But despite strong and specific criticism tonight, by several Councillors and the members of the public, of Richard Cohen’s controversial update on Knowle office relocation, the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Chair, Tim Wood and others voted …to note the report!!
More on tonight’s O&S meeting to follow.
East Devon Watch 
So just to recap:
1. No one knows how much this is going to cost and therefore no one knows whether there is a business case which says it is cheaper to move than to stay at the Knowle. Yet yesterday’s full council agenda states “embedding whole life cost assessments into decision-making prior to significant investment would ensure that the Council had a better understanding of the long-term revenue implications.” How can they say that and yet be undertaking the Knowle move not only without whole-life cost assessments but in fact without ANY cost assessments?
2. Despite saying in the annual report that more small business units are needed, and despite the agenda for yesterday’s council saying that the council should “focus on achieving the delivery of additions to the stock of serviced office space”, the Knowle project includes the sale of the East Devon Business Centre in Honiton for demolition so that yet another supermarket can be built. How can they say they need more office units for small businesses at the same time as planning to destroy an existing one?
So here are two obvious points that any Scrutiny Committee should be taking a close look at – but instead they decide to “note the report”.
So not only is there rank hypocrisy in each of the two points above, with a clear intent to undertake the Knowle move regardless of the consequences, there is apparently even greater rank hypocrisy in the committee including the word Scrutiny in its name.
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