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Tuesday 10 January 2017

Knowle relocation project: further hidden costs and out-of-date documentation

Before Christmas, fears were expressed at the District Council about how the costs of the relocation project are now out of control:
Claims EDDC is relocating from Sidmouth ‘at any cost’ - News - Sidmouth Herald
Fresh concerns voiced over EDDC’s relocation from Sidmouth - News - Sidmouth Herald

In fact, costs generally seem to be out of control according to opposition Councillors
Tory councillors refuse spending scrutiny role and trust (vastly overspent) officers | East Devon Watch

The latest episode comes complete with the usual lack of transparency when it comes to cost:

EDDC KICKS OUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON ITS OWN LAND IN SIDMOUTH – USING IT FOR A THIRD OFFICE SITE AFTER RELOCATION

10 JAN 2017


Remember the old days, when EDDC said its move to a single new building in Honiton would save money?

Then it added an old, crumbling building in Exmouth (the Town Hall) neglecting to have a full survey before estimating the cost of refurbishment. Those refurbishment costs are now £1.669m, – £408,000 more than the original estimate.

Now we hear that, instead of providing 20 affordable houses on the Manstone Depot site in Sidmouth as set out in the local plan, EDDC has instead decided to build offices for its Estates Department and keep the Streetscene department there.

No costs appear to be in the public domain for this – which should form part of the relocation budget. And it begs the question: why is the Estates Department and Streetscene relocating to Manstone Depot rather than to the new site in Honiton? Is the Honiton site too small, or does EDDC have an antipathy to affordable housing in Sidmouth? Or is there some other more murky reason?

Or is it just that officers and councillors don’t want Streetscene vehicles and materials spoiling their view in Honiton?

Here is the story from Sidmouth Herald: 
‘Dismay’ at office plan on Sidmouth site allocated for affordable homes - News - Sidmouth Herald

EDDC kicks out affordable housing on its own land in Sidmouth – using it for a third office site after relocation | East Devon Watch
http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/1963801/100117-combined-dmc-agenda-compressed.pdf  (page 68)

With promised publication of documentation nearly a year behind:

Relocation Documents Archive now updated… to March 2016!

January 10, 2017 by sidmouthsid Leave a comment

EDDC’s online relocation document archive has recently been updated to include documents up to March 2016 .
See http://eastdevon.gov.uk/access-to-information/historical-information/relocation-project-documentation-archive/project-document-archive-5/

While awaiting a full update on EDDC’s archives, more recent relocation news and information can be found
-on the SOS website (see OUR CAMPAIGN , and KNOWLE WATCH category)
-on futuresforumvgsblogspot.co.uk BLOG ARCHIVE , e.g. /2017/01/knowle-relocation-project-and-mixed-use.html
-and using SEARCH on the East Devon Watch site, e.g.
2017/01/10/eddc-kicks-out-affordable-housing-on-its-own-land-in-sidmouth-using-it-for-a-third-office-site-after-relocation/

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