A parish council has added funding to a legal challenge against Brighton and Hove Albion's plans for a stadium at Falmer.

Rottingdean Parish Council is donating £2,500 to the fighting fund to help Lewes District Council's legal bid.

A report in this month's edition of parish magazine Rottingdean News says: "If the stadium is built in Falmer, the traffic along the Rottingdean High Street on match days will be horrendous.

"Also, to pay its way, the stadium would be the venue for many pop concerts, bringing much more traffic through Rottingdean.

"We are speaking of a stadium holding 22,5000 people, many of whom would pass through our village and up the Falmer Road.

"A small but precious bit of downland, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and hopefully to be included in the South Downs National Park, would be lost forever. A precedent would be set for encroachment on the Downs."

Lewes District Council could face a £160,000 legal bill after it announced that it was taking legal action in the High Court to block the football club's Falmer stadium Following a public inquiry, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott ruled in October that a stadium could be built in Falmer, which stands in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

But Lewes District Council, supported by Falmer Parish Council, the South Downs Society and with funding from the South Downs Joint Committee, has launched proceedings for a judicial review of the decision.

It says Mr Prescott's reasoning was flawed.

Both sides have appointed QCs to represent them at a two-day hearing of written evidence that is expected to take place in the summer.

Now Rottingdean Parish Council has announced it is making a contribution to Lewes's legal challenge.

The parish council held a vote on whether to donate to the legal fund and, by majority vote, it was decided to give the £2,500.

The magazine article added: "We hope the judge will determine that the Deputy Prime Minister has broken planning law and must think again."

Brighton and Hove City Councillor Lynda Hyde, who represents Rottingdean, said: "I'm aware the council decided to do this.

"They have been elected to represent Rottingdean so they can make this decision."