The Lewes District Council has announced that it will not launch another appeal against the Government’s recent decision to show a second green light to the construction of the new Falmer Stadium, having spent a reported £140,000 on the legal battle so far.
It was the LDC, of course, which mounted a successful High Court appeal against the first go-ahead for the stadium announced by John Prescott in 2005.
It now looks like the only serious hurdle between Brighton and Hove Albion FC and a new 22,500 stadium opening in the 2010/11 season is a possible appeal by the Falmer Parish Council, which would have to be raised before September 4th.
Last week we spoke about a number of potential problems a stadium would cause to the people of Lewes, and to their Falmer neighbours. We failed to mention that part of the stadium is planned to be built in a designated Area of Outstanding Beauty. This ruling rides roughshod over current planning law, and puts into perspective the recent decision by the National Parks inquiry inspector to exclude the proposed stadium site from his suggestions of what should be included in the South Downs National Park. If the government can decide now to allow such a contentious development in such an area, what is to stop them from doing so again, and again and again, in the future?
Paul Samra, the spokesman for the pro-stadium Falmer For All Campaign, thanked the LDC for being so prompt about announcing their decision. He was quoted afterwards as saying “now it falls to Falmer Parish Council to follow suite (sic)... it is time to wake up and smell the coffee.”
With the (national) Labour government making a populist decision that will help local and national Labour politicians to maintain power, we wonder whether the coffee in question is Fair Trade or a dodgy blend of vested political interests.