Plans have been submitted for a fan zone outside Brighton and Hove Albion’s stadium in Falmer.
The football club hopes to sell food and drink from an open-sided building with seats, toilets, television screens and live music.
The proposed building would replace the existing kiosks by the railway line at the end of the route to the American Express Community Stadium from Falmer station.
The planning application to Brighton and Hove City Council said that the proposals were part of a broader plan to improve the “tired and worn” outside areas surrounding the stadium.
On behalf of the club, DMH Stallard associate planner Daniel Frisby said: “The lack of available fan facilities, particularly toilets, as well as the lack of available cover during inclement weather, has generally meant that attendees at the stadium delay their journey until approximately one hour before football matches.
“This contributes to crowding on the public transport network as fans seek to arrive at a similar time.
“The lack of available external facilities limits opportunities for fans who have seats in different parts of the stadium to socialise prior to a match.
“These issues broadly have a negative impact on the fan experience at the stadium, particularly during the winter months, which detract from its role as a sporting venue.”
The fan zone was described as intended to create a “sense of entry” to the stadium.
Mr Frisby said: “This will help to enhance its role as a major sporting venue and will help to attract new visitors, including fans of away teams, as well as providing an additional offer which will improve its potential to host future national or international sporting events which in turn helps to raise the city’s profile.
“The proposals as a whole will significantly improve the identity and visual appearance of the stadium to a level that befits a club seeking to become a regular top 10 Premier League team competing at the highest level.”
There are three public comments about the application on the council’s website – two in support of the proposal and one against.
Supporters said that the fan zone would encourage people to arrive earlier and ease the burden on public transport.
One anonymous supporter, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “This will provide a place to go which we currently don’t have. This will also provide lots more employment for local people.”
The objector, whose details were also redacted, said: “This is going to bring additional football fans to the local neighbourhood, extending the time they are in the area, creating additional noise in the evenings after football matches – more disturbances to the neighbourhood from these football fans.”
Dick’s Bar is expected to remain open as a pre-turnstile bar in the short term before being incorporated into the new fan zone.
Brighton and Hove Albion has also said that it has plans to develop facilities in the North Stand.
To view the planning application and to comment on it, visit the planning section on the council’s website and search for BH2023/02872.
A great addition to a great stadium.thank you Mr Tony bloom & UTA
Brilliant at last toilets outside the stadium
As per usual, someone who buys a house cheaper because it is near a stadium – Complaining about fans.
Same as the fools who buy near an airport and then complain about aircraft !!!!
IDIOTS !!!!!
Go Seagulls, although not really a football fan unless it is national games, they deserve this expansion to increase fan participation and enjoyment.
Totally support the idea of this new addition !
Our stadium is widely admired, now let’s have a fanzone to compliment it. UTA!
Great news. Our local firm “Let’s Go Furniture” would love to get involved with the supply of furniture there.
Neighbourhood? There’s nothing around there.
More fans? Is always almost sold out even now, the number of people will not change.
And having a place close to the stadium will keep more people in there instead of sending them in the few pubs around the area so is even better.
Nonsense.
Looks like the way forward to me
Just another way to squeeze the money out of the fans.
I rather suspect nobody will be holding a gun to anyone’s head to force them to use the facilities.
The venue looks nicely ventilated lets just hope there are areas to enable fans to be seated with their beverage and be able to have a cigarette.
Great idea and great addition to the stadium for the longer term future.
Shame about the negative view, the only neighbourhood affected I can assume would be ten student one, and far more people get disturbed from the amount of students residing in residential areas of the city! This development will not bring additional people on match days as this figure is still determined by tickets sold in the stadium itself.
So that’s why they made Brighton racecourse full blown car park so that they can pollute the air with fumes and disgusting things that are going on in this town about time. They talk to the people and not made it like they own it and looked after the people that live here.