The case for Falmer

Brighton and Hove Albion said Falmer was the only viable site for a community stadium in the city. Here, club chairman Dick Knight and chief executive Martin Perry outlined the case for Falmer.

It is hardly surprising Falmer Parish Council should paint a Doomsday scenario for the proposed new community stadium in their locality. They simply don't want it there.

We answer their concerns later in this article, but first let us consider the issue of the stadium from the perspective of the community at large.

Although the lack of a permanent home for Albion is the catalyst that put the proposed new stadium on the local agenda, we believe that the opportunity also arises for the provision of new facilities to meet wider sporting, educational, employment and community needs in Brighton and Hove. The "City by the Sea" currently has no modern arena complex within its boundaries.

After an extensive site search and the production of a detailed sequential analysis report on five potential sites, requested by the council and prepared by the club, the site at Village Way North, Falmer, was identified as being the most suitable.

The council agreed with this finding and consequently has allocated the Falmer site for a community stadium, subject to planning approvals, in its new Draft Local Plan. Falmer presents a genuine opportunity to meet the overall objectives of the club's vision.

Brighton has the potential to be a great sporting City by the Sea.

Our vision is to create not just a home for Brighton and Hove Albion but a jewel on the South Coast, a focus for sport, sports development and other community activities.

This dynamic hub will:

1. Strengthen links between football and the local community
2. Offer new facilities for increased public participation in a range of sports
3. Serve as a centre for sporting excellence
4. Provide coaching and development, from grass roots training to the specialised coaching and development of talented sportsmen and women
5. Become a multi-purpose, year-round sports and recreation destination
6. Create jobs, provide education and regeneration opportunities and other worthwhile community benefits
7. Provide opportunities for the Albion to expand its already extensive work in the community through our football in the community programmes and centres of excellence

When the new Riverside cricket ground in Durham hosted its first Test match in 2000, an article in The Observer summed up our goal for the South Coast.

It said: "Yesterday was a big day for a ground that eight years ago was a farming field before being transformed into the first ground ever purpose-built for first class cricket in this country.

"Chester-le-Street was a new experience . . . the capacity crowd were watching intently . . . this was the national team's first international on a ground which was always designed to be a jewel of the North-East.

"This was a crowd that wanted to say 'We've come this far'. This was more than a game of cricket. This was hotels booked out for miles around and the attraction of £3 million to £4 million into the regional economy. A statement, too, for all sport in the North East."

The Planning case for Falmer

The site has a number of advantages:

1. It can accommodate both a stadium and the other outdoor and indoor community sports facilities envisaged
2. It includes land owned by Brighton and Hove Council, the Universities of Brighton and Sussex and Falmer High School (an Education Action Zone school) and used for education, sport, training and research but also is accessed by third parties primarily for sports use
3. Albion's football in the community and women and girls' programmes already use the site for their activities
4. It is adjacent to the area of East Brighton which is zoned for Government grant assistance under the New Deal for the Communities scheme
5. It is earmarked under the existing Brighton Local Plan for development linked with the universities
6. It is adjacent to the academic corridor in Brighton which has recently been granted assisted area status by the European Union
7. It is well served by public transport, both the A27 and Falmer station are adjacent to the site, and bus services can be expanded to cater for the additional demand for public transport.

Transportation strategy

The strategy is based on the successful model used at Withdean, including:

1. An innovative, all-inclusive match ticketing system operated in conjunction with all the local transport operators, giving free public transport to and from the stadium
2. Three park-and-ride sites at Mill Road, Mithras House and Brighton Racecourse, served by shuttle buses to and from the stadium
3. An effective cordon system to protect Falmer village and the areas of Moulsecoomb and Coldean
4. Limited car parking on site to deter trips by private car, minimising the impact on traffic flows on the B2123 and in Rottingdean and Woodingdean
5. Increased train capacity and rail shuttles between Brighton and Lewes serving Falmer station.

Environmental assessment

The assessment for Falmer demonstrates that:

1. The proposals involve little adverse impact on the local ecology
2. There will be no significant impact on local groundwater or surface water
3. There will be no residual effect on the soils or geology of the area
4. There will be no significant deterioration in air quality caused by the development
5. The residual effects of noise sources from the stadium will not be significant other than for concert use.
6. These one-off events are limited by local authority licensing controls
7. The environmental impact will be of low to medium significance and will be enhanced by good design and mitigated by the use of a construction phase environmental management plan
8. A number of the environmental effects will be of positive benefit through improvements of the local landscape.

The community case for Falmer

1. Economic benefits
2. A permanent home for the Albion
3. Opportunities for increased public participation in football and other sports at all levels, from grass roots to professional, providing new places to play
4. New facilities and training opportunities to improve standards in football and other sports
5. Sports science and sports medicine research and development
6. On completion the stadium complex will generate a contribution of £10 million per annum to the local economy of Brighton and Hove
7. The stadium complex will attract in excess of 370,000 additional visitors per year to the City by the Sea.

Employment

1. 500 construction jobs during a four-phase construction programme
2. More than 400 new permanent or full-time equivalent jobs in the stadium complex, representing a decrease in unemployment in the area of 0.5 per cent
3. Multiplier effects in the local and regional economy will create significant further employment.
4. Catering services at the stadium require support services from a supply chain of food and beverage producers, who will generate an increase in turnover leading to further employment opportunities within the wider regional economy
5. An easing of seasonal employment fluctuations currently experienced in the towns.

Education for all ages

1. A creche and playzone facility in the stadium complex, also serving the universities and existing health and fitness centre
2. A learning hub designed to cater for children through the Learning Through Football programme
3. Facilities for adult and lifelong learning programmes.
4. Skills training centre established in partnership with the main contractor for the construction project and local colleges, to teach constructional skills
5. Training centre used for facilities management, catering, stewards and job training.

Conclusion

The fans are desperate for a permanent home

The need for a new home for Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club creates a unique opportunity. It is an opportunity to create a public sector/private sector partnership between the council, the club, the education sectors in Brighton and Hove and other sports and community partners, all of whom can share in this landmark sporting facility.

Claims and realities of a Falmer stadium

There has been a war of words between Falmer Parish Council and Brighton and Hove Council. Here are some of the claims and the realities.

Claim There is no partnership with the universities.
Reality Both Brighton and Sussex Universities have remained in dialogue and together with the club are now in detailed discussions, led by Brighton and Hove Council, to resolve the outstanding issues.

Claim The eight-acre site is too small. No modern stadium built in recent years has been on a site less than 12.5 acres.
Reality The planned stadium area at Falmer is 17.05 acres.

Claim Stadiums also see about 56 other large-scale events per year, including pop concerts for 35,000 fans, to help finance them.
Reality Apart from football matches, the business plan is based on only two large-scale events per year where the attendance is likely to exceed 13,000.

Claim A stadium at Falmer would be generating traffic and transport problems seven days a week.
Reality Most day-to-day uses of the stadium are inside the buildings and attended at most by a few hundred people. The impact of the existing heavy weekday traffic at Falmer will be minimal.

Claim As the site is so small there is no room for a stadium car park.
Reality Limited parking will be provided. The transportation strategy in the planning application demonstrates how the balance of travel is provided, including three satellite park-and-ride sites.

Claim People like to arrive near kick-off time and leave at the final whistle. The car is the main means of transport.
Reality In a modern stadium with good facilities for spectators, it is proven that the arrival times and leaving times are extended. Fans arrive early to make use of the amenities and stay after the match. The transportation strategy is based on a proven shift away from the private car towards the use of public transport and the park-and-ride facilities. At Withdean, car policies have resulted in 75 per cent of spectators travelling by public transport or sustainable means. At Falmer the strategy is based on a minimum target of 55 per cent of spectators using public/sustainable means of transport.

Claim Falmer station is small. At the end of a match fans would be penned up for two and a half hours waiting for trains. Who wants to wait? How would the crowds be held?
Reality The rail operating company is introducing new rolling stock next year, increasing the capacity of the trains. The maximum waiting time after a match will be 30 minutes. Currently the bus and train companies have a target to get all fans away from Withdean within 35 minutes. In the main they achieve this target and it is accepted by fans as a reasonable waiting period. At Falmer the fans will wait in covered circulation areas with good facilities for food and refreshment and will steadily be filtered through to the station. Fans of both teams normally mix safely outside a stadium. They travel on the same buses from Withdean.

Claim It would take 60 double-deckers to drive 6,000 fans from Brighton to Falmer.
Reality The park-and-ride sites will be served by 30 buses which, with repeat trips, the bus companies have confirmed is an adequate number.

Claim Where will the buses safely unload and pick up?
Reality From a specially-built drop-off/pick-up area.

Claim The A27 at Falmer is already the busiest stretch of the Brighton bypass. The B2123 to Woodingdean and Rottingdean is also struggling with the volume of traffic and this road is the only access to the proposed stadium.
Reality Because car parking at Falmer is limited and the majority of supporters will arrive via park-and-ride or public transport, no road improvements to the B2123 are necessary. Traffic will be drawn away to the park-and-ride sites and the impact on Woodingdean and Rottingdean will be minimal.

Claim At Withdean, the football club has exhorted fans to be on their best behaviour and use public transport. But more and more people park outside the exclusion zone and walk to the stadium in a few minutes.
Reality The Football Licensing Authority has confirmed that the standards of behaviour at Withdean are among the highest they have witnessed. As part of the recent planning permission granted to increase the capacity at Withdean, the council considered whether it was necessary to extend the area of the parking cordon but have taken the view that since the extent of parking outside the cordon is not significant, this measure is unnecessary.

Claim It remains to be seen whether the club can raise the money to construct the stadium.
Reality The vision is for a community stadium with the club working in partnership with the council and the education sector. This gives access to a wide range of funding and grant opportunities.

Claim Falmer is a greenfield site which lies in the South Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Reality The quality of land within the AONB in the vicinity of the stadium has changed substantially since the original designation of the AONB boundary in 1966. This change is largely due to the construction of the A27 dual carriageway and the interchange at Falmer. These road and junction works have had a harmful environmental impact upon this part of the AONB. The proposed stadium will enhance the visual quality of the area.

Claim After almost two years of waiting it is time for the Albion to produce their planning application or admit they cannot do it.
Reality The club has completed the preparation of the planning application which includes a detailed transportation strategy and environmental assessment. The application will be submitted when the negotiations between the potential stakeholders are completed.

So who will benefit from the plan and why?

Here are the stakeholders in the Falmer project and other potential sporting and community beneficiaries.

Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club

Needs/benefits:
Permanent home that will allow growth in attendances and improvement in Football League status. Stadium that will cater for changing football market. Youth development. Training and playing facilities for women and girls' football development. Expansion of existing Football in the Community, schools and special needs coaching programme. Junior match pitches.

University of Brighton
Needs/benefits:
New facilities to realise the university's objectives of its Strategy For Sport And Recreation. New sports hall facilities to support development of key sports within the Sussex Active Sport Plan and University of Brighton House of Sport. Sports science/sports medicine facilities in association with Chelsea School. All-weather playing pitch. Training facilities for students and associated public use. Conference facilities in association with university residences.

University of Sussex
Needs/benefits:
Additional sporting/training facilities (as above). Performance enhancement/ incentives to attract higher calibre students. New road access.

Falmer High School
Needs/benefits:
Increased participation in sport. All-weather playing pitch. Hard court/ multi-play area for alternative sports. Raise educational standards and achievement levels.

Brighton and Hove Council
Sport strategy - needs/benefits:
Implementation and enhancement of Brighton and Hove sports development strategy; in particular youth coaching opportunities in key sports. East Brighton Community/New Deal - needs/benefits: Increased participation in sport as part of Healthy Living programmes. Life-long learning programmes. Skills training in a purpose-built local learning centre. New jobs.

SRB/Assisted Areas
needs/benefits:
Regeneration.

Other beneficiaries
Sport England: Logical HQ in South-East region, new accommodation in University of Brighton House of Sport, increased participation in sport and improved standards.
Disabled Service: Access to sport, increased participation in sport and good spectating facilities.
Learning and Skills Council: Education facilities for 16+ and a focused contribution to Life-long Learning Partnerships' Local Plan.