent to the Academy and shares the same access location
from the highway.

3.1.4 However, we are further advised that there will remain a shortfall of up to 650 spaces.

3.1.5 The retention of some parking on Falmer Academy and the further use of Southern
Water, which is immediately adjacent to the Academy site, will result in offsite traffic
impacts which have already been fully considered and found acceptable as part of the
application process that delivered the extant Stadium Consent.

3.1.6 The application which this report supports, would provide up to 650 Temporary Parking
spaces on the land area known as Bennetts Field, adjacent to the Transport Interchange,
which is shown at Plan 4. Access to the land would be taken via the access ramps that
provide for vehicular and pedestrian movement to the concourse. This internal access
would be managed by Stewards as part of the Stadium Stewarding Management Plan.



The other planning application (not yet submitted) will be to use the existing Coach Park for car parking on non-match days.

 

[Titanic]

Won't there be cars using the Brighton University car parks?

 

[AMEXican Wave]

How bad is it for us if LDC refuse permission?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Won't there be cars using the Brighton University car parks?

No. It's the Sussex University car parks that will be used.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

How bad is it for us if LDC refuse permission?

The consequence would be that the Club would fail to meet the conditions laid down in the planning permission that has been given for the stadium.

Condition 35 confirms that the Stadium shall not be brought into use unless and until
details of arrangements for car parking for a minimum of 2,000 and a maximum of 2,200
cars within 1.5 km of the Stadium have been submitted to and approved by the Local
Planning Authority and the said car parking provided.

Condition 35 continues that no Outdoor Event for which these parking spaces are
required in accordance with the Travel Management Plan shall take place unless such
parking spaces are available for use by persons attending the said Outdoor Event.

 

[Titanic]

No. It's the Sussex University car parks that will be used.

OK - thanks.

 

[AMEXican Wave]

The consequence would be that the Club would fail to meet the conditions laid down in the planning permission that has been given for the stadium.

Meaning we'd then have to apply to Brighton and Hove council to get the relevant condition removed?

Or find alternative parking?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Meaning we'd then have to apply to Brighton and Hove council to get the relevant condition removed?

In my opinion, an application to remove that condition would fail.

On top of the planning issue, there would be the "customer care" issue. Where would the cars park?

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

How bad is it for us if LDC refuse permission?

650 cars have to be accommodated elsewhere or the passengers have to get travel to the Amex by other means. If the latter, the club then won't be complying with a condition of the stadium planning consent so this will have to be varied before the stadium can be brought into use.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Or find alternative parking?

Indeed. Within 1.5 km of the stadium, remember.

Bennetts Field IS the alternative parking that has been found.

 

[itszamora]

This scares me slightly.

 

[AMEXican Wave]

This sounds potentially disasterous. Let's hope we've built enough bridges with LDC, or that a plan C for parking can be found.

 

[itszamora]

I guess the thing is that LDC receive absolutely no benefit if the stadium exists but isn't operational. If they think it's an eyesore etc (it's clearly no, but hey) it will be regardless of whether or not it's used. At least if it is used they get the economic benefits from the jobs and whatnot that will be created.

Plus with local elections coming up, would a Lib Dem council risk become even more unpopular than they already are?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

...with local elections coming up, would a Lib Dem council risk become even more unpopular than they already are?

The elections are irrelevant, except insofar as a new council will be elected on Thursday 5 May. The closing date for representations on this application is Friday 6 May. Planning permission can only be granted (or refused) after that date.

 

[Uter]

I'd like to think that this planning application isn't a surprise to LDC and that they have been consulted prior to its submission. Looking at the associated documents a lot of work has gone into this. Seems a bit of a risky strategy if LDC haven't already given an indication that would treat this favourably. I hope this isn't wishful thinking.

 

[Rogero]

I'm quite excited about the sheep.

Only the good looking ones.