Council blasted for Falmer press ban

8:25pm Wednesday 8th August 2007

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A council has come under fire for its controversial decision to ban The Argus from a public meeting to discuss the proposed Falmer stadium.

Falmer Parish Council has pledged to hold a secret meeting to debate whether to launch a High Court appeal against the Government's decision to grant Brighton and Hove Albion planning permission for the £50 million development.

The matter was set to be discussed during a parish council meeting at the village hall in Falmer on Tuesday, but was adjourned once officials realised The Argus was present.

Councillors then said the meeting would eventually take place "in someone's house" and "not in a public place". A villager also physically blocked reporter Simon Barrett's path back into the public building.

The move has sparked outrage among stadium campaigners, Albion fans and MPs who have all urged the council not to oppose the plans.

Paul Samrah, the chairman of the Falmer For All campaign, said the clandestine nature of the meeting brought back memories of the "cloak and dagger" David Bellotti and Bill Archer regime during the club's final years at the Goldstone Ground before it was sold.

He said: "Falmer Parish Council is behaving like a trapped rabbit with nowhere left to turn. The councillors are not making it easy for themselves and are fast losing any credibility they once had.

"All we want is to work together with these people, but secret meetings and the like just raises the temperature and inflames opinion. It is ludicrous and they really are playing with fire.

"It reminds me of the Archer era when there were numerous meetings like this and confusion reigned. It has been eight years now, and the time has come to accept the decision and make it work for everyone."

Opponents have until September 4 to try to derail the development and the decision of the parish council is seen as the final hurdle in Albion's marathon journey for a new home.

The parish council has a duty under two Government acts to hold meetings in public, unless the matter is deemed confidential and a resolution to exclude the public is put forward. The law does not allow councils to remove any particular member of the press or public - even if they don't like them.

There were celebrations among stadium supporters last week when Lewes District Council announced it would not appeal. Lewes MP Norman Baker, who opposed the scheme, has also called for opponents to accept the Government's verdict.

David Lepper, the MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: "This behaviour is certainly not in the spirit of democracy. This is a matter of great public concern, not just for those who live in the Falmer parish but for people in Brighton and Hove and right across Sussex.

"I think to discuss such an important matter in private is a mean-minded and silly decision. The district council have accepted the stadium is going to be built and it is now time for the parish council to follow suit."

Parish councillors say they could ballot villagers on whether to appeal. They have also mooted the possibility of forming a coalition alongside the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the South Downs Society.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears approved plans for the 22,500 seat arena last month. If no appeal is brought, Albion hope to kick off the 2010/11 season in their new home.

The original decision to grant permission, made by John Prescott in 2005, was quashed in the High Court after it was revealed he made a mistake in the wording of the document.