A public inquiry into Brighton and Hove Albion's proposed stadium will cost council taxpayers at least £250,000.

Councillors will be asked tomorrow to allocate the cash to cover the city council's costs at the hearing into the Falmer scheme.

The 22,374-seat stadium was approved in principle by the planning committee at a meeting in June.

The Government decided to call it in for a public inquiry which will start next year and last weeks.

Deputy chief executive Alan McCarthy said: "There are likely to be significant costs for the council associated with the proposed stadium development, both in terms of processing the project and in particular the planning inquiry."

Allocating the cash now would enable officials to get on with preparation work.

Mr McCarthy said: "The timing of the inquiry means detailed work needs to be undertaken immediately and cannot be accommodated from within existing departmental resources."

The council is in favour of the stadium, planned for a site at Village Way North, but opposition is expected from residents and conservationists.

Both sides will be legally represented and will call expert witnesses to put their case before a planning inspector who will then report to the Government.

Opposition Tory leader, councillor Brian Oxley, said the council had been hazy on giving details of the financial applications.

He said: "It is a huge amount of money and we will be asking questions about it at the meeting."

Albion supporter Adrian Newnham, co-ordinator of the Falmer For All campaign, said: "Whenever consultants and lawyers get involved there are always going to be huge costs.

"It is unfortunate the costs will be levied against parties such as the council and the club but they have to prepare their case.

"The objectors will also have to put up huge costs for their evidence.

"The inquiry will give everyone a chance to have their say, in front of an impartial set of people.

"It will show up all the ridiculous comments from the opponents who say the process has been biased against them."

John Woodruff, landlord of the Swan pub in Falmer, collected a petition of more than 2,000 people opposed to the plans.

He said: "This huge cost could perhaps have been avoided if they put the stadium somewhere else.

"A stadium is needed but this location just isn't feasible. We're all opposed on environmental grounds."