Real Zorro: RIP the Knowle - Get angry! Get even! Vote 7 May

Zorro is saddened, but unsurprised by the outcome of last night’s East Devon District Council decision to relocate its Headquarters from the Knowle in Sidmouth and to sell the site. This decision flies in the face of what the local electorate wants, what local business want, what the local MP wants and what independently minded Councillors want.

The Knowle. Conservatives to sell a public asset

In the end 36 Conservative Councillors voted to do what had almost become inevitable after last week’s Cabinet and joint meetings of the Audit & Governance Committee and the Overview & Scrutiny Committee. They voted to relocate from the Knowle to a split site alternative in Honiton and Exmouth.

They also voted to sell the site and associated land. The preferred bidder to develop the site had been determined before last night’s or even last week’s meeting as Pegasus Life. Zorro finds it extraordinary that such a decision can be made prior to formal proceedings within the Council have concluded. So, the "for sale" sign is about to be erected at the Knowle

The sign that will now be erected at the Knowle

All of this has happened before we learn the outcome of the independent tribunal that determines whether the Council has acted properly in not making some of the key reports related to the relocation feasibility process of relocating public. All of this also comes 6 full weeks ahead of the elections on 7 May.

There have now to be two steps that electors in East Devon need to take on 7 May in order to demonstrate their anger at the way the Conservatives in East Devon have politically arrogantly acted over the past few years.

Step 1 – vote for Independent candidates in the District Council elections. Information about these is available on East Devon Alliance’s website http://www.eastdevonalliance.org.uk/

East Devon Alliance. The alternative to Conservative Councillors

Step2 – vote for the Independent candidate, Claire Wright http://www.claire-wright.org/, in the Parliamentary election.

Claire Wright. The alternative to East Devon's Conservative MP

Step 3 – help to ensure that East Devon Alliance candidates and Claire Wright get elected. Help their campaigns, encourage family and friends to vote for them and put up their posters and boards to publicise their candidatures. Change can happen!

Step 4 – keep up to date with all that is happening in the political world that is East Devon. You can do this by regularly visiting East Devon Watch’s website http://eastdevonwatch.org/, as well as Save Our Sidmouth’s website http://saveoursidmouth.com/.