Stadium plans - the details

The plans for a 22,000 all-seater stadium at Falmer were unveiled on October 11 2001 in two glossy documents at a Press briefing at Withdean Stadium, the club's temporary home.

Two identical planning applications were submitted to Brighton and Hove Council outlining the club's plans to to build on land either at Village Way North or Village Way South.

The club's preferred option remains Village Way North, which is nearer to the A27 and lower lying so would cause less disruption visually.

However, part of the land is owned by the University of Brighton and several issues, notably compensation for the demolition of existing buildings, have not been resolved.

Both the club and the university say they are hopeful of ironing out these potential pitfalls but, as a contingency plan, the Albion have also applied to build an identical stadium at Village Way South, within the proposed South Downs National Park boundary.

Chief executive Martin Perry declared: "It will meet sporting, educational, employment and other worthwhile community needs in Brighton and Hove, the city by the sea, which currently has no modern sporting complex within its boundaries.

"The need for a permanent home for Albion creates an opportunity for the provision of new facilities at Village Way."

Phase one: Two sides, based on the initial Withdean format, with no fans behind the goals and a capacity of 14,318.

The main west stand housing 10,718 seats and a temporary covered east stand of 3,600 incorporating: 32 hospitality boxes; banqueting suite; press, sponsorship and player lounges; club shop and ticket office; study support area and sports medicine unit for University of Brighton.

Phase two: The temporary stand is removed and replaced by a permanent stand with 1,200 square metres of high tech office space underneath and 6,888 seats, raising the overall capacity to 17,606.

Phase three: A north stand with 2,384 seats.

Phase four: A south stand with 2,384 seats, producing a final capacity of 22,374.

Phase one to four will take seven years.

Mr Perry said: "We would hope phase two will follow from phase one in about two and a half years and then there's a gap.

"It's all dependent on raising finance, which will come partly from demand and attendance."

Cost

£29 million for phase one at Village Way North, rising to £44 million on completion of all four stands.

Village Way South is £3 million cheaper.

Mr Perry said: "That difference is not what we are paying the University of Brighton for their land, because other costs are higher."

Albion will raise the money from three main sources:

1. Football Foundation (Saturday's opponents Huddersfield received £3 million towards the Alfred McAlpine Stadium, which cost £30 million)
2. Marketing of the stadium, notably naming rights and corporate hospitality
3. Catering and brewing rights, plus other grants and capital contributions

Stadium Management

A stadium development company will be established as a joint venture between Brighton and Hove City Council and the football club.

Albion will provide the finance so they are the major shareholder, but the council will have a stake for providing the land.

The football club is split into two parts: the playing side and a stadium management company.

Jobs

Jobs for 1,062 people, some in the construction and some in the operation of the stadium.

Post-construction 346 jobs in the club, stadium management company and commercial department.

Once built the stadium will generate an additional £10 million into the local economy per annum.

Transport

Twenty-three per cent of fans expected to get to games by bus or three park-and-ride schemes at Mithras House, Mill Road and Brighton Racecourse.

Twenty-one per cent travel by train, the rest walk, cycle, taxi or are dropped off at the stadium.

Parking at University of Sussex and land used by Falmer High School will provide spaces for 2,200 cars, primarily for season ticket holders.

They will have to purchase a parking season ticket and the cost will be set deliberately high at around £9 per car per game to encourage people to travel together.

There will be new access into the University of Sussex and Falmer High School and a new junction outside the Southern Water premises.

Only 150 car parking spaces will be available on site at Village Way North and 140 at Village Way South.

Mr Perry said: "There will be little or no disruption to residents and access to the village will be properly stewarded to prevent people getting in there."

The stadium is sunk into the ground at both sites, although Village Way North would be lower than Village Way South.

Village Way South includes ten acres of the proposed 400,000-acre site of the South Downs National Park.

Mr Perry said: "There is no difference between the two in terms of ecology and geology.

"Village Way South is further away from Falmer and residential areas, so noise, vibration and light would all be less. All reports on issues such as noise and disturbance show there will be little, if any, impact.

"At Withdean there was an initial fear. Now many residents will tell you they like the excitement of having a stadium there."

Police and Security

Based on the Withdean model. Three operations, centrally controlled, with extensive CCTV coverage.

Albion already spend more than £250,000 a season on security measures at Withdean.

Other Community Benefits

A study support centre, capable of housing 50 children.

Lifelong learning for adults, such as IT skills, operated by the new city college or through the local education authority.

A skills training centre, run by the city college, teaching construction skills and, once the stadium is built, catering, leisure and building maintenance.

A centre of sporting excellence, source of civic pride, landmark, increase in visitors boosting tourism.

Four to six months to reach the council committee stage.

The Secretary of State then decides whether to call the project in for a public inquiry, which is likely to happen and would take approximately a year.

A further six months to get legal and planning agreements in place and confirm funding before planning permission is granted.

Albion hope to move in during the 2004-2005 season.

The deal to stay at Withdean, which expires next season, will be extended to bridge the gap.