*** Ultra-Important for Falmer - read and act NOW ***

[Storer68]

I've just e-mailed this to Barbara Cassani (Lead of the London 2012 Olympic bid) telling her of the possible rejection of a smaller sports stadium in the SE. Would look good to the IOC I'm Sure.

Dear Ms Cassani
I think the bid for London 2012 is a wonderful thing and offer it my whole hearted support.

However, just 50 miles away from your proposed Olympic Stadium, we are attempting to gain a community stadium in Brighton and Hove, which will provide sporting facilities for many many years to come.

This has been dealt a body blow in the last 24 hours by a Government appointed Planning Inspector's report saying that it should not be included in the Local Plan. The Stadium has the overwhelming backing of the City Council who voted 11-1 in its favour, the proposal was set before the population of Brighton and Hove in a referendum which came out conclusively in its favour, and yet this is decision could well spell the end of top level sport in Sussex.

If this happens rest assured it will have alarming repercussions on the London Olympic bid as the Government will have effectively refused permission for a sporting stadium well within the impact area of the Olympics.

Because of this, I am urging you to write to the Deputy prime Minister supporting the City's need for this stadium which will allow sporting excellence to flourish in the South of England.

Yours sincerely

 

[Lush]

Good one Storer

 

[Kneon Light]

Thanks to Bobby's Gull there are currently over 150 letters on the way to Mr Prescott. Many kids at school have taken them home for their parents also. Working in a school the letters are from people who support a range of clubs.

Have e-mailed everyone I know and a number of them have already e-mailed JP. (including at least 1 palace fan)

 

[Deadly Danson]

50 letters printed off ready for work tomorrow. Together we will win!!.

 

[portlock seagull]

50 individual letters on their way today (and 1 per envelope) having rallied everyone at work. Probably at least another 30 gone from friends and family I've pestered today via email - sent a choice of 3 proforma-syle letters for them to pick from and edit with their own details.

If 2 of us can get that many so quickly then if everyone does likewise........come on! No time, no excuses, do it now.

 

[Dover]

Only found out this evening. Both myself and Krispies are writing and e mailing. Will get Dover fans to do their bit.

We will win. Falmer will be ours.

 

[East Preston Gull]

Done and Done

E-mail's done

Prescott
Tony Blair's office
Argus
Sky
BBC
Talksport

 

[Nobby Lawton]

Sorry everybody - only found out at lunchtime driving - have now sent letter and E-mailed



Keep the bloody faith

 

[b.w.2.]

Thank you, LB, for your clarifications...

When do you think the council will respond to the inspector's less than well considered words?...

I know Kenny Bodfish has already tried to head this off, but will the council provide an official response, and soon?...

 

[Crisp]

Email sent and letter ready to post tomorrow

 

[SeagullSimon]

Email sent and letter in post

 

[b.w.2.]

10 others... sorted...

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Done. Will see if I can get anyone else to do so as well. Will anyone be taking letters to Wycombe to get their fans to sign?

The Right Hon. John Prescott MP
Deputy Prime Minister
26 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2WH

Dear Mr Prescott

CITY OF BRIGHTON AND HOVE LOCAL PLAN

I am writing to you concerning the Public Inquiry into a stadium at Falmer, Brighton which you are currently overseeing.

I am writing to urge you to reject the conclusions of the Local Plan Inspector, following his inspection of Brighton & Hove’s Local Plan.

Of particular note, I would like to highlight some important issues that appear to have been overlooked in the Local Plan Inspector’s report. The planning application clearly demonstrated the need Brighton & Hove Albion has for a new stadium. The club is currently playing in a local athletics stadium (Withdean) in a residential area, and only has permission to play there for a certain length of time. For the club to have to remain there would go back on promises made to residents that this was only a temporary arrangement. In addition, the club has to make large payments every match to the stadium’s facilities management company, depriving it of revenue which would be its own were it to have its own stadium.

The report has overlooked evidence of the national importance of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club and its importance to the local economy. The proposed development would provide a huge number of jobs (estimated at 1000) and opportunities for education and skills training. The club has recently begun providing this at Withdean and this would be greatly expanded at Falmer. The development would greatly benefit the wards of Moulsecoomb, East Brighton and Hollingbury, three of the most deprived wards in the whole of Brighton and Hove.

The report does not recognise the very real difficulties of finding a suitable site in the Brighton & Hove area. The site at Falmer had the least impact of any of the very few potential sites for a stadium in the Brighton & Hove area, particularly regarding transport. The club has put together an innovative sustainable transport scheme, so that the vast majority of fans would arrive by means other than private vehicles. Park and Ride schemes will be located well away from the stadium, and Falmer Station is adjacent to the stadium site. Reducing private vehicle use has always been one of your Government’s main priorities.

Several other sites have been looked at, and have been rejected as unsuitable. The Inspector suggests that the club should look at Sheepcote Valley and the Brighton Station site. Access to the Sheepcote Valley site is poor – there is no railway station nearby, which would make it very difficult to produce a sustainable transport scheme. A stadium on this site would lead to greatly increased traffic in Woodingdean Village, and possibly in Rottingdean, where the roads are very narrow. The Brighton Station site is too small, and has other applications pending on it.

The report does not reflect the overwhelming public support for the stadium project at Falmer and the detailed consultation process that took place prior to selecting the site. 62,000 people signed a petition in favour of the proposed development, and over 45,000 voted in favour in a referendum held by the Council at the same time as the 1999 elections.

I trust you will not overlook the evidence provided at the Public Inquiry, the bulk of which seems to have been ignored by the Local Plan Inspector in his report, and finally give the people of Brighton and Hove the sporting facility it is so desperately missing.

I have also sent a hard copy of this letter to Mr Prescott.

Yours sincerely,

 

[Eddie the Seagull]

Thanks to Bobby's Gull there are currently over 150 letters on the way to Mr Prescott. Many kids at school have taken them home for their parents also. Working in a school the letters are from people who support a range of clubs.

Have e-mailed everyone I know and a number of them have already e-mailed JP. (including at least 1 palace fan)

Have emailed a draft letter to all my 72 'buddies' to send on - I can't compete with my sisters, (Bobby's Gull), 150, though.

There again, she is always calling me 'Billy no-mates'!

A good terms work, me thinks! LOL!

 

[Oval Gull]

forgive me for sounding very confused about this, but i really am today. i didn't even know that there were two reports being processed, and to help us do something about this outrage that shows consideration of the facts we need somebody, urgently please (lord b?) to set out in simple layman's terms exactly what has happened. i'm in a bit of a rage here and perhaps that's not helping to understand the circumstances...can somebody help? blasting off mails is one thing, knowing you've hit the target another. HELP PLEASE

I got my letter in the post by 5pm today...I know it has been posted elsewhere, but can look better if you are writing to someone like the Deputy PM to address letters to "The Rt Hon John Prescott MP" rather than "Mr Prescott".

One question though...with regards to this report that has just come out. The club must have thought "hang on, there's this other bloke sitting there in Hove Town Hall writing a report as at the same time as the inspector conducting the main planning inquiry, what happens if this other bloke writes something bad as part of his report on the local plan? We need to get the fans to lobby him/his boss as well"

Did the club ever ask people to write to the inspector/his boss separately or was there no need as the referendum and letters of support to Prescott, support of the Councillors had already covered this eventuality?

I realise this is all with the benefit of hindsight, and am sure there is a good answer, so will now shut it and continue to hassle others to get writing letters of support for Falmer.

 

[Hunting 784561]

One question though...with regards to this report that has just come out. The club must have thought "hang on, there's this other bloke sitting there in Hove Town Hall writing a report as at the same time as the inspector conducting the main planning inquiry, what happens if this other bloke writes something bad as part of his report on the local plan? We need to get the fans to lobby him/his boss as well"

I think the Argus were right when they said it would be highly unusual if the 2 inspectors working closely together 'didnt have the same opinion'....Im amazed no one saw this coming.

 

[Lord Cornwallis]

I am gutted to hear about this latest twist in the never ending quest for Falmer.
Can some one pop round and kick me in the balls to make me feel better?
E-mail sent, letter ain't going to make it in time.

 

[Shankly Seagull]

I've sent two different letters to JP and emailed 8 other people.

I've got a few friends writing in too - maybe half a dozen.

 

[Spicy]

I agree it is unbelievable. Letters and e mail sent. I only hope that the decision has been made and that this latest report has been a waste of time for the inspectors concerned.

 

[Legend]

Letters and emails sent by all family and some friends so far.