Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: deciding to sell >>> Cabinet: Wednesday 11th March >>> report from Cabinet member Cllr Ian Thomas
Cabinet minutes for 11 March 2015 - East Devon District Council
The following combined Audit and Scrutiny Cttees voted to accept its auditors' reports:
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: deciding to sell >>>> Audit and Scrutiny combined Cttees >>> further report >>> "The public have not been permitted to have anything other than a superficial view of the costings which make up the attempt to persuade that relocation is cost neutral."
Overview and Scrutiny Committee minutes for 12 March 2015 - East Devon District Council
Tomorrow, Wednesday 25th March, the full Council will meet to decide if it is to follow the recommendations of cabinet - which are:
Office relocation
To consider the proposals within the report of the Deputy Chief Executive as referred to Cabinet (11 March 2015) and combined Audit and Governance and Overview and Scrutiny Committee (12 March 2015).
The recommendations from these meetings, as set out below, are to be taken into account by Council in arriving at its decision. (The full minutes are available on the Council website - Cabinet and combined Audit and Governance and Overview and Scrutiny Committee (will be available by Thursday 19 March)
CABINET RECOMMENDED:
A) that the following recommendations be agreed and submitted to Full Council for final approval:
1. Consider the findings of the audit exercises conducted by South West Audit Partnership and Grant Thornton in response to issues raised by December 2014 Full Council and to accept the conclusions set out therein.
2. Accept the analysis and conclusions on the financial basis for relocating contained within the report.
3. On the basis of the valuation advice and price offered agree that disposing of the Knowle site would represent ‘best value’ in accordance with the requirements of Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972. B) that the following recommendations to be agreed and submitted to Full Council for final approval:
4. To determine that the Knowle site is no longer required for the purpose of public walks or as a pleasure ground under the Public Health Act 1875.
5. On the basis that the land is no longer required for those purposes to appropriate the Knowle site to housing purposes pursuant to the powers contained in Section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972. C) that the following recommendation be agreed and submitted to Full Council for final approval:
6. To agree to dispose of the Knowle site for housing / extra care assisted living pursuant to Section 32 of the Housing Act 1985.
7. Agree that the Deputy Chief Executive – Development, Regeneration and Partnership in consultation with the Office Accommodation Executive Group is authorised to agree on behalf of EDDC appropriate Heads of Terms with Pegasus Life Ltd.
8. Having agreed the Heads of Terms to delegate to the Deputy Chief Executive – Development, Regeneration and Partnership authority to enter into contract for sale of the Knowle site conditional upon subsequent satisfactory planning approval and such other matters as the Service Lead (Legal and Democratic Services) may advise.
9. Agree to relocate EDDC operations to Honiton and Exmouth.
10. Agree that the Council will conduct consultation with relevant and interested parties to ensure Best Value outcomes are addressed within the relocation to Honiton and Exmouth.
11. Note and agree a net project budget of £2,221,445, this being the estimated cost for a new build office accommodation in Honiton (BREEAM very good option) and for the modernisation of Exmouth Town Hall as identified in the table in paragraph D5.6 less the Capital Receipt for the Knowle. In addition, a budget of £900,630 is required to meet loan interest costs relating to short term and long term funding. Short term cash flow funding will be required totalling £9.2m to meet design and build costs prior to receiving the sale proceeds of £7-8m from the Knowle (financial risks are mitigated by Gateway 7 process detailed in the report). Once the capital receipt is received, the balance of funding required is £2.1m to be funded from a long-term loan over a 20-year period.
12. Agree that officers investigate and progress the opportunity to bring forward the refurbishment of Exmouth Town Hall and take forward new offices in Honiton.
13. Agree to commence detailed discussions on the Council’s intention to transfer the retained 3.5196ha of Knowle parkland and the lower car park to Sidmouth Town Council following disposal of the Knowle site and if the principle is accepted by Sidmouth Town Council to progress such transfer including compliance with the relevant statutory procedures for disposal of open space.
AUDIT AND GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED that the recommendations of Cabinet be approved by Council. OVERVIEW AND
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED that the recommendations of Cabinet be approved by Council with an ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION:
C14 - that as part of the negotiations with Sidmouth Town Council on land transfer, a covenant is proposed to ensure that the land is not built on and remains as public open space.
eastdevon.gov.uk/media/994630/250315-extra-ordinary-council-agenda-relocation.pdf
However, beyond the walls of the Council Chamber, there is great disquiet about the relocation project:
There was unanimous agreement from candidates that East Devon District Council’s relocation from its Knowle offices in Sidmouth should not have been pushed ahead before the election on May 7.
Candidates clash at business hustings - News - Exmouth Journal
East Devon District Council urged to postpone controversial office relocation decision until after costly tribunal ruling | Exeter Express and Echo
Here is a useful overview from the latest View from Sidmouth/Pullman's Weekly:
SIDMOUTH: District council’s HQ move saga set to reach conclusion tomorrow
24th March 2015
EAST Devon District Council’s controversial relocation project will finally be brought to a close this week, with members set to sign off a move to Honiton.
Members of the council are poised to approve plans to sell land at Knowle in Sidmouth and relocate to new offices in Honiton and Exmouth.
The council’s original intention had been to move to purpose-built offices at Skypark, near Exeter, but twin sites at Honiton and Exmouth became the preferred option after a deal to sell its land at Heathpark to a major supermarket fell through.
EDDC chiefs now say the switch to Honiton, with extra office space in Exmouth, is the best way to make savings and modernise “wasteful” working practices.
Councillors will meet tomorrow (Wednesday) to seal the deal, after EDDC scrutiny committee members backed the proposals.
A council spokesperson said: “The Overview and Scrutiny Committee voted to recommend that the findings of the report on the sale of Knowle and relocation of EDDC to new offices in Honiton and Exmouth be submitted to full council for final approval on March 25th.
“The vote was subject to a condition that, as part of the negotiations with Sidmouth Town Council, a covenant is proposed to ensure that the land is not built on and remains as public space.”
EDDC says Knowle is no longer fit-for-purpose and would be very expensive to bring back to shape.
Under its plans, some of the land will instead be sold to retirement developer Pegasus Life, with the remaining 3.5 hectares of parkland to be managed by Sidmouth Town Council.
Meanwhile, Honiton will reap the economic rewards, with the relocation set to take place in early 2017.
The town’s chamber of commerce welcomed the news as an “early Christmas present” when it was announced in December.
And Honiton Mayor Peter Halse, who also represents the town on the district council, has said the revised plans are more “sensible” than the Skypark move.
A decision on the controversial project has been hurried forward to ensure the process is complete before the pre-election ‘purdah’ period, during which time the council’s activities will be restricted.
And a band of opposition councillors are still firmly opposed to rushing through the move before May.
In a letter to Pulman’s View, Independent councillor Roger Giles said: “It is a quite shameful abuse of council procedures, a total disregard of the views of local people, and an affront to our democratic principles.”
SIDMOUTH: District council’s HQ move saga set to reach conclusion tomorrow - View from Sidmouth
Meanwhile, the East Devon Watch blog makes several pertinent points:
Questions for DMC regarding Knowle site | East Devon Watch
Councillors “like puppets on a string” over Knowle sale | East Devon Watch
Who REALLY decided on Knowle relocation? | East Devon Watch
Knowle: another question | East Devon Watch
Knowle Public consultations, EDDC-style | East Devon Watch
Cautions for Councillors voting on relocation | East Devon Watch
Knowle maintenance – planned deterioration – the figures | East Devon Watch
And on the subject of 'consultants', a legal website looks at the concerns from the Information Commissioner's Office:
Local Government Lawyer - ICO calls for action to tackle "transparency gap" caused by outsourcing
.
.
.
eastdevon.gov.uk/media/994630/250315-extra-ordinary-council-agenda-relocation.pdf
However, beyond the walls of the Council Chamber, there is great disquiet about the relocation project:
There was unanimous agreement from candidates that East Devon District Council’s relocation from its Knowle offices in Sidmouth should not have been pushed ahead before the election on May 7.
Candidates clash at business hustings - News - Exmouth Journal
East Devon District Council urged to postpone controversial office relocation decision until after costly tribunal ruling | Exeter Express and Echo
Here is a useful overview from the latest View from Sidmouth/Pullman's Weekly:
SIDMOUTH: District council’s HQ move saga set to reach conclusion tomorrow
24th March 2015
EAST Devon District Council’s controversial relocation project will finally be brought to a close this week, with members set to sign off a move to Honiton.
Members of the council are poised to approve plans to sell land at Knowle in Sidmouth and relocate to new offices in Honiton and Exmouth.
The council’s original intention had been to move to purpose-built offices at Skypark, near Exeter, but twin sites at Honiton and Exmouth became the preferred option after a deal to sell its land at Heathpark to a major supermarket fell through.
EDDC chiefs now say the switch to Honiton, with extra office space in Exmouth, is the best way to make savings and modernise “wasteful” working practices.
Councillors will meet tomorrow (Wednesday) to seal the deal, after EDDC scrutiny committee members backed the proposals.
A council spokesperson said: “The Overview and Scrutiny Committee voted to recommend that the findings of the report on the sale of Knowle and relocation of EDDC to new offices in Honiton and Exmouth be submitted to full council for final approval on March 25th.
“The vote was subject to a condition that, as part of the negotiations with Sidmouth Town Council, a covenant is proposed to ensure that the land is not built on and remains as public space.”
EDDC says Knowle is no longer fit-for-purpose and would be very expensive to bring back to shape.
Under its plans, some of the land will instead be sold to retirement developer Pegasus Life, with the remaining 3.5 hectares of parkland to be managed by Sidmouth Town Council.
Meanwhile, Honiton will reap the economic rewards, with the relocation set to take place in early 2017.
The town’s chamber of commerce welcomed the news as an “early Christmas present” when it was announced in December.
And Honiton Mayor Peter Halse, who also represents the town on the district council, has said the revised plans are more “sensible” than the Skypark move.
A decision on the controversial project has been hurried forward to ensure the process is complete before the pre-election ‘purdah’ period, during which time the council’s activities will be restricted.
And a band of opposition councillors are still firmly opposed to rushing through the move before May.
In a letter to Pulman’s View, Independent councillor Roger Giles said: “It is a quite shameful abuse of council procedures, a total disregard of the views of local people, and an affront to our democratic principles.”
SIDMOUTH: District council’s HQ move saga set to reach conclusion tomorrow - View from Sidmouth
Meanwhile, the East Devon Watch blog makes several pertinent points:
Questions for DMC regarding Knowle site | East Devon Watch
Councillors “like puppets on a string” over Knowle sale | East Devon Watch
Who REALLY decided on Knowle relocation? | East Devon Watch
Knowle: another question | East Devon Watch
Knowle Public consultations, EDDC-style | East Devon Watch
Cautions for Councillors voting on relocation | East Devon Watch
Knowle maintenance – planned deterioration – the figures | East Devon Watch
And on the subject of 'consultants', a legal website looks at the concerns from the Information Commissioner's Office:
Local Government Lawyer - ICO calls for action to tackle "transparency gap" caused by outsourcing
.
.
.
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