Dismay for fans as documents reveal Albion secrets

1.14.45pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 29th Sep 2006

• Club commissions consultants' report into hotel at three possible sites

• Report recommends Sheepcote as "Number One choice for the new stadium"

• Martin Perry describes Sheepcote proposals as "very interesting"

Brighton and Hove Albion FC paid a four-figure sum to consultants in late 2004 to examine the prospects of an hotel at either Falmer, Sheepcote, or at Dyke Road, close to the Brighton bypass, though the club told successive public inquiries that there was no possible site for a stadium other than at Falmer.

The greenfield site of the proposed stadium in Falmer.

Documents leaked to Lewes MP Norman Baker also reveal that the consultants' report recommended Sheepcote, not Falmer, as the preferred site for the Albion, yet at the reconvened public inquiry in February 2005, just three months after the report was received, the club again argued that Falmer was the only possible site for a stadium.

The documentation leaked to the Lewes MP includes a copy of the consultants' report, and e-mail traffic between the consultants and the club. One e-mail, from Albion Chief Executive Martin Perry to the consultants, dated 1st November 2004, says:

"..What I need to know is - if a hotel is built on each of these sites what would the lease premium to the football club be? And are there any ongoing revenue streams we could generate from the hotel development. I am interested in your comments related to Sheepcote. This makes the whole exercise very interesting…"

And in a further e-mail dated 14th December 2004, he writes:

"At the end of the day what I need to know is what would be the residual land value of a hotel site at Sheepcote Valley and similarly what would the value be at Falmer."

The consultants' report, in its conclusion, says:

"Our preliminary research indicates clearly that Sheepcote offers the most attractive alternative…If the council sees the benefits to this location as outlined herein…then Sheepcote would indeed be our Number One choice for the new stadium…"

Lewes MP Norman Baker says: "This leaked material is dynamite and suggests the club has not been straight either with its fans, with the public, or indeed with government inspectors.

"It shows that, while the club has been saying that Falmer is the only possible site for a stadium - 'Falmer Or Die' - they have been secretly looking at other sites. The fans have been misled.

"It shows that their own report identifies Sheepcote, not Falmer, as the 'number one choice' for the stadium and hotel.

"It shows that those who have expressed concerns that a stadium at Falmer might lead to further development have good grounds for concern, and that the club has been looking at building an hotel, although that has never been declared at the public inquiries that have taken place.

"This material vindicates those who have argued that alternatives to Falmer exist, and those who fear that the only way a stadium can be afforded is by further associated development close by."

Susan Balerdi, Managing Director of CDB Project Services, the consultants who carried out the work, says:

"CDB Project Services is a well-respected hotel advisory firm that has worked for a number of government departments and charities over the past twenty years. We specialise in unusual or challenging hotel projects that are not necessarily easy to put together. When we were recommended to the club by a very reputable group, I presumed it was on this basis.

"Mr Perry clearly stated that he wanted us to look at these three alternatives, that the report should not be confidential as it may form part of a public inquiry, and that the club was considering developing an hotel as part of the stadium development. Our recommendations were made on the basis of an hotel as part of a stadium, such as Chelsea Village or Madjeski Stadium in Reading, and did not consider a stadium on its own. Our expertise is in hotel development and heritage tourism, not stadia.

"Notwithstanding this, I had and still have serious concerns about Falmer since it was the less attractive offer for the hotel, and also because a significant redevelopment of the rail station would be required. At best the station can accommodate 20-30 people on the platform -- not 17,000 as might happen after a home match and therefore crowd control issues remain problematic at this site. In our work in heritage tourism, crowd control, traffic movement, and environmental impact have always played a significant role in considering the best way forward in major re-developments and so I feel comfortable commenting on this aspect of the proposed development.

"Mr Perry did not keep us apprised of events post receipt of our overview, and we only heard about the ODPM's decision regarding Falmer on the news. I did not know until this month that there is no hotel under consideration in the planning application."