An artist’s impression of Brill Place Tower

• THERE are a number of reasons why the planning committee needs to take a hard look at the amended Brill Place planning application placed before it tonight (Thursday).

The planning department claims the design changes are too minor to warrant a full application.

But a 25 per cent increase in the number of dwellings is not minor. It increases the number of people in a single staircase building.

Open space provision is not discussed: neither are children or the suitability of high-rise living.

The “viability” test was introduced into the planning process so private developers’ proposals would not be over­burdened by affordable housing requirements.

The trouble is that the circumstances surrounding the Community Investment Programme are now so confused that it is difficult to distinguish between scheme changes forced on Camden and those attributable to mismanagement and/or poor planning.

The lack of relevant information and appropriate lines of accountability are the cause.

It means we have no way of judging whether requests for amendments such as the one for Brill Place are justified or reflect a history of bungling. We suspect the latter is the real explanation because of the £100million deficit the CIP is now carrying.

We will see from tonight’s meeting whether the committee are capable of scrutinising and challenging veiled threats in the report from Camden’s consultants to open up the public purse to make the CIP fully deliverable in Somers Town.

The consultants several times recommend their client, Camden, give more public money to the Somers Town CIP “in order to enable the development to be fully delivered”.

While the need for compensating CIP funding is mentioned in several places, there is no statement of the arrangements around the sale of the ex-Camden land on which the Brill Place Tower will be built.

Given the site was apparently sold a year ago (we think), one might be forgiven for thinking Camden has already been paid in full.

If so, why is Camden’s consultant bleating on about extracting more public money to complete the Somers Town CIP and relating it to an increase in the number of homes in the Brill Place Tower?

We cannot tell whether the sale’s completion depends on the grant of planning permission or what duty Camden owes the developer to deliver him a “viable scheme”.

Clarity and transparency are entirely missing.

JOHN MASON