Brighton and Hove Albion's plans for a stadium at Falmer have been given a boost by the Countryside Agency.

The body has agreed a boundary for the new South Downs national park which means the stadium site will no longer be considered an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Martin Perry, the football club's chief executive, said today: "It will be de-designated.

"When our opponents say this site is an area of outstanding natural beauty, yes, it is at the moment but the Countryside Agency has recognised there isn't really anything very beautiful about it.

"It means it will become an ordinary development site, which definitely helps our argument."

The Albion faces a hat-trick of inquiries into the stadium scheme, to run concurrently from February 18 next year.

The main inquiry will be heard at the same time as the local plan inquiry and an inquiry into the switching of the transport interchange from Village Way South to Village Way North, sparked by Lewes planners.

The club is spending £600,000 on its case and more than 20 witnesses will give evidence on its behalf, including FA acting chief executive David Davies.

The 22,000-seater stadium is now proposed to be built in one go, instead of in stages, to cut costs and time. Mr Perry said: "We are planning a new campaign early in the New Year.

"The battle for Falmer is not over. We have the biggest battle on our hands starting on the 18th of February."

Albion have scrapped their original plan to build the proposed stadium in four linked stages and instead hope to construct it in one go.

Chief executive Martin Perry said: "We intend to build our community stadium in one hit and as fast as we can. This will prove cheaper and quicker."

Albion hope to start work in summer 2004 and move into their new home by the start of the 2005-6 season.