Knowle relocation project: the District Council's timetable

The relocation project was not due on the agenda of last week's full District Council meeting:
Council agendas - East Devon District Council

However, the subject came to the fore on Wednesday evening...

Firstly, challenging the accuracy of the figures presented by the District Council has been going on for some time: 
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: the saga of getting information about energy cost calculations continues...
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: demolish or renovate?
Futures Forum: Knowle: refurbishment vs redevelopment
Futures Forum: "A truly green alternative to EDDC's proposal"

This was once again raised:

“ANYONE WHO HAS A RULER” CAN CHECK MISTAKES MADE BY EDDC’S RELOCATION TEAM, FULL COUNCIL TOLD.

26th February 2015

The question from the public at last night’s Full Council meeting, was from Richard Eley, of Save Our Sidmouth. He called for an apology from EDDC to Sidmouth resident Robin Fuller, whose study of the modern buildings at Knowle had shown that the size had been seriously understated by the Office Relocation team led by Richard Cohen. Mr Fuller was right, and EDDC should therefore apologise for not taking his findings into account. The buildings were “40% larger than you were told”, claimed Mr Eley. This was not a small error, he continued, and warned, “Imagine what a judge at a Judicial Review would make of that”.

More on the Full Council meeting to follow.

“Anyone who has a ruler” can check mistakes made by EDDC’s relocation team, Full Council told. | East Devon Watch

Before the meeting on Wednesday, the District Council had revealed details of the Knowle relocation timetable:
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: "… it’s interesting that they can manage to arrange all these special meetings before going into purdah, but they can’t possibly find the time to progress the Local Plan!"

At last week's meeting, more information came to the fore:
March 25 will be D-day for controversial relocation - News - Sidmouth Herald
Information Commissioner v EDDC: decision two days after rushed Knowle meetings! | East Devon Watch
Legal fees on fighting Info Commissioner spirals: AND judgement due two days AFTER EDDC decision! - Claire Wright

Again, the independent Cllr Claire Wright has urged that decisions on relocation be postponed:
Claire Wright urges postponement of Knowle decision till after judgment on Information Commissioner v EDDC court case | East Devon Watch
EDDC leader and chief exec urged to suspend office relocation due to disclosure judgement delay - Claire Wright

And yet there are questions about whether or not the District Council had in fact rejected such a proposal at an earlier meeting:

DID FULL COUNCIL REJECT A PROPOSAL THAT RELOCATION DECISION SHOULD BE POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER ELECTIONS IN MAY? DECIDE FOR YOURSELF

26th February 2015

In an article in the Express and Echo, a “council spokesperson said: “At full council in December, Members rejected a proposal that the decision should be postponed until after the election and tasked the deputy chief executive with continuing to progress the project.”

This is not strictly true. The minutes of that meeting included a proposal (below) that set out the steps that needed to be taken to progress a possible relocation but no mention whatsoever was made in those minutes of the need to settle the matter before the district council elections in May 2015.

In December 2014, EDDC Tories were presumably confident that they would continue to be the majority party after May 2015. It is only since developments AFTER that date (significantly the formation of the East Devon Alliance support network for a large number of independent candidates for district council) that the Executive body appears to have taken the decision (when?, where?) to accelerate and merge meetings to try to force this decision through before the cut-off date of the end of March 2015.

Here are the specific minutes:

RESOLVED:
1. that the emerging changes to the relocation project be recognised and the following be agreed:

The marketing exercise for Knowle and Manstone has resulted in a range of offers and, following a detailed assessment process, price, form and quality of development propositions have been received that merit further detailed negotiation towards selection of a preferred developer.

Leading offers for Knowle do not include options to sell Manstone in which case EDDC can choose to retain Manstone for the foreseeable future as a depot function and continued employment use.

The reduced offer for EDDC’s Heathpark site no longer represents a sufficiently persuasive level of capital receipt and will not be pursued further.

The retention of Heathpark in EDDC ownership means that this now represents the most cost effective and straightforward location to develop a new headquarters building for the Council.

Relocation to Skypark is no longer a viable proposition based on the reduced offer for Heathpark and combination of Knowle market value and prudential borrowing.

The East Devon Business Centre (EDBC) should preferably be retained and could potentially be combined within a new EDDC HQ development.

In the interim,Exmouth Town Hall has been vacated by Devon County.

A new HQ in Honiton can be restricted in size and cost to a 170 desk equivalent

scale with an improved Exmouth Town Hall for 80 EDDC staff as a main satellite office in the district’s largest community.

As part of its commitment to more mobile working and accessibility, the Council will offer a service presence as customers require in future at locations elsewhere in the district.

That relocation continues to make financial and operational sense on a whole life cost basis, specifically 20-year projections combining capital receipt and repayment of prudential borrowing versus existing office running cost and unfunded expenditure on existing building repair, maintenance and improvement.

> that the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Office Accommodation Executive Group, be authorised to take forward further actions in pursuit of the above recommendations and Project Plan,

> that further reports be produced for Cabinet and Council on project progress and to seek formal approval for any disposal of Knowle;

> that a thorough examination of all facts and figures in respect of the relocation be carried out by:

a) The Audit and Governance Committee

b) The Overview and Scrutiny Committee

c) The internal auditors

d) The independent external auditors

Sources:

East Devon District Council accused of “forcing” a vote on controversial relocation project | Exeter Express and Echo
Council minutes for 17 December 2014 - East Devon District Council

Did full council reject a proposal that relocation decision should be postponed until after elections in May? Decide for yourself | East Devon Watch
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