TAXPAYERS may never find out how the i360 attraction intends to repay its £36 million loan after a bid for the full disclosure of the attraction’s business plan was turned down by a judge.

A unanimous crown court ruling has backed Brighton and Hove City Council’s decision not to release the full details of a business case used to justify the public loan to get the 162m tower off the ground.

David Farrer QC said competitors would “exploit” the information to the detriment of the i360 and “pre-empt” its initiatives.

Former Argus journalist John Keenan said the decision was a blow to “transparency and accountability” after an 18-month long challenge of the council’s refusal to release the full report.

Brighton and Hove City Council spent £36,000 of public money opposing the release.

The full document would have revealed how much the attraction hopes to make from admissions, merchandise and drinks sales over its first ten years.

The detailed 35-page business case was produced by consultants D&J International Consulting in 2013 to convince councillors to agree to the £36.2 million loan.

Mr Keenan made a freedom of information request for the full business case, which has never been made public, in September 2015.

However, the council refused his initial request and upheld the decision following an internal review.

Mr Keenan appealed to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which ruled the business case should be released.

The judge overruled the ICO decision that publishing the report would not prejudice the interest of the i360 company or the council because the authority had failed to identify which competing businesses may gain an unfair advantage.

When applying for planning permission, it had been claimed the i360 would be an “entirely new attraction” which would not compete with existing tourist attractions.

The council argued disclosure of the information would allow competitors to adjust their ticket, merchandise and catering prices to compete more successfully with the i360.

The authority also claimed it would prejudice the council’s own commercial interests because weakening the i360’s competitive position could affect its ability to maintain repayments.

Mr Keenan said: “The decision is a blow to those who believe the rise of the ‘entrepreneurial council’ requires transparency and accountability.

“We must hope in this instance that the council has done its sums properly.”