It has occurred to me the real reason why Mr Prescott chose to ignore professional advice and long-standing planning principles, when he granted permission for the Albion's stadium at Falmer was because it gave him carte blanche to add further developments in that or other open spaces.

His department has announced plans to build large numbers of new houses in the South-East and the building of the stadium would provide an excellent opportunity to construct some of them on adjacent downland.

If one development is allowed, then who is to stop yet more? No one. More houses are certainly needed but there are better places to build them. Toad's Hole Valley, for example.

This would be a good place for the stadium, it being a natural amphitheatre, and it is already built on. What is more, it is south of the bypass, a criterion which at one time, I think, determined the granting of licences for developments.

Such building could even give devoted fans the opportunity to live in accommodation right next to their beloved stadium.

There are, it seems from recent reports in The Argus, large numbers of vacant properties in Brighton which could be brought back into use. Demolition of derelict buildings would also provide suitable brownfield sites.

I hope my suspicions are groundless but it is the sort of thing politicians do, whatever colour or creed.

-J Hawkins, Shoreham-by-Sea