Disappointed villagers today vowed to fight John Prescott's decision to approve plans for a new stadium in Falmer.

As Brighton and Hove Albion and their supporters were celebrating, defiant opponents said the battle was not over yet.

Falmer parish councillor John Burt said: "We will be looking to see if we can take this to a judicial review. We are not stopping here.

"It is an extremely disappointing decision after all the hard work and effort we put into this.

"It will be interesting to see what types of conditions John Prescott has put in to allow this to go ahead."

Villagers mounted a passionate campaign against the stadium plan when Falmer was identified as the club's preferred site in 1999.

They were worried the development would wreck their idyllic semi-rural existence on the fringes of the Downs.

The main concerns were an influx of traffic, noise and people on matchdays.

The small community banded together and bombarded Brighton and Hove City Council and the Government with letters of opposition and began fund-raising.

They fought their corner against the resources of Brighton and Hove City Council and the football club at both inquiries, arguing the site was too small, the stadium was unnecessary and contrary to planning policy.

Lewes MP Norman Baker said: "I am disappointed by this decision. It is the wrong decision and was a political rather than a planning one.

"There are many people in Falmer who are going to be extremely disappointed today. It is going to destroy Falmer."

Falmer parish councillor Melanie Cutress said: "This is not a good day for Falmer. I am naturally very disappointed.

"We should be very proud of the efforts we made and the work we did. The club was able to pay for expensive consultants and experts which we could not do.

"We did our best with what we had. This is all wrong for the area. You cannot have a village with a football stadium in it. They just don't go together.

"It is impossible to say yet what is going to happen next. We shall have to wait and see what John Prescott's letter says."

Not all Brighton and Hove city councillors are in favour of the yes decision.

Coun Geoff Wells, from Woodingdean, said: "As much as the city, county and Albion so desperately need a stadium, my opinion is that this is the wrong result for Woodingdean.

"We are a gridlocked village and God only knows what is in store for us now But I will take this on the chin and I wish the Albion all the best."

City councillors in Woodingdean and Rottingdean today issued a joint statement saying: "At the original referendum, residents of Woodingdean and Rottingdean voted overwhelmingly against the siting of a football stadium for Brighton and Hove Albion at Falmer because of the impact additional traffic would have on their roads.

"Councillors in both wards who supported this view at the public inquiry will now be calling on the council and directors of the Albion to closely monitor the obvious increase in traffic once the stadium is built and to put in place any measures that are needed to deal with problems that will undoubtedly arise."