THERE has been a lot of discussion about affordable housing in this paper over recent months.

The planning application for the urban extension at Comeytrowe was passed by Taunton Deane Borough Council’s (TDBC) Planning Committee, accepting a reduction from 25per cent affordable housing (as set out in established policy), to 17.5 per cent - although legal agreements have yet to be finalised.

The reasons for this reduction, set out in the viability appraisal written by consultants on behalf of the consortium of developers, were kept secret. 

Huge sections of the report were blanked-out. 

Neither the public, nor, it seems, the Planning Committee, saw the vital numbers. 

While there is no suggestion that these figures were misleading, it would make sense to see them.


READ MORE: Reduced affordable housing plan for Comeytrowe development approved 


Instead the committee relied on conclusions written by a different set of consultants; writing viability appraisals is now a business in its own right.

The Information Commissioner has now said that the whole document must be made public. 

Her report is on the Taunton Deane Planning website. She said that the importance of being able to hold TDBC to account outweighed the confidentiality issues raised by the developers. 

Publication is in the public interest.

TDBC had argued strongly in favour of the developers, but has now been obliged to put the full viability report on its website (still under the March 7, 2017 date). 

It is not an easy read, but if we care what sort of town we are building, we should be able to comment. 

Not just the public. 

It might be too late, but perhaps Cllr Bowrah and his Committee would like to see what they based their decision on. 

Of course, under the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, this is new information on which we should be consulted.

Why is this important? 

Remember the outraged headlines in the County Gazette on finding that there would be no affordable housing at Tangier

Perhaps this is fully justified but we don’t know. That viability appraisal remains confidential!

CAROLYN WARBURTON
Trull