I WRITE in response to Cllr Philip Eades’s accusations that I was attempting to seek political capital in respect of the recent planning approval for affordable housing on Terrace Row (‘Concerns will be addressed’, Letters, August 30).

I was simply highlighting, as my party Poole People has done since its creation, that the borough’s planning and transportation departments are still not working effectively enough to ensure delivery of a high quality Regeneration Area.

These deficiencies were pointed out in an independent report commissioned by the council last year.

Although affordable housing is very welcome, the associated public realm must be high quality if such developments are going to work in the long term.

Cllr Eades says that the planning committee were assured that measures would be put in place to prevent a rat run and deliver a quality public realm.

However, I was standing next to him at the Terrace Row site visit when the senior planning officer clearly stated that the council could not guarantee any such improvements as the committee was limited to considering the scheme presented in the planning application.

Several members of the committee expressed their concern publicly about the scheme’s road layout’ including Cllr Eades’ but it was passed unanimously.

CLLR MARK HOWELL, Market Street, Poole