Planning Application Put into Perspective
Posted on: Mon 15 Sep 2008 (seagulls.co.uk)
Albion bosses, chairman Dick Knight and chief-executive Martin Perry, have moved quickly to put the report in today's Argus (Shock Revamp for Falmer) into proper perspective.
The club issued the following statement at lunchtime today:
The newspaper reports the stadium will be 50 per cent bigger. This is a misleading statement, considering the site's footprint remains the same, the height of the stadium is unaltered, and the capacity - 22,500 - is unchanged.
Changes in legislation have resulted in a huge increase in the space needed for visitor circulation - including the concourse areas - and this has forced a complete redesign of the stadium interior, but does not affect the overall footprint.
The report does correctly state the costs have risen by £10 million to £60 million, a direct legacy of the ten-year battle for planning permission. Costs having risen sharply, particularly in the past eighteen months.
Since the original application was lodged in 2001 there have been other changes in legislation, including disability access and safety regulations. When the original plans were given the green light by the government, the club announced then that the plans would be adjusted in the light of these changes.
Two key factors for fans are that this application does not have to be approved for us to begin work on site. The first activity on site will be to widen Village Way and permission for this has already been given.
Secondly, because the changes do not affect the overall size of the site, the location, the usage nor the capacity, there is no chance this application will be called in by the Government.
The club expects the new application to be heard by the council in December/January and is confident it will be approved. It would be totally perverse for the hopes and expectations for the stadium of many thousands in this community were to be put in jeopardy yet again.
In the meantime, the last fortnight has seen significant progress with both the council and the University of Brighton on the legal agreements and in negotiations with the building contractors, and the club expects to announce the preferred choice soon.
cuntress says they are going to fight again
Good to see Perry sidestep the issue of the money. Again.
I just hope it's HER money she's going to be effectively throwing in the bin.cuntress says they are going to fight again
if the club are expecting the council to hear our application in December/January, are we allowed to start building in December like Perry has stated in the past, or arer we to expect another delay??
Given the club seem to be struggling to come up with the funds for the stadium it would be convenient for this planning app to drag on a bit. It would save a bit of Perry's face.
cuntress says they are going to fight again
Given the club seem to be struggling to come up with the funds for the stadium it would be convenient for this planning app to drag on a bit. It would save a bit of Perry's face.
Don't be so bloody stoopid.
I've just seen and heard Mr Perry on the news. I'm glad he is confident of this getting through planning. The stadium was partially sold on the fact it would blend it into the downs with grass covered slopes as each end. It is now a stand alone stadium. The grassy slopes each end of the ground have now been removed and replaced with extra office space. I'm not quite sure how UEFA legislation specifies the need for this.
I think we can start excuvating the land in december whatever happens, I would imagine with all the mud and chalk they have to remove that will take months. The detailed application will have to be approved before they actually start building anything. That is of course based on no knowledge at all, just what I've read on here.if the club are expecting the council to hear our application in December/January, are we allowed to start building in December like Perry has stated in the past, or arer we to expect another delay??
Why am I being stupid?
Why am I being stupid?
I think we can start excuvating the land in december whatever happens, I would imagine with all the mud and chalk they have to remove that will take months. The detailed application will have to be approved before they actually start building anything. That is of course based on no knowledge at all, just what I've read on here.