Knowle relocation project: FOI request goes to tribunal: featuring on BBC Radio Devon: Thursday 28th August

This coming Thursday, the District Council will be defending its reticence to publish reports on its Knowle relocation project:
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: FOI request goes to tribunal: Exeter Magistrates Court: Thursday 28th August... further reports

BBC Radio Devon's breakfast show will be featuring the issue on Thursday morning:
BBC Radio Devon - Good Morning Devon

Meanwhile, blogs and the press have been showing interest:
Important issues being debated this week: today (Tuesday) and Thursday | East Devon Alliance


East Devon District Council on trial by Information Commissioner for withholding information

Monday, 25 August 2014 3 Comments by Claire

The story below has been webbed by the Express & Echo. This information, which apparently supports the office relocation case, is deemed by members of the public AND the Information Commissioner, to be in the public interest, but EDDC is still refusing to release it.

I am expecting there to be a large number of East Devon residents present at Exeter Magistrates Court (Heavitree) on Thursday, 10am.



EAST Devon District Council will have to justify its refusal to disclose details about its proposed relocation from Sidmouth at a tribunal hearing at Exeter Magistrates Court.

At the hearing, on Thursday, August 28, the council will appeal against the Information Commissioner’s decision that it should have disclosed certain information as a result of a Freedom of Information request...

Comments


1. At 10:44 am on 26th Aug Tim Todd wrote:

This matter sums up East Devon District Council’s attitude to transparency. No matter how much the amount of public funds being spent, no matter what the public interest, nothing shall be allowed to override the views of a small number of the ruling party who will go to great lengths to deprive the electorate of valuable information that can be used to show that a number of EDDC’s plans are faulted in some major way.

To borrow words of Joeph Pulitzer from the Introduction to ‘Your Right to Know’ by Heather Brooke, the journalist largely responsible for unearthing the MPs expenses scandal, “There is not a crime, there is not a dodge, there is not a trick, there is not a swindle which does not live by secrecy. Get these things out in the open, describe them, attack them, ridicule them in the press, and sooner or later public opinion will sweep them away”


2. At 11:22 am on 26th Aug Paul wrote:

I am sure that most people would agree that…

If the decision to move to SkyPark is a good and sound one, then the facts will stand scrutiny and there is no reason to keep them secret.

Boolean logic tells us that: “If a Then b” implies “If not b Then not a”

So, if there IS a reason to keep them secret, then logic says that the facts will not stand scrutiny and the decision is an unsound one.

QED.

(And apologies for my degree in Mathematics boring everyone.)


3. At 12:09 pm on 26th Aug Sandra Semple wrote:

It would be interesting to know, too: how much of this information has been kept from majority group councillors who are not part of the Executive committee and how much has been kept from the remaining councillors. All councillors should know everything before they vote on this issue but my gut instinct is that some councillors know more than others, which makes the decision making process defective and undemocratic.

What was it Diviani promised? “Clean, green and seen” .... right!

East Devon District Council on trial by Information Commissioner for withholding information - Claire WrightEast Devon District Council to justify refusal to disclose relocation details at tribunal | Exeter Express and Echo
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