Planners backs Seagulls stadium

Brighton's current home is the Withdean stadium

Brighton have been given permission by the city's planners for a new Community Stadium at Falmer, on council owned land next to Brighton University campus.

Planners voted in favour of the development by 11-1 after a three-hour hearing at Hove Town Tall.

The need for a new home for the club is the catalyst for us to provide a genuine community stadium

Brighton chief executive Martin Perry

The First Division club will not be moving into their new home for at least another three years and will know in the next three weeks whether a public inquiry will take place.

Brighton need to quit their current temporary base at Withdean Stadium which holds only 7,000 spectators.

And the Seagulls, who have won back to back promotions, have regularly been playing before full houses.

The new stadium, to be built in four stages, will cost between £41m and £44m and will hold 22,000 fans.

It is due to be fully completed 10 years after phase one of the building work is in place.

This will involve erecting the main west stand, plus a temporary east stand, giving the stadium an initial capacity of 14,318.

Brighton chief executive Martin Perry called the planners' vote "one of the most important strategic decisions made for a very long time".

Perry insisted the stadium had been sympathetically designed to blend in with the surrounding hills.

He added: "The need for a new home for the club is the catalyst for us to provide a genuine community stadium in a brand new city that currently has no modern arena."