The committee report for the Woolsington Hall applications, which will be considered on Tuesday 1st November 2016, has appeared online today. Planning officers have recommended the plans for approval, claiming there is no material difference in the enabling argument following the devastating fire. The report refers to a viability gap – a shortfall in the funding that will be provided by the enabling development – but the amended financial appraisal relating to the enabling development is still being considered confidential. Historic England has confirmed it did not appraise the financial justification for the original enabling development proposal and therefore does not wish to comment on the current enabling development. We have requested that the updated financial documents are placed in the public domain and that the planning committee meeting is postponed until this information is made publicly available. There is no mention of the scores of people who have contacted the Secretary of State asking him to call in the applications since the fire, nor any reference to police investigations into suspected arson. We have requested to speak at the planning committee meeting on 1st November. Please attend, if you can, to show that this is still a matter of great public concern. The meeting will take place at 9.30am in Newcastle Civic Centre.