Millionaire Albion director Derek Chapman is mounting his own legal challenge against Lewes District Council's attempt to derail plans for the football club's new stadium.

The Albion fanatic who lives in Falmer, a mile from where the stadium is planned, is ready to spend thousands of his own money on a High Court action.

Mr Chapman, 48, who is a director of the Hove-based Adenstar Construction Group, is outraged at the decision of his district council to challenge the Government's decision to allow the 22,000-seat stadium, costing about £50 million, to go ahead.

He said Lewes District Council was not representing the views of the majority of council taxpayers within its jurisdiction.

Mr Chapman is in discussions with a legal team in readiness to mount the challenge, which will be a private judicial review.

His company is currently building at several sites in Sussex, including the Sainsbury's store at the heart of the new development next to Brighton station.

He said: "This action is being taken by me purely as an individual against my own district council because I do not think it has followed the correct procedures.

"I can afford to do it and if Lewes District Council decides to challenge me, it will have to pay its own legal fees."

"It is not representing the views of the council taxpayers of Lewes as The Argus poll at the weekend showed."

An independent poll conducted by The Argus showed 74 per cent of 242 residents selected randomly were opposed to the decision by the council to challenge the Government and deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

Mr Chapman said: "I believe Lewes District Council is not using council taxpayers' money properly."

The director has been a strong critic of the way the council and Falmer Parish Council have spent money challenging the stadium.

Two years ago he publicly burnt his council tax bill in protest at the amount Falmer Parish Council was paying to fight the stadium plans.

But Mr Chapman is not gunning for his parish council this time. He said: "I live in Falmer and respect what the parish council does.

"I would say it is representing the views of those who are opposed to the stadium and I accept the majority of people in Falmer probably are. But when it comes to the district council, it is not representing the views of the majority of people within the district."

News of Mr Chapman's legal moves was welcomed by Paul Samrah, chairman of the Falmer For All Campaign. He said: "This is excellent news.

"It is important people exercise their democratic right.

"It is yet another sign of the disquiet and displeasure at the actions Lewes District Council have brought.

"I wish him luck."

A spokeswoman for Lewes District Council said it would not comment until it knew more about Mr Chapman's intended legal action.