Welcome to the 2020 Autumn Newsletter
I hope you are all safe and well.
At the Annual General Meeting held on the 10th November 2020 the following Directors were reappointed:
Maggie Walker
John Adamson
Russell Hayman
The other Directors are:
David Valentine
Helen Hayman
Damian Furniss
Carol Hall
Andy Wilkins
Owen Morgan
Terry Kitchen
Fiona Clampin
Subsequently, the Board has reappointed David as Chairman, Helen as Secretary and Damian as Treasurer.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL START AT 7.00 pm on Tuesday 8 th December (via Zoom – details to follow shortly)
It has been quite a challenging time – I can’ft think why!!! The work of the GCLT has carried on throughout the various lockdowns. We have spent the past 6 months appointing consultants to undertake onsite surveys which are a necessity for the architects and engineers acting on our behalf and are required as part of the package of information required in the preparation of, and, to support the planning application. These surveys are nearly complete. We spent a very interesting time over the summer months looking at a number of architect submissions before we shortlisted, interviewed and subsequently appointed ECA as our architect partner.
More recently we have been interviewing Housing Associations with a view to becoming our partners in constructing and subsequently managing the tenancies of the new dwellings. In this respect we have now appointed South Devon Rural Housing Association. These appointments have enabled us to establish a Project Team which will meet on a monthly basis and which, initially, will inform and take forward the important design stages. The Project Team includes the architects (ECA), the housing association (SDRHA), the engineers (highways, foul and surface water drainage and onsite ground conditions, etc), Wessex CLT Project (our advisers), 3 members from the CLT Board and Combe Estate. The Project Team will report back the GCLT Board.
The land for this development is being provided by the Combe Estate at no cost to the GCLT however the Estate will have the benefit of 3 serviced plots as part of the development. The total number of units to be built will be 9 dwellings (6 for GCLT and 3 for the Estate). The support of the Estate is crucial to this development and it is intended that the planning application will be submitted as a comprehensive development of 9 dwellings. The architects, ECA, are acting on behalf of both GCLT and Combe Estate which makes life a lot easier.
We are now in the design stage and the Project Team will shortly be looking at options prepared by the architects. I am hoping that we can bring forward from the options a Preferred Proposal which we can then present to the community for their comment and endorsement. The details of this public consultation are yet to be finalized but will be advertised widely once we are in a position to satisfy any COVID 19 restrictions.
The progress has been steady over the past 6 months and there are still a number of challenges to overcome. The planning process with EDDC is perhaps the biggest challenge. The case for this development has been informally presented to the Planning Team at EDDC and we will be having pre-application discussions with the officers early next year with a view to presenting a full planning application during Spring 2021.
OK that’fs all for now. There are a number of festive village events coming up in December and it would be nice to say hello and have a chat either virtually or socially distanced in the village – I guess it will depend on which tier we are placed.
David Valentine
Chairman
Company Secretary:
Helen Hayman, Gittisham Farm, GITTISHAM. EX14 3AX