Ken Bodfish, the new leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, is wrong.

For more than three years, the council and the club have tried to get Brighton and Hove Albion established in a permanent home at Falmer.

Just when the club is ready to produce a planning application backed by a credible business and transport case, Coun Bodfish wants to change the council's mind.

He says Falmer is not the right place for a stadium and that Waterhall Valley, north of Patcham, should be considered again.

There is no ideal site for the Albion in a city packed tightly between the sea and the Downs. If there was one, the club would have gone there years ago.

But Falmer is the best available and it doesn't make a lot of difference whether it is Albion's current choice of Village Way South or the previous favourite 200 metres away at Village Way North.

All sites for a new ground, dozens of them, have been looked at by the club and council before and all have been found wanting, except Falmer.

Among these sites is Waterhall which has the advantages of being large enough for other development, is council-owned and close to the main railway line where a station could be built.

But the disadvantages are huge. First and foremost, it is north of the Brighton bypass and nothing must be built beyond that.

Rail companies do not want to put a station there and it has already been ruled out for park-and-ride.

And any access off the A23 would involve a large road and car park taking an unacceptably large amount of downland.

Ken Bodfish was part of the Labour administration which spent considerable time, effort and taxpayers' money in holding a referendum only two years ago which delivered a verdict decisively in favour of Falmer.

Later that same year, in his unsuccessful bid to become council leader, he showed the first signs of doubt and fence-sitting.

Now he has become leader - only because his predecessor was less than special - he has made a proposal about the Albion without consulting the club or some of his closest colleagues.

It ignores everything the club has done, including getting professionals to prepare detailed proposals for the site.

Of course the club has had difficulties.

Any large-scale project in Brighton invariably faces opposition, delays and problems.

But there is a real commitment there and a real feeling that it must make progress.

It simply cannot continue to play at a temporary stadium in Withdean, right in the middle of a built-up area and with a ground capacity of only 7,000 people.

Perhaps Coun Bodfish has an ulterior motive. After all, a search for a directly- elected mayor would pitch him against Lord Bassam, his predecessor but one as council leader, a supporter of the club and one of the biggest voices in favour of Falmer.

If Falmer goes wrong now, people won't forget, especially Seagulls' fans. Don't forget them, councillor.