Pressure on developers to publish viability appraisals

A planning document has been out to consultation of late:
Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) - East Devon

Here is the comment from Seaton:

Seaton Town Council have examined this document in detail and support the proposals contained within it.

Sections 6.21 to 6.28 deal with viability appraisals in respect of liability to Section 106 payments. In view of the difficulties which were experienced over the viability assessment for Affordable Housing on the Harbour Road site in Seaton the Town Council consider that it is positive that this document proposes (6.27) that:

"There is a strong public interest in financial viability appraisals being made available for scrutiny when relied upon to secure planning permissions. We consider that transparency is extremely important and the public benefit of publishing all aspects of a viability appraisal outweighs any potential commercial harm to the applicant."

Seaton Town Council fully supports the above paragraph.

18-seatontowncouncil.pdf

With comment from the East Devon Watch blog:


TRANSPARENCY FOR DEVELOPER VIABILITY APPRAISALS MUST BE PUBLISHED

26 MAR 2017

Owl says: EDDC makes it seem that THEY decided these appraisals should be made public – but government directives, fights with the Information Commissioner and case-law have meant that they really have no option on this!

Transparency for developer viability appraisals must be published | East Devon Watch

This has been going on for some time:
Futures Forum: When is a development 'viable' or not? (Feb 2015)
Futures Forum: "Viability assessments conclusively prove that we cannot rely on developers to build affordable housing." (June 2015)
Futures Forum: "Some developers use viability reports to wriggle out of building more 'affordable' housing." (July 2015)

And nearer to home:
Futures Forum: Knowle Relocation Project: How to classify the proposed development: as C3 housing or as C2 care home? (Oct 2016)

And there's the question of S106 cash:
Futures Forum: 106 payments and the NPPF.............. the repercussions for East Devon (Oct 2014)
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