Letters

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Dear Editor,

I have followed with great interest the plans for a football stadium in Falmer, as well as the concerns of local residents about road and traffic developments, football crowds and hooliganism.

At the Albion's temporary home at Withdean, the club has largely succeeded in preventing supporters from driving their cars into the network of some 50-60 streets that surround the stadium. Given that there are only two main access points to Falmer village, it will be very simple to implement such a policy for the new stadium. The stadium will be positioned well away from the village, in the place of obsolete Brighton University buildings.

Withdean residents who initially opposed the Albion's move to their area have publicly stated how impressed they have been with supporter behaviour. The area surrounding the stadium is, according to one local resident, more litter-free on Saturday evenings than Saturday mornings, thanks to the club's litter collection team.

It is important that 'NIMBYist' scare stories are answered. Their ultimate effect, if believed by local decision-makers, will be to ruin a golden chance for the area to have a sporting and educational facility of which we can be truly proud, and in the process they will kill Sussex's only professional football club.

Yours faithfully,

Matthew Costin - MA in International Relations