A law firm has won an award for its work on Brighton & Hove Albion FC's seemingly never-ending football stadium planning application.

DMH Stallard was instrumental in persuading Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to approve a 22,500-seater stadium in Falmer, near Lewes last year.

The decision is now being contested by Lewes District Council.

Nevertheless DMH, based in Queens Road, Brighton, was named Planning & Environment Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards 2006 for its work on the application.

Floppy-haired comedian Alan Davies - star of the BBC1 drama Jonathan Creek - presented DMH staff with the award at an awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

Tony Allen, senior partner of the DMH planning team, said colleagues Peter Rainier and Heidi Copland were instrumental in the Brighton & Hove Albion project.

"This really is a landmark moment for us," he said.

The DMH planning team began preparing the planning application in mid 2000 and submitted it in October 2001. In June 2002 it was approved by the planning applications sub-committee of Brighton & Hove City Council, but was called in by the Secretary of State in September, 2002.

After two lengthy public enquiries, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister finally approved the application last October.

The award comes hot on the heels of DMH managing partner Tim Aspinall being named Personality of the Year 2005 by Legal Business magazine.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006