I hope you are all safe and well. The last Newsletter was issued in November last year and a lot has taken place over the last 5 months.
Having appointed our architect (ECA Architects) and housing association (South Devon Rural HA) partners, we established a Project Team which includes ECA, SDRHA, Consulting Engineers (Craddy’fs), Combe Estate, 3 members of GCLT Board and Wessex CLT Project (our long suffering adviser’fs). The Project Team meets regularly and the notes of the meeting are circulated to the GCLT Board for information and comment.
The architect has probably been the busiest member of the team with the consulting engineers running a close second.
The site itself presents a number of challenges not least those which relate to finding a point of access which meets highway authority (DCC) standards and how to deal with surface water runoff. There is also an interesting challenge for the architect in that they are having to respond to 3 clients – the expectations of Gittisham CLT, the Combe Estate and the financial constraints imposed on the Housing Association which arise from the Government funding for the construction costs.
The initial work of the Project Team focused on footprint design. A number of options have been assessed and debated within the team. The Zoom channel has been pretty busy! There was an initial brief provided for the architect which, in short, required the architect to come forward with a proposal which respected the sensitivity of the location and the setting of the site in relation to the village and the form of development within the village. Work has now been extended to looking at design, construction and surface materials. The village has a wide range of traditional materials and elements taken from this palette of materials are being considered in the onsite design. Thatch is not on the agenda!!
Alongside the work of the Project Team discussions have continued with EDDC and it has been encouraging to have received support for the GCLT proposals from the Housing department. The normal practice regarding engagement with the Planning department involves the making of a Pre Planning Application (Pre App) submission which outlines the case for the application together with the design evolution and gives the planning officer the opportunity to identify any additional areas of information (or possible areas of amendment) which would benefit the consideration of the planning application following its formal submission. After burning some midnight oil the Pre App submission was made on 25th February. We have now received the Pre App response which has put forward a number of points to consider and concludes:
“The principle of development is acceptable providing the application is accompanied by the relevant needs survey and supporting information. The layout and design may require some alterations however the general concept is supported.”
The Project Team have submitted further comments addressing the points made within the EDDC response and as mentioned earlier, is now putting together the detail of the dwelling design, ground treatments, on and off site technical infrastructure, landscaping and boundary details etc.. Please don’ft expect ‘eGrand Designs’f and remember that building costs have to be controlled in order that rentals are truly at an affordable level. The full application submission will include the designs for the 3 estate plots (Combe are employing the same architects) so we will have a comprehensive picture of how the development will appear.
A date has now been set for a Public Exhibition displaying all the details of the development including the 3 estate dwellings. This date is 11th June in the Village Hall between 3.00pm and 8.00pm. The architects together with the Housing Association, the Estate, Board members of GCLT and hopefully a representative from EDDC housing, will be in attendance to answer questions. Comments will be recorded and considered after the exhibition date. As an initial stage to this period of public consultation I am circulating details of the proposed site layout and these are attached as a PDF. These details are also being circulated with the May Gazette. If you would like to make any initial comments then please send them to me at .
David Valentine Chairman
Company Secretary: Helen Hayman, Gittisham Farm, GITTISHAM. EX14 3AX
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
Morning everyone. I see most of you around the village and it is a relief to see that the village and Vale is in pretty good health and, as far as I know, Covid-19 free. I thought that I should circulate to you all an update on progress and activity that we within GCLT have been up to since the last March Newsletter.
The direction is, of course, steadily forward together with a lot of paddling going on just beneath the surface.
We were due to have an AGM on 19th March but the “glock down”h prevented that taking place. At the moment the AGM is postponed. The legal basis for the GCLT is that we are registered as a Community Benefit Society and our current society Rules require the society to hold an AGM. In theory, therefore, a decision to postpone the AGM would mean that the society is in breach of its Rules and Members of the society could challenge the CLT through the courts on this point. I would hope that this is unlikely given the circumstances but it would be good practice to invite you as Members to comment should you so wish. Any comments to .
An important item on an AGM agenda is the approval of the annual accounts. In the absence of an AGM the annual accounts for 2018/19 have been submitted to FCA and HMRC and the accounts for 2019/20 are currently in preparation. The 2018/19 accounts, in reality, covered a mainly dormant accounting period which was reflected in the returns. As far as the 2019/2020 returns are concerned the vast majority of accountancy has been in respect of income from grants received together with minimal expenditure. 2020/2021 will look a little different as we have appointed solicitors to act on our behalf and are now in the process of appointing architects and site investigation consultants. These consultants will be preparing reports on ground investigations, ecology, trees and other engineering and topographical detail – all essential items which will inform the design process.
The site investigation works are due to commence during August and we hope that architects will be appointed early in September. A number of architects have expressed an interest in acting on behalf of GCLT and we will be undertaking an interview process before finalizing the appointment. Once appointed the chosen architects will become part of a Project Team which will include representatives from GCLT, the Housing Association (HA), the architects, Combe Estate and Wessex CLT Project. Other advisors/consultants will be co-opted as necessary. The Project Team will report back to the GCLT Board and the village/parish community will be consulted at appropriate stages during the design process. The work of the Project Team is key to the management of the project throughout the next period prior to and during construction. Within this period the planning application will be submitted. We need to be realistic in our expectations in relation to the completion of the planning process but I would like to set a target of June/July 2021 for this to be concluded.
Once planning permission has been obtained it will be for the HA to apply for the funds to facilitate the construction of the dwellings, to appoint contractors and manage the construction. The level of funding provided by Government for construction may require additional financial support and we have identified 2 potential sources of funding which could help to support the design/construction costs if necessary.
That’fs all for now. Stay safe and well.
David Valentine Chairman
Email:
Company Secretary: Helen Hayman, Gittisham Farm, GITTISHAM. EX14 3AX
The following is the Chairman’s Report which will be reported to AGM on Thursday 19th March at 7.30 pm.
Chairman’s Report
In October last year the GCLT Board celebrated its first year of Board activity since being registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as a Community Benefit Society. The registration with the FCA was followed in March by a Special General Meeting which formally appointed the GCLT Board. The GCLT Board has met frequently and attendance has been very good. We have been given full support by Jay Lambe from Wessex CLT Project and Janice Alexander from Devon Communities Together.
It has been a busy period and I would like to thank the Board Directors and our advisers for their hard work and support during the past year.
So what have we achieved – well, we have completed all the legal formalities necessary with the formulation of a CLT, undertaken negotiations with the Combe Estate regarding the identification of a preferred site, this is the former agricultural buildings at Town Farm, and agreed Heads of Terms with Combe Estate for the sale of the site to the GCLT. At a well attended public meeting in May we gained endorsement of the preferred site from the village community. In October we held a housing need “gdrop in”h event to re-establish the level of affordable housing need in the village. In November we successfully submitted a start-up revenue grant application to East Devon District Council and subsequently in December we successfully applied for a second stage grant.
The identification and subsequent endorsement by the community of the preferred site was a key event in the year which provided confidence and momentum for the CLT Board.
The “drop in” event held on 10th October focused on revisiting the key area of understanding the level of housing need within the village and its surrounding area. A number of households came along and were able to have a discussion with Janice Alexander from Devon Communities Together. The results confirmed that the affordable housing need of 6 units previously identified 3 years ago, continues to be the case. This result provided a further confidence boost for the Board and together with the successful grant applications the Board has been able to progress with the appointment of solicitors and accountants to act on behalf of the CLT.
In order for the Board to progress with the appointment of a Housing Association (HA) partner – it is the HA that constructs the dwellings – it has been necessary to prepare an Allocation Plan. This has to be agreed with EDDC and the HA and will ultimately become an integral part of the Section 106 Agreement which will accompany the planning permission. Any person who applies for an affordable dwelling must show that they are in Housing Need and that they have a Local Connection. The Allocation Plan sets out the criteria which will be taken into account when allocating the dwellings when they are ready for occupation. All applicants must be registered with Devon Home Choice. The initial priority is to establish an applicant’fs level of need. Once this is established the local connection criteria can then be applied. After careful consideration the Board at its last meeting agreed a draft Allocation Plan which will be submitted to EDDC for consideration after this AGM. There is an item on this agenda which seeks to clarify an aspect of the local connection criteria.
Work has already commenced in preparing documents for issuing to architects and Housing Associations inviting expressions of interest in working in partnership with GCLT. Later this year consultants will be appointed to undertake site investigations and a Project Team will be established which will co-ordinate the day to day progress with the initial objective of submitting a planning application. The Project Team will report back to the CLT Board.
There will be a further public meeting to enable the community to view and comment on designs which come forward for development of the site.
There has been an ongoing positive relationship with the Combe Estate over the past 12 months and their support for this project has been a key factor in achieving the progress made so far.
My final thanks goes to you, the Gittisham community, for your continuing support for this project. This is a community led project and without your support we would not have been able to achieve the progress made over the past 12 months. Thank you.
There is a lot to be done and the prospect of many obstacles to overcome but, on behalf of the GCLT Board, I am confident that we will be able to maintain the momentum currently in place and I look forward to providing a similar positive report in 12 months time.
David Valentine Chairman
Email:
Company Secretary: Helen Hayman, Gittisham Farm, GITTISHAM. EX14 3AX
The GCLT Board recently celebrated its first year since being registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as a Community Benefit Society in October 2018.
CONGRATULATIONS
It has been a busy year and I would like to thank the Board Directors and our advisers at Wessex CLT Project and Devon Communities Together for their hard work and support during the past year.
So what have we achieved – well we have completed all the legal formalities necessary with the formulation of a CLT, undertaken negotiations with the Combe Estate regarding the identification of a preferred site and agreed Heads of Terms for the sale of the site to the GCLT, gained endorsement of the preferred site from the village community, held a housing need “gdrop in”h event to re-establish the level of affordable housing need in the village and successfully submitted a start-up revenue grant application to East Devon District Council. Given the complexity of many of the issues that is a pretty good return for a 12 month period.
The “drop in” event held on 10th October focused on revisiting the key area of understanding the level of housing need within the village and its surrounding area. A number of households came along and were able to have a discussion with Janice Alexander from Devon Communities Together. The results confirmed that the affordable housing need of 6 units previously identified 3 years ago, continues to be the case. This result provides the necessary confidence boost for the Board to progress with the appointment of solicitors, accountants, the Housing Association (HA) partner, architects and consultants to undertake all the necessary site investigations. I can visualize an awful lot of paperwork heading in my direction over the next few months!!
An important document that we are working on at the present is the Allocations Plan. This has to be agreed with EDDC and the HA and will ultimately become an integral part of the Section 106 Agreement which will accompany the planning permission.
Any person who applies for an affordable dwelling must show that they are in Housing Need and that they have a Local Connection. The Allocations Plan sets out the criteria which will be taken into account when allocating the dwellings when they are ready for occupation. All applicants must be registered with Devon Home Choice. The initial priority is to establish an applicant’fs level of need. Once this is established the local connection criteria can then be applied. I have raised a number of questions about how appropriate the current EDDC criteria would be when applied in the Gittisham context and I am now awaiting some clarifications.
It should be remembered, of course, that there are 6 potential applicants as a result of the “gdrop in”h event who meet the current criteria.
Well we need a bit more grant to fund all the above and so it’fs back to another application form!!
Oh yes, just in case you have not noticed Christmas is on the way so on behalf of the GCLT Board I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
David Valentine Chairman
Email:
Company Secretary: Helen Hayman, Gittisham Farm, GITTISHAM. EX14 3AX
I hope that you have enjoyed a very nice summer. I suspect that this next 12 months is going to be busy time for the GCLT.
As you may be aware, a housing need survey was carried out in Gittisham in 2016 which identified the need for 6 affordable homes in the parish. Gittisham Community Land Trust (GCLT) has been formed to undertake the development of these homes. The GCLT has been working closely with the Combe Estate to identify a suitable site for a small development and after a public meeting on 16th May their preferred site (Agricultural Buildings former Town Farm, Exeter Road) was officially endorsed by the majority of those attending.
The Heads of Terms for the acquisition of the site have been agreed.
The next steps are to engage solicitors, consultants, architects and a housing association who will manage the homes and then to submit a planning application to East Devon District Council. A grant application to EDDC to cover the initial financial costs will be submitted shortly.
As Gittisham is a small rural village, the need for these homes must be justified. Therefore as the housing need survey is now over 3 years old and people’fs circumstances may have changed in the intervening years, it has been decided to update the housing need in the parish. As part of this process the GCLT is running a “gdrop-in”h event for anyone interested in affordable housing in the village.
Time & Date : 3 – 7 pm Thursday 10th October 2019 Venue : Gittisham Village Hall
At this drop-in, representatives from Gittisham CLT and Wessex CLT Project, the Devon Rural Housing Enabler and East Devon District Council Housing Options department will be available to discuss the development and to advise how to register on Devon Home Choice which is the local housing register. All conversations will be held in strictest confidence and no personal data will be passed on to members of the GCLT or Parish Council.
In order to apply for these homes, you would need a local connection to Gittisham, either by residence, employment, upbringing or a family connection. A detailed Allocation Policy is currently being prepared.
It is important that anyone who believes they need affordable rented housing registers on Devon Home Choice as this is where the homes will be advertised and where applicants can apply for them. Early application will enhance the chances of being allocated a home.
If you cannot attend this drop in but would like to register your interest and find out more, please contact Janice Alexander at Devon Communities Together who will be carrying out the housing need update. Janice is available by email at or telephone 01392 248919.
In order to attract interest in this important event details have been advertised in the Gittisham Gazette and an article will be submitted to the Mid Week Herald for publication later in September, however, there are families who have left the village and who may be interested in the proposals that are coming forward but are not on our circulation list or receiving the Herald. Please let Helen Hayman or myself know of anyone you know who might be interested and we will forward details onto them.
David Valentine Chairman
Email:
Company Secretary: Helen Hayman, Gittisham Farm, GITTISHAM. EX14 3AX
At the Special General Meeting held on the 21st March the following Directors were appointed:
David Valentine Helen Hayman Damian Furniss Maggie Walker John Adamson Carol Hall Russell Hayman Andy Wilkins Owen Morgan Terry Kitchen Fiona Clampin
Subsequently, the Board has appointed David as Chairman, Helen as Secretary and Damian as Treasurer. Membership of the GCLT has been steadily growing and has now reached 70. This represents a large percentage of the village population showing its support for the work that is currently taking place in seeking to provide the village with a small affordable housing scheme.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL START AT 7.00 pm on THURSDAY 9th MAY in the VILLAGE HALL
The ongoing work seeking a suitable site and agreeing Heads of Terms with the Combe Estate has been a positive exercise and a preferred site has now been identified. The Heads of Terms are not legally binding in themselves but set out how and on what basis the agreed land can be disposed of to the GCLT. It is an important part of the process for the preferred site to be endorsed by the parish population and that is the principal reason for the Open Public Meeting on 16th May in the Village Hall at 7.00 pm.
This meeting is a key milestone in the overall timetable and assuming the endorsement of the preferred site, will provide the platform to appoint solicitors, a Housing Association partner and consultants to undertake site surveys and to prepare briefing documentation prior to the appointment of architects. We are currently preparing a grant application to cover some of the initial costs and further grant applications will be made to cover consultant costs etc.. Another key area that the Board will be looking at over the next few months is that of an Allocations Policy to ensure that the properties when built will meet the objective of providing accommodation for the local community.
I have commented in the past of the need to engage with the local community at various key stages in this process. The project must be community led and the forthcoming Open Public Meeting which will focus on the background to the recommendation identifying the preferred site is another opportunity for the community to show it’fs support for the work of the GCLT Board and it’fs adviser’fs.
OPEN PUBLIC MEETING IN THE VILLAGE HALL AT 7.00pm on THURSDAY 16th MAY
The GCLT are continuing to promote its work and extend its current membership. If you are interested in becoming a member then please contact Helen Hayman, the CLT secretary, or indeed any of the other Board members. Application forms are on the website (www.gittisham-clt.org.uk).
David Valentine Chairman
Company Secretary: Helen Hayman, Gittisham Farm, GITTISHAM. EX14 3AX
A CLT is a non-political not-for-profit organization established to provide benefits to a local community.
They usually start by focusing on the provision of affordable housing, but they can also facilitate the provision of other community benefits.
The legal framework within which the Gittisham (GCLT) is managed is that of a Community Benefit Society (CBS) and the £ shares which you have acquired gives you membership of the CBS. We currently have 60 members. This represents a large percentage of the village population showing its support for the work that is currently taking place in seeking to provide the village with a small (6 units of rented accommodation) residential scheme. The work of a CLT has to be community led and this is a fantastic start. Thank you.
So what happens next?
Once the new Board has been elected on Thursday 21st March the ongoing work seeking a suitable site and agreeing Heads of Terms with the Combe Estate will continue. The Heads of Terms are not legally binding in themselves but set out how and on what basis the agreed land can be disposed of to the GCLT. Once the Heads of Terms are in place the CLT Board will come back to the community with its recommendation for the preferred site and seek the community’s endorsement to proceed. The CLT will employ consultants and architects to help with the design of the scheme in preparation for the planning application.
Where does the funding come from?
The Board will be making an application for ‘eStart Up Funding which can be obtained from EDDC. Additional grant applications can be made at appropriate stages during the process. The Community Housing Fund is a Government initiative which was first launched in 2016 to support communities to bring forward affordable housing through the CLT process. EDDC were a beneficiary of this fund and currently hold a significant sum of money which they can redistribute as grants to CLT’fs. Homes England is the national housing and regeneration agency for England and administers Community Housing Funds which were part of a range of Government announcements made in 2018. There is no shortage of funds which can be accessed for this type of community-led project. Additionally, there are funds which can be accessed by a partner Housing Association. Selecting a Housing Association partner will be another task following the agreement Heads of Terms.
Where is the Board getting advice from?
The GCLT is being supported by Wessex CLT Project, an organization who provide technical advice and support to CLT groups. They are currently supporting 45 groups across the south west and they have an excellent record of meeting their delivery objectives. We are also supported by Devon Communities Together.
The GCLT are continuing to promote its work and extend its current membership. If you are interested in becoming a member then please contact Helen Hayman, the CLT secretary, or indeed any of the other Board members.
Application forms are on the website (www.gittisham-clt.org.uk).
David Valentine Chairman
Company Secretary: Helen Hayman, Gittisham Farm, GITTISHAM. EX14 3AX
Sunday 3rd December 2023 at 16:00 in Gittisham St Michael’s Church
Come and join us in our beautiful church as we begin the lead up to Christmas. We are presenting a lovely festive concert suitable for all ages with professional singers. Join us in our carol singing and enjoy a drink and a mince pie. There will also be a prize draw with a splendid lunch for two to be won at The Pig’s Folly. Book early to avoid disappointment! The proceeds will be shared between Force Cancer Charity and St Michael’s Church, Gittisham.
A monthly community newsletter published by St Michael’s Church and Gittisham Parish Council
What’s On?
Pierre’s Café Sunday 12th Nov Community Kitchen Every Thurs, village hall 6.30pm. All welcome to enjoy a free meal and good company Act of Remembrance at the Lych gate Sunday Nov 12th 10.50 followed by Eucharist in Church Ember Pizza Pizza van by the church 1st Wednesday of the month 07751 532843 Coffee Together 18th Nov 10.30-12 at the Parish Room inc double 200 club Nov & Dec draw ‘Getting ready for Advent’ Sun Nov 26 th 11am at the church Quiz Saturday evening 2nd December Quizmaster Hamish Christmas Swap Shop 2nd December
Come and join us in our beautiful church as we begin the lead up to Christmas. We are presenting a lovely festive concert suitable for all ages with professional singers. Join us in our carol singing and enjoy a drink and a mince pie. There will also be a prize draw with a splendid lunch for two to be won at The Pig’s Folly. Book early to avoid disappointment! The proceeds will be shared between Force Cancer Charity and St Michael’s Church, Gittisham.
Trick or Treating Lots of treats and quite a few tricks this year. A big crowd ventured out into the rain after gathering at the village hall. Those of us waiting at home could definitely hear them coming. Many of houses had treats for the little darlings but some houses had tricks in store, much to their amusement. Definitely not just an event for the children. Thanks to all those who helped at the hall and in herding the monsters around the village. And thanks to everyone who supplied the various treats. Far too much sugar and not enough hidden sprouts!
Christmas Swap Shop Saturday 2nd December 3-6pm at the Hall
“For a more sustainable Christmas”
Swap toys, decorations and lights.
One gift donation entitles the giver to one free gift. Donations from 10am at the hall. Good quality only.
Mulled wine, mince pies and cream teas from 3pm
Quiz Night
At the village hall Saturday 2nd December
Quizmaster Hamish
Combe Farm Shop
Its nearly time to start thinking about Christmas. Here at the Farm shop we are looking forward to a busy festive season.
We have lots of lovely things planned including our late night Christmas shopping event, where you can meet some of our suppliers, enjoy some free samples, listen to a local choir and even meet Santa. There will be hot drinks, mulled wine and turkey baps available in the Café. We will also have some great deals on, so it could be a chance to get some Christmas present shopping done. This is going to be on December 2nd.
We will be hosting our popular wreath making workshops again with a local florist and using locally sourced greenery. We will be running them on November 29th and December 13th in the evening. Mulled wine and nibbles are included. If this interests you, please let us know to book your spot as numbers are limited. We also have capacity to run private wreath workshops for small groups.
We also have our diary open for Christmas orders. We have Local Turkeys from near Exeter (Rosamond Farm), Turkey breast rolls, in house cured Gammon ( using local free range pork from Prestige Pork), Pigs in Blankets, Carvery Rib, Rolled Sirloin, Ducks, Chicken and so much more. We also offer our Christmas Meat Hampers. All information can be found on our Facebook page or pop by the shop to speak to one of the team.
Look forward to seeing you soon,
Joanna and the Farm Shop Team.
01404 519093
Community Theatre 4All presents
An evening of 2 short plays Gentle comedy from a bygone era. The Laboratory by David Campton The Bear by Anton Chekov
Talaton Parish Hall Thurs 16th, Fri 17th and Sat 18th November
Tickets £6 from www.ticketsource.co.uk 07867 791093
Auction of Promises Saturday 10th February 7 pm at the Hall
Do you have a service or skill you could donate as a lot? This would be placed in a catalogue for Auction in February in the village hall, bar and nibbles available on the night
It’s raining cats and dogs
Our wonderful Devon village lies at the bottom of a pretty steep valley and when it rains heavily, we know it. Large rivers with big catchments, like the Exe, cause problems after prolonged and extensive rainfall – for example, a flood can take several days to reach Exeter after the rain has started. The River Gitt, however, has a tiny catchment area to the centre of the village, just a few square kilometres. This small area, coupled with the steep nature of the catchment – means we are less susceptible to low-intensity prolonged rainfall, but are far more sensitive to short-duration, high-intensity rainfall.
This means when we have heavy rain it reaches the village in minutes! All the floods that have affected the village over the years have followed this pattern – where there is so much rain it cannot soak in and often exceeds the capacity of drains and sometimes the river too. The event that recently caused a lot of surface water flooding, followed this pattern. The graph, from a rain gauge in Honiton, shows just how heavy the rainfall was. The event in the early hours of the 2nd of November did not last for long but had a peak rainfall intensity of over 60mm an hour – which is a lot! Even though the event only lasted a few hours – enough rainfall landed to overwhelm the soil’s ability to infiltrate water and the drainage system’s ability to convey water adequately.
Forecasting really intense rainfall is difficult as the weather systems that create them can be small and intense and predicting where and when they will travel and how heavy the rain will be is hard. For somewhere like Gittisham, with a catchment that reacts very quickly to rainfall, it is also then hard to give a flood forecast. So, working out if the village or nearby roads will flood has to be made based on a combination of weather forecasts, with their inherent uncertainty and observing how heavy the rain is. An online rain & river level gauge in the village could help us better understand the relationship between rainfall and flooding. I’d be happy to chat with anyone who wants to know more about flooding, forecasting flooding and how to manage risk. Hamish ()
St Michael’s Church and Honiton Mission Community
Advent and Christmas Services
Advent Sunday Christmas Concert Dec 3 rd 4pm
2 nd Sunday Eucharist Dec 10 th 11am
St Michael’s Carol Service Sun Dec 17 th 4.45pm mince pies and festive drinks
‘Carols on the Green Fri Dec 22 nd 5pm sausages and mulled wine’
Sunday Dec 24 th Midnight Eucharist 11.30pm
Monday Dec 25 th Christmas Day Eucharist 11am
Around the Parishes – for events and news see copies in Church or visit https://honitoncofe.org/newsletter. Rev’d Tracey Voysey – licensing service as Team Vicar changed to Mon Dec 4 th 7pm at St Paul’s.
Blue Foodbank Box Church Porch – donations gratefully received
PARISH COUNCIL – OCT 2023 REPORT
Six councillors met for the November meeting. One member of the public was also present.
Flooding. Councillors discussed the flooding in the parish which had occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning, 2nd November. The member of the public, who works for a flood risk organisation, advised the parish council that when serious flooding occurs, getting involved in mitigating its effects during the event can be dangerous and it is often best to wait until the worst has passed. For example inspection covers often lift in floods and can’t be seen under water or in the dark. Flood risk is best dealt with proactively, he said, and the parish council is not in a position to advise individuals. All agreed that with climate change bringing about more extreme weather events, people would have to adapt their behaviour and take further precautions to try to minimise flood damage.
Parish emergency plan. Given the recent weather, councillors were reminded that there are various locations marked on the emergency plan where sandbags are stored. (A copy of the emergency plan can be found on the Gittisham website www.gittisham.org.uk click on the ‘parish council’ tab.) Additional sand for the sandbags will be ordered. In the event of a dangerous flood, those affected should call the emergency services. Carol Hall (Chair) thanked Alex Rowe for clearing the drain under the railway bridge by the Forge.
Highways. In his report sent to the council in his absence, Phil Twiss said Devon’s Highways teams have taken an absolute battering this year where climate change, and flooding events in particular, have decimated planned maintenance. But despite that, Highways are pressing on with as much of the programme as possible when not dealing with ’risk to life’ events or clearing up after flooding, fallen trees and damaged buildings. He asked for understanding that they must prioritise workload for those ‘risk to life’ events, while not diminishing the necessity of alerting them to issues on the parish’s roads. Peter Orchard reported that the internal channel of the balancing pond has filled with rubble, so it needs to be cleared out. Alex Rowe said the broken grit bin on the road heading west out of the village had been reported.
Residential development. In his report sent to the council in his absence, Alasdair Bruce said he was somewhat encouraged by the statements that have come out of EDDC’s latest Strategic Planning Committee meeting. If implemented in full, they could offer an element of protection from the scourge of never ending developer-led mass housing applications, he said. The Government will be issuing a new National Planning Policy Framework in the near future. This should help empower EDDC’s planning committee to make a stand against inappropriate development, he said. A case in point was last week’s refusal of the application for 63 houses to the south of Ottery St Mary. Despite officer recommendation, the committee decided to refuse. Alasdair Bruce said it remains to be seen if the council lawyers come back with reasons why these grounds will fail, something he described as an unfortunately familiar scenario.
Finance. Members agreed the finances.
Crimes. Due to an error on the Police UK website, it was not possible to report the crime statistics for August and September 2023.
Casual vacancy. Carol Hall encouraged all councillors to speak to people who might be interested in joining the parish council to represent the Vale ward. People can also contact the clerk for further information by emailing The deadline for applications is 3rd December.
Next meeting. Thursday 7 th December at 7.30pm in the parish room.
Parish Council links Who’s who https://gittisham.org.uk/parish-council/
Emergency Plan https://gittisham.org.uk/parish-council/emergency-plan/ Parish Council Clerk Email: Tel: 01404 851442
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