| What’s On at the Village Hall | Happy New Year Gittisham!    | |
| 24th Jan Burns Night. 7pm. £10 BYOB. Do book tickets as this event always sells out! 31st Jan Coffee and Cake 2.30 – 4.30pm. We look forward to welcoming you to this much-loved event! Cakes and bakes always gratefully received, and we are happy to reimburse costs. 6th Feb. 7pm Evening Talk by Nic Wakely on the Wonderful world of Orchids. £3 to include refreshments. 20th Feb. 7pm Kitchen warming evening.. details to follow 28th March. 7pm. Easter Bingo 21st June Fathers Day BBQ 1st August Flower & Produce Show 5th Sept Gittisham Village Fete Weekly Folk Dancing Weds evenings Community Kitchen Thurs eve Yoga Friday afternoons Church 200 Club December Draw Results 1st A Valentine 2nd J Barrett 3rd M Tawse The christmas draw winner B Garrood Natter and Nibbles at Gittisham Farm February 14th 10-12 Raffle, memorabilia of Gittisham and refreshments. All funds towards our church. Holy Dusters Needed Can you spare a little time at your convenience? Cleaning products are in the church by the vestry door. Thank you. | As we look ahead to the new year, we’re excited to say that the village hall calendar is already bursting with plans! We have a fantastic mix of events lined up, including quizzes, interesting talks, bingo nights, live music, and plenty more besides — there’s something for everyone, and probably a few surprises along the way too. The hall upgrades are steaming ahead with the final flourishes being added to the brand new shiny kitchen. Work has been steadily progressing over the Christmas period and we are grateful to the local tradespeople for so kindly rolling with the hiccups, and keeping the project on time and reducing the impact to our regular hall bookings. To celebrate, we’re planning a kitchen warming event and would love for you to come along, see the transformation, and enjoy the results of the support that has made it all possible.  Towards the end of the month the actual hall will enjoy a refresh thanks to the generous support of an amazing team of brush wielding painting volunteers. We are all excited to see the hall glowing again! Behind the scenes, we’re a fun, kind and very friendly committee who genuinely enjoy working together to keep the hall buzzing. We’re always happy to welcome new committee members, whether you have lots of ideas, a little time, or just a willingness to get involved. There’s absolutely no pressure to do more than you’re able — every contribution helps — and it’s a great way to engage with the community, meet new people, and build lasting friendships (tea and biscuits are usually involved). gittishamvillagehall@gmail.com  | |
PARISH COUNCIL – DEC 25 / JAN 26 REPORT
Four councillors met for the December meeting along with Alasdair Bruce (EDDC) and Richard Jefferies (DCC). Seven met for the January meeting, along with one member of the public, PCSO Darren England & Sgt Jenny Palmer.
Police visit. The police explained how crimes are recorded, in response to concern from councillors that there appeared to be a rise in the amount of crimes categorised as violence and sexual offences. Sgt Palmer said that Devon & Cornwall Police have changed how they report crimes, and often sexual offences are reported a long time after they happen – sometimes years later – because victims are reluctant to come forward. PCSO England added that the large increase in properties in the parish would unfortunately bring with it a rise in incidents, so the growth in the crime figures was to be expected. The officers provided advice on how to secure sheds and recommended getting the serial numbers of items such as power tools and bikes recorded. They suggested visiting the website www.securedbydesign.com for further information. They also cautioned against leaving keyless entry for a car near the front door, as criminals have methods of picking up the signal and stealing the vehicle.
Crimes.
September 2025: Meadow Acre: 1 x violence & sexual offences, Hedge Field Close: 1 x violence & sexual offences, Hamett Close: 1 x violence & sexual offences, Laburnum Close: 1 x other theft
October 2025: Meadow Acre: 1 x violence & sexual offences, Parsonage Lane: 1 x anti-social behaviour, Nether Close: 1 x public order, Aspen Close: 1 x anti-social behavior
November 2025: Beech Walk, 1 x criminal damage and arson, Hodges Close, 1 x drugs, 1 x violence & sexual offences, Nags Head Road, 1 x violence & sexual offences
Donations. Members agreed to donate money to Force, Diabetes UK, TRIP, Citizens Advice and Hospiscare.
Finance. Members agreed the budget for 2026/27 and the parish precept was increased by 2 per cent to £11,145.79.
Planning applications.
a) 25/2524/FUL – Shermans Farm Gittisham EX14 3AU- Covered FYM store
b) 25/2570/PDQ – Stockers Gittisham EX14 3AN – Prior approval (class Q) for change of use from agricultural building to 2no. dwelling houses (use class C3)
Councillors resolved to have no objections to either application.
Road closures. 16-21 March Exeter Road west of Sidmouth Road: overnight closure for patching, lining and cleaning.
Flooding. Alex Rowe said he had met EDDC’s Engineering Projects Manager for a productive walk of the village watercourse to identify problem areas and discuss possible solutions.
Chair’s resignation. Carol Hall said she would not be standing for re-election as Chair in May 2026, and would be resigning from the parish council from that date.
EDDC Local Plan. Councillors discussed likely scenarios, should East Devon’s Local Plan be found to be unsound at the enquiry in public. Having taken advice from a planning consultant on behalf of the parish council, David Valentine said it would be ok to continue with GPC’s objections to the land allocations. (There had been concern that any challenge to the plan, if the enquiry inspector was supportive and the Local Plan fails at the enquiry stage, will essentially give an open door to developers.)
Hayne Farm. Andrea Rye said EDDC would be visiting the development to understand whether or not
the wildlife planning obligations are being met.
Next meeting. 5th February 2026 at 7.30pm in the parish room.
You can see the full parish council minutes on the Gittisham website, along with other information about the parish. www.gittisham.org.uk
