A countryside watchdog says the environment secretary should decide whether Albion's proposed new stadium can be built.

The Sussex Downs Conservation Board's planning committee is being advised to object "most strongly" to both of the proposed sites, at Village Way North and Village Way South at Falmer, north of Brighton.

Members will be asked on Monday to back the rare step of insisting on the board's right to speak when Brighton and Hove City Council considers granting planning permission.

They will be advised to ask a future environment secretary to make a final decision on the stadium, following a public inquiry.

The watchdog's comments come after the Albion submitted two planning applications for the stadium to Brighton and Hove City Council.

One is for the original site at Village Way North, the other nearby but further inside the Sussex Downs area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), at Village Way South.

The watchdog says building at either site would represent "one of the biggest developments ever to be proposed" in the AONB, with only the Brighton bypass having more impact.

Building the stadium at Falmer would be contrary to national, regional and local planning guidance, which aims to protect AONBs from development, the watchdog says.

The stadium would dominate the eastern approaches to Brighton and Hove and would be visible over downland from as far away as Ditchling Beacon.

The board says it is not satisfied there are no alternative sites and is concerned the Albion would eventually apply for further development.

Martin Small, planning officer for the board, said: "I don't consider this to be a matter of national significance. I consider it to be very much a locally- based facility but we are talking about an important landscape.

"It is undoubtedly a very major development."

Brighton and Hove City Council has not yet set a date to consider the planning application.