Greens against Falmer

The Green Party's councillors in Brighton and Hove were opposed to a new stadium in Falmer at either Village Way North or the alternative site at Village Way South.

They argued that the referendum was flawed and the ballot paper should have included other possible sites.

The Green Party supported the Albion's move to Withdean in 1999 and praised the club's efforts to meet residents' concerns and transport issues. But Falmer was unsuitable, they said, and an alternative home should be found for the Albion - possibly at a redeveloped Withdean.

Here, the Green Party group of councillors give their view on the community stadium.

We agree that a community stadium would be a much needed addition to the sports resource of the city, and that Brighton & Hove Albion and their supporters will be best served by a new stadium.

We have been arguing for nearly a year that the plans to build a stadium at Falmer were stalled and fans were being led up the garden path. The fact that there was a reported £10 million funding gap means that there is a clear division between what the club says it needs and what it can afford, even without paying the going rate for the land.

It would be our contention that the club should revisit its initial specifications for a stadium and consider a smaller project, which it may be better able to fund.

Whilst we believe the council has an important part to play in encouraging and facilitating the club, we are cautious that tax-payers' money should not be used to bolster what is in essence a commercial scheme, with the inherent financial risk that would carry.

As councillors we have a duty to all citizens and must discharge that responsibility without undue favour to any particular faction. We understand the stadium is an emotive issue to Albion supporters, but equally we must consider all viewpoints in this matter. We would do well to learn from the mistakes of other stadia which have not worked, such as Oxford.

As far as Falmer is concerned we do not consider either of the two sites which have been mentioned as a suitable location for a stadium.

Firstly, the area is classified and protected by AONB status.

Secondly, the environmental impact in terms of traffic generation, air and visual pollution is unacceptable, especially so in the case of the Village Way South site which is further up the hill, rendering any stadium there visible over a wide distance (ie Ditchling Beacon and beyond).

Finally, the club is on record as saying it will not fund improvements to Falmer rail station, which is currently only a four-carriage stop platform, which will mean that an extra unacceptable level of car journeys will create further traffic chaos.

Supporters of Falmer point to the referendum result as being a mandate - this is not the case. The referendum was fundamentally flawed, insofar as it gave no other option other than to support a stadium at Falmer - the 'Yes' campaign made a great play of saying 'no Falmer, no football'.

There should have been an option to select another site(s) on the ballot paper, and because there wasn't we do not consider the result valid.

As regards another site, this will depend on the new specification. Earlier this year we publicly offered to meet with the club and supporters to discuss the possibility of Withdean Stadium being redeveloped, but our offers were not taken up.

It remains our contention that Withdean offers enough space, after demolition of the existing pub and gym, to accommodate a large stadium, and is well served by public transport.

It is a matter for genuine sadness to us that ambitious politicians have stirred up the loyalty of fans into believing all they had to do to get a new home for the Albion was to vote in the referendum and they'd get one.

The doubts and difficulties that have come to light in recent weeks already existed in May 1999 when the then leader of the council Steve Bassam made a promise which there was no way he could keep.

Green councillors are naturally anxious to see a new home for the Albion, but believe that Falmer was always an unrealistic proposition, and now look forward to the opportunity of contributing to the process of developing an alternative proposal.