Figures in 'Market Report and Viability Statement' on greenbelt planning application questioned

Figures in a 'Market Report and Viability Statement', which seeks to justify building 1,000 homes and a link road to the M62 motorway on greenbelt land in Heywood, have been questioned by objectors.

The report was produced in November 2016 and this week Rochdale Online asked the Council for a copy of the statement to be told by a member of the Council's communications team: "The viability assessment is commercially sensitive, so is not publically available."

However, the supposedly "commercially sensitive", "not publically available" document has been sent to a local resident by the Council! - who this evening (Thursday 15 March) provided Rochdale Online with a copy (see link to pdf below).

The resident is furious the document has been released well over a year after it was produced and just seven days before the application comes before the Council's planning committee, leaving precious little time for scrunity and with the council's planning officer already recommending the application be approved.

Darren Court, the resident to whom the document was released, whilst recognising he is not an expert, is highly dubious about the figures. 

He summarised...

1,000 homes at an average sale price of £279,000 would yield £279m - Mr Court questions this figure for 'executive homes' belieeing the sale price would be higher.
Cost to build is said to be £205m - Mr Court again question the figure saying "typical costs are 1/3 of sale price i.e. £93m".
A claimed profit of £74m per house.

Mr Court also questions the figures for revenue from the warehousing part of the scheme, he said: "On the 1.4million sq ft of warehousing they claim a revenue of only £139m  with a cost of £104m. So a claimed profit of only £35m!"

Total profit therefore is £109m - out of which the developers will pay £11m to construct the road.

Mr Court added: "Frankly, I think if we had been given these figures before we could have had an expert drive a truck through them but we have only seven days and the planner has already made his recommendation. No wonder they withheld the figures for so long!"

This comes after Councillor Carol Wardle, Chairwoman of the planning committee, says she may have "mistakenly misled objectors" about the application.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/117174/councillor-says-she-may-have-mistakenly-misled-objectors-about-greenbelt-planning-application

 

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