A landowner offering an alternative site for Brighton and Hove Albion's new stadium has been accused of trying to cash-in on the club's homelessness.

The owners of Toad's Hole Valley say Albion can have eight hectares of land for the 22,000-seat arena free of charge.

But the deal only stands if Brighton and Hove City Council agrees to grant planning permission to build a money-spinning business park on the rest of the greenfield site in Hove. Otherwise, the land will cost the Seagulls £4 million.

Chartered Surveyor Robert Stiles was giving evidence on behalf of site owners JW Cook Estates and Pecla Investments on the 17th day of the reopened Falmer inquiry at Brighton Town Hall.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott extended the inquiry to look at possible alternative sites to Falmer and Toad's Hole Valley is one of ten being considered. Mr Stiles said Toad's Hole Valley was a cheaper, more environmentally-friendly option than Falmer and satisfied John Prescott's nine criteria for a new stadium, which also included traffic and public transport access, visual impact, size and safety.

Albion barrister Jonathan Clay accused the landowners of pouncing on the public inquiry as an opportunity to make money. He said the land was in a registered area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) and the owners wanted the stadium to pave the way for further development.

Mr Clay added: "You want it as a Trojan horse to breach the protection the land currently enjoys from development.

"Your motives are not altruistic or in the community or public interest but purely commercial."

The club says Toad's Hole Valley is not a viable alternative and would result in a more severe environmental impact than a stadium at Falmer, which is also in an AONB.

Mr Stiles, a partner in property firm Stiles Harold Williams, said: "It is true my clients stand to gain out of this but we truly believe this proposal will be of benefit to the club and the city as a whole.

"If we are not given permission for the business park, we are still prepared to sell the land at £500,000 per hectare."

He questioned the agreed stadium costings, which put Toad's Hole Valley and Falmer at between £50 million and £56 million.

He said it would be £8.4 million cheaper to build at Toad's Hole Valley and questioned the club's sources of income for Falmer.

Mr Clay said Falmer was only affordable because of key financial agreements with the Learning and Skills Council and Brighton University on community use of the facilities.

Government grants were also available because Falmer is near deprived wards in east Brighton, the inquiry heard.

The inquiry adjourns tomorrow until mid-April, when it will reconvene at Brighton Town Hall for closing submissions. Planning inspector David Brier will then compile a report for the Secretary of State. A final verdict is not expected before the General Election, tipped for May 5.