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Tuesday, 28 March 2017

Knowle relocation project: "Where is the Civic Pride and aspiration to good quality in the Honiton scheme?"

The District Council agreed to the new design and planning permission for its new HQ in Honiton some time ago:
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: District Council planning application for Honiton HQ >>> 16/1292/MFUL approved

There are several pending questions however...

How are we going to pay for the new HQ?
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: how relocation is being financed >>> "While local authorities are furiously selling assets to plug gaps in their budgets, they have simultaneously been accumulating property assets"

Is the District Council simply going to take a bet on the success of its latest risky enterprise - build its own housing on the Knowle and Port Royal sites and borrow against this for the Honiton HQ?
Futures Forum: District Council sets up its own Local Housing Company

What are the further hidden costs?
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: the cost of council buildings: before and after
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: of devolution and rising costs

How good an investment is the new HQ anyway?
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: throwing good money after bad >>> How the Honiton and Exmouth HQs will not improve on the current HQ

And what does the design and location of the proposed new HQ say about the District Council?

Here is comment just received, with a piece from the Architect's Journal:


Just compare the elegant use of light and space in this town hall by Tony Fretton with EDDC’s proposed HQ at Heathpark

About as exciting as a telephone exchange, where is the Civic Pride and aspiration to good quality in the Honiton scheme? 

Does such an anonymous design equate to a poor and demoralised service, - but perhaps an inspirational building is too much to expect on an ugly industrial estate?


Tony Fretton’s town hall in Belgium reflects a new civic pride


Building study: Tony Fretton Architects has created a key building in the regeneration of the Belgian city of Deinze
Tony Fretton’s town hall in Belgium reflects a new civic pride | Building | Architects Journal
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