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01-02-2005, 10:15 AM
Brighton stadium inquiry restarts
The public inquiry into Brighton and Hove Albion's attempt to build a new stadium resumes on today.
Interested parties will visit nine alternative sites put forward by deputy prime minister John Prescott when he adjourned the inquiry last July.
The football club wants to build a 22,000-seater ground on land at Falmer but the plan is opposed by villagers. The planned stadium would be three times the size of Withdean.
Fans and the club have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund the ongoing inquiry process.
Backed by MPs
The club has been without a permanent home since the Goldstone Ground closed in 1997.
The Seagulls now play home games at Withdean - a 7,000 capacity athletics arena in Brighton.
Planning permission for the planned ground at Falmer was submitted in 2001 and the scheme has been backed by the city council, local MPs and many local residents.
The public inquiry into the scheme started in 2003 and has twice been adjourned without a decision.
Fans have appealed directly to John Prescott for a 'yes' verdict
Mr Prescott had been expected to give a verdict last July but instead announced another delay.
He outlined seven other sites in the city which had to be examined as alternative homes for a new stadium, with a further two added to the list since.
The football club has spent more than £300,000 hiring planning, environmental, traffic and safety experts to look at the feasibility of each of the other sites.
Chief executive Martin Parry said on the club's website: "We have come to the same conclusion we did in 1999 - which was confirmed by the city council.
"Falmer is the best site within Brighton and Hove for our new stadium.
"We're confident that Mr Prescott will come to the same conclusion."
After Tuesday's tour of proposed sites, experts will begin giving evidence to the government inspector at Brighton Town Hall on Wednesday.
Taken from the BBC news site....
The fans want Falmer because realisticly it is the only place for the stadium to go! They already have their training ground there next to the university
The public inquiry into Brighton and Hove Albion's attempt to build a new stadium resumes on today.
Interested parties will visit nine alternative sites put forward by deputy prime minister John Prescott when he adjourned the inquiry last July.
The football club wants to build a 22,000-seater ground on land at Falmer but the plan is opposed by villagers. The planned stadium would be three times the size of Withdean.
Fans and the club have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund the ongoing inquiry process.
Backed by MPs
The club has been without a permanent home since the Goldstone Ground closed in 1997.
The Seagulls now play home games at Withdean - a 7,000 capacity athletics arena in Brighton.
Planning permission for the planned ground at Falmer was submitted in 2001 and the scheme has been backed by the city council, local MPs and many local residents.
The public inquiry into the scheme started in 2003 and has twice been adjourned without a decision.
Fans have appealed directly to John Prescott for a 'yes' verdict
Mr Prescott had been expected to give a verdict last July but instead announced another delay.
He outlined seven other sites in the city which had to be examined as alternative homes for a new stadium, with a further two added to the list since.
The football club has spent more than £300,000 hiring planning, environmental, traffic and safety experts to look at the feasibility of each of the other sites.
Chief executive Martin Parry said on the club's website: "We have come to the same conclusion we did in 1999 - which was confirmed by the city council.
"Falmer is the best site within Brighton and Hove for our new stadium.
"We're confident that Mr Prescott will come to the same conclusion."
After Tuesday's tour of proposed sites, experts will begin giving evidence to the government inspector at Brighton Town Hall on Wednesday.
Taken from the BBC news site....
The fans want Falmer because realisticly it is the only place for the stadium to go! They already have their training ground there next to the university