A monthly Community Newsletter
Published by St. Michael’s Church and Gittisham Parish Council
June 2021 Edition 232
No Mow May
Several villagers joined in with “No Mow May” including parts of the churchyard, some of which will be left for a slightly longer period. The play park also has created paths in the orchard area. Let us all keep trying to help the environment and give the small mammals, insects and birds a chance to thrive. I have a variety of lovely birds in my garden which is rather like a floral jungle.
Gittisham Village Hall events
The BBQ organised by the Village Hall committee has been postponed, due to Covid restrictions on gatherings. A new date will be issued in due course.
People in the News
Congratulations to Edward Fuller who won a prestigious rowing cup at Eton Dornay last weekend beating competitors from all over the U.K. by 12 seconds and several lengths. This weekend he is rowing in a quad with brother Tom at the same venue. It is lovely that regattas have started up again, I expect the boys will be very busy this summer and Helen will be doing a lot of driving. We wish Ed and Tom every success and lots more trophies.
Music for a Summer Night at Coryhill, Combe Raleigh
Music by University of Exeter Chapel Choir and friends, Saturday 24th July 2021. Bring a picnic, rugs, chairs and wine. Free parking, raffle and hot drinks on sale. Gates open 5.30pm, Concert at 6.30pm
Box Office: 01392285983 or 01404 46452 online booking www.exeter-cathedral.eventbrite.com
Advance tickets £12.50 or £15.00 after 20th July – Tickets only refundable if government policy changes.
Proceeds will support the Exeter Cathedral Music Foundation Trust. Kindly supported by Canonteign Falls. Exeter Cathedral Music Foundation Trust is a registered charity no. 297365
Other events
Buckerell fete has been postponed and will now be held on Saturday 4th September at Splathayes.
Combe Raleigh is holding an Open Garden Weekend over the weekend of 17th and 18th July.
St Paul’s has started outdoor take-away coffee and biscuits on a Tuesday, free of charge but donations are welcomed for Vaccinaid.
Gittisham Community Land Trust
Affordable rented housing to meet a local need
The project has been 11 years in the making. It began with the identification of the housing need by the local community, through the parish plan back in 2010. From these beginnings, the Community Land Trust has now emerged.
An initial CLT steering group began by identifying the housing need within the parish/village of Gittisham. They held several events in 2016, the outcome of which identified a need for 6 affordable houses for the community. The survey helped crystallise the view that affordable housing was needed to serve the village. The GCLT was formally registered as a Community Benefit Society in October 2018.
The GCLT then undertook a site selection process and evaluated four possible sites in the village. The preferred site was identified as the former farm buildings serving Town Farm on Exeter Hill and was subsequently endorsed by the community at a public meeting. In planning policy terms, there is no clear village boundary. The site sits outside the conservation area but it is washed over by the AONB. It is considered a rural exception site due to the local, affordable housing that it would provide for the community. This is supported in the EDDC local plan strategy 27 and through the recently adopted Affordable Housing, Supplementary Planning Document. The site also benefits from a previous planning permission granted in 1999 for offices and storage buildings. Whilst the currently proposed use for the site is very different to the historic approval, many of the same issues of access and landscape impact remain the same.
Discussions with EDDC Housing resulted in a mix of units, 4 x 2 bed and 2 x 3 bed, being agreed to provide the best balance of accommodation for the need identified. Throughout the project, the land owners, the Combe Estate have been entirely supportive of this community project. They have provided the site and will benefit by the provision of 3 serviced plots for estate usage. They have signed a heads of terms agreement for a conditional land purchase with the CLT. They have also asked the community to lead the project as much as is possible and the architects appointed by the CLT are also acting for the estate. This has all helped derive a scheme that has been directed entirely by the needs of the CLT.
The architect’s (ECA) have been given a clearly defined brief and a ‘clean’ site. Following numerous meetings on Zoom the project has evolved into a unique scheme that picks up on aspects of the village in terms of layout, materials, setting and scale.
We are now at a stage where we can present a preferred scheme through a public consultation with the community. The details of the preferred scheme will be on display for public viewing and comment in the Village Hall on Friday 11th June 2021 from 3.00pm to 8.00pm. Representatives from the architects, the GCLT, Combe Estate, and our Housing Association partner, will be on hand to answer questions and receive comments. On behalf of the GCLT I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible.
David Valentine
Chairman, GCLT
St Michael’s Church, Honiton Mission Community and 200 Club
St. Michael’s Gittisham
Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting was held on the 20th May by Zoom, Both Angie and I remain as wardens, Ian continues as treasurer and the PCC remains as in 2020. We have now had two monthly Eucharistic services in church the next one is on Sunday 13th June at 11.00am and thereafter on the 2nd Sunday each month, numbers are still restricted so you need to book your place with Carol 851113, obviously social distancing and masks to be worn. Currently we are still not permitted to sing in the church, unless June 21st makes changes. On the 30th May we were able to hold a lay-led ‘Café’ style church on the green with croissants made by Pierre, rockcakes by Angie and a choice of hot drinks. 20 parishioners attended the refreshments with 3 leaving before the short service, it was lovely to be able to sing the hymns led by Sarah Agg-Manning. It is hoped, weather permitting to have more outdoor services in varying styles to receive the details for these please email Julia on or for those without internet ring her on 07763111367 or 01404850680.
Honiton Mission Community
The website www.honitoncofe.org is updated regularly and has news about the latest guidelines on the Covid regulations. There is also a link to the Gittisham website. The monthly newsletter Around the Parishes is included plus details of Rev’d Sue’s weekly Zoom Sunday Morning Worship at 10.00am. If you would like to join in this service do please email Rev’d Sue and she will forward the link , there is also a ‘virtual’ Eucharist at 6.00pm. St. Paul’s is now offering a Said Eucharist on Sunday at 11.00am each week, places need to be booked through the Parish office on 01404 44035 or and messages will be replied to when someone is available. Mollie the Church administrator is there on Tuesdays.
200 Club
Those who didn’t renew your 200 Club subscriptions by the end of May and I haven’t heard from you, I am releasing your number/s as I assume you no longer wish to be a member. If anyone is interested in joining the church 200 club you can contact me – details below and I will send an application form.. Payment can be made by cheque – payable to Gittisham PCC, BACS or by standing order – I can email or post this form too. (Carol McCann 01404 851113, 07946409142, . Draws are made monthly with prizes of £40., £20., £15., £10., and £5., with 2 six monthly (September and March) of £48.
June 2021 200 Club Results
1st Alice Hayman 2nd Sue Fallows 3rd Diane Janes
4th Ian Warne 5th Helen Hayman
Gazette printing is still not possible with the ongoing restrictions, as the Parish Office in Honiton remains closed. The Gazette is also available on the Gittisham website Gittisham.org.uk. If you would like a copy by email please let me have your email details or if you have no internet it can be posted to you until things get back to order some help with 2nd class postage would be appreciated, Carol McCann 3 School Cottages, Gittisham, Honiton, EX14 3AH. 01404 851113 I will leave a few copies in the Vale bus shelter and Hayne Farm Estate Sales Office again until such time the whole print run can be delivered by Peter and Ann again.
Editor/Distributor:
Carol McCann 01404 851113/07946409142 . If you have events or news items for inclusion in the Gazette do please email it to Carol as early as possible (using Arial font please) Copy date for July edition is the 28th June please. I hope to have the edition ready to send out on Friday 9th July as the Parish Council do not meet until the 7th.