2020/21

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD ON 3^RD FEBRUARY 2021

via Zoom

The Parish Council Meeting has to take place remotely for reasons of social distancing brought in by HM Government during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Present:

Gittisham Village Ward

Cllr C Hall (Chair)

Cllr D Valentine

Cllr M Walker

Cllr A Rowe

Gittisham Vale Ward

Cllr P Orchard

Cllr J Twist

In attendance: Cllr Susie Bond (EDDC), Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), Fiona Clampin (clerk), one member of the public

Apologies for absence: PCSO Darren England

Before the meeting, one member of the public suggested that an additional rubbish bin would be useful for the village green.

180/20   To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted. 

181/20   To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 6^th January 2021

The minutes of the meeting held on 6^th January 2021 were confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

182/20   To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

The police did not send a report this month, so the clerk provided figures taken from https://www.crime-statistics.co.uk/ .  In December 2020, 5 crimes reported: 4 x violence & sexual offences (Laburnum Close, Parsonage Lane, Cypress Close), 1 x anti-social behaviour (Parsonage Lane).

Having circulated the annual crime report, the clerk said she had raised questions with Darren England, asking if the parish council could do more to help combat crime.  Cllrs Orchard and Twist said that the parish council would like to have more detailed reports to know if the PC could be more proactive, as rising crime figures can affect things such as house insurance prices.  The clerk agreed to contact Darren England again.

ACTION: Clerk to follow up with PCSO Darren England to see how the police can be more involved.

183/20   To receive declarations of interest

None.

184/20   To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

Cllr Twiss said he hoped Mike Brown from DCC Highways would be in touch with Cllr Rowe regarding grit bins.

185/20   Reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Cllr Twiss said it is very much a case of two steps forward, one step back this month.  But the vaccine rollout being delivered at a rapidly escalating pace in Devon and beyond gives a great deal of hope for a measured lifting of current restrictions and a much better summer than 2020, improving all of our mental health and wellbeing, as well as the local economy including jobs and inbound income from a likely ‘staycation boom”.

Covid-19

As we all see from media outlets, infection rates in the UK appear to have peaked and are now beginning to recede due to the impact of lockdown and the vaccination programme to a lesser degree. Thankfully we have no seen COVID variants in our area and with the new door to door testing regime in areas identified let’s hope it remains that way.

Cllr Twiss reported that he was able to visit County Hall last week where a pop-up testing site has been set up  and at full tilt is able to test up to 2,000 people each day, adding to other sites around Exeter. It is quite likely that in due course a vaccination site will also be sited at County Hall to add significant capacity to the programme, as well as more jabs being delivered at local G.P. surgeries and some private pharmacies in supermarket locations that have space to maintain social distancing.

A significant number of beds occupied by COVID patients at the RD&E NHS Trust sites are because of ‘out of area’ patients, but large numbers of frontline staff have been vaccinated and staff numbers returning to work is improving to ease the pressure a little.

Crime figures

Cllr Twiss said he recently met via Zoom Alison Hernandez, the Police & Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall to discuss a wide range of issues and concerns, with Neil Parish our MP sitting in as his post bag is much the same as mine, albeit with a much higher volume of correspondence!

One of the matters raised was a lack of report of crime statistics to Parish and Town Councils by way of a regular report. The Devon and Cornwall Police web site at  https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/your-right-to-information/our-people/our-performance/crime-figures/ is now providing regular ‘high level’ data but does not enable you to drill down to parish level.  Cllr Twiss added that for him, he can only refine to Honiton Rural and Honiton Town, which helps, but only a little.

He said all parties had agreed that resources are problematic and that an annual parishes meeting (online and physical to maximise attendance) might have more relevance than bare statistics which are often skewed by one or two rarely occurring crimes and don’t really provide reasons or analysis behind the figures. Cllr Twiss said he was aware this idea has been mooted before and has been trialled successfully in the DCC Axminster Division, but he said he would actively try to make this happen. He circulated the data for Devon and Cornwall for September where the Honiton area features on pages 99 and 100 of the attached document.

Fairer funding for Schools

DCC is part of the F40. ‘Fairer funding for schools’ campaign where we lag significantly behind other counties and is clearly unfair. Cllr Twiss circulated the latest update on the issues facing our schools and education from all f40 members. This briefing has gone to MPs in the f40 areas,

Bridges and structures

For a change something a little more day to day about the work of DCC, said Cllr Twiss.  It’s the time of the year when the RAC Foundation release their annual bridge with 3,105 bridges (defined as structures over 1.5m in span) defined as being substandard. This was 1.6% up on the 3,055 figure twelve months before.  Devon County Council is responsible for more bridges than any other authority in the UK and is recognised as one of the UK’s leading authorities in structures asset management.

The term ‘substandard’ does not mean there is a problem with the bridge, he explained; it means we are managing 233 bridges that cannot carry the full 40 tonnes ‘standard’ highway load and only 3 of these need upgrading.  In 2019 this figure was 244. Ninety of these are ‘clapper’ bridges on Dartmoor National Park, which are performing well, and the remainder are either scheduled for strengthening work or have a weight limit. Those with weight limits are suitable for the road they are on, such as small lanes where large vehicles are unlikely to require access. DCC manage their bridge stock effectively in accordance with national guidelines to maintain the safety of the public.

Devon’s chief engineer made comment to the RAC Foundation following this year’s survey saying “Whilst the number of substandard bridges may appear worrying, there is often a good reason why a bridge falls into this category; it does not mean the bridge is unsafe as it will be managed by the Local Authority usually by a weight limit.

A restriction such as this may be wholly appropriate for the class of road and/or location, however the survey shows local authorities would want to remove 2,256 bridges out of this sub-standard category which can only be achieved by more investment through Government funding.”

The Chair said she would like to reiterate the difficulties experienced by people working from home and pupils home schooling with regard to slow or ineffective broadband.  Cllr Twiss acknowledged that broadband was still a problem in the village particularly, and he hoped to make progress on this very soon.  The Chair thanked Cllr Twiss for his work in the community.

Cllr Bond said East Devon District Council is currently consulting on the issues and options for a revised Local Plan. The questionnaire is here: https://eastdevon.gov.uk/news/2021/01/have-your-say-on-future-developments-in-east-devon-local-plan-consultation/  and it’s important for people to make their views known at this early stage of the review process.  Meanwhile, in the last 3 years, a total of 2,868 new homes were built within the district, which is comfortably over the target of 928 per annum.  The Chair said she welcomed the news that the district had exceeded its housing quota.

Cllr Bond explained that EDDC’s Cabinet had been meeting this evening to discuss whether to part-fund a masterplan for an extension to the Healthpark Industrial site at Hayne Lane. This is a site which was allocated in the Local Plan for employment. Consultants will be looking at the site primarily to establish viability and how best to bring the site forward.  Cllr Bond said she had added a recommendation that one member from Gittisham PC, Honiton TC and Combe Estate be invited to attend meetings of the working group.  The Chair thanked her for stressing Gittisham’s need to be involved in the process.  Cllr Valentine said he wanted to highlight that this is the first stage of the review of the current Local Plan; this is always the publication of an issues and options report, where the district council identifies what it sees as the key issues over the next 20 years.  Cllr Valentine urged the council to express either support for some of what EDDC is saying such as the renewables and energy-saving features, or concern regarding future growth for Honiton.  He reminded members that previous planning applications such as that for the south side of Honiton above the Vale may well come back into focus.  The consultation period expires on 15^th March, so Cllr Valentine proposed to study the report and present his findings at the March PC meeting where the parish council can decide on its submission. The Chair encouraged all members to look through EDDC’s report and email him any thoughts.  If anyone would like a copy, please contact Cllr Bond.

ACTION: Cllr Valentine to prepare a report for the March meeting. 

Cllr Twiss left the meeting.

186/20   To consider the following planning applications:

1. 20/2656/LBC Winsor Cottage Gittisham EX14 3AS Ground floor: remove walls in kitchen/breakfast room and install new door and removal of stone cladding around fireplace and under 2no. windows in lounge. First floor: remove and construct walls and doors in bedroom no.4; create door opening from bedroom no.1 onto landing for bathroom; remove and construct walls in bedroom no.1 to create ensuite and replace existing metal stair balustrade with timber balustrade

Members had no objection to the application.

187/20   To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

• To note the latest planning decision notices

Cllr Orchard said there were no updates since the last meeting.

• To receive an update on Highways

Cllr Orchard said the railway bridge at the Forge was inspected the night of 18 January.  On Weds 20 Jan the old A30 under the new A30 dual carriageway was flooded during extended rain; DCC was aware of this, he said.  Cllr Orchard reported that the balancing pond south of Old Elm Rd had been so 70 per cent full, partly due he felt to DCC’s summer 2020 response not to clear the outlet grill.  However since 2^nd February the grill has been cleared.  Cllr Orchard said he will get in touch with DCC’s Mike Brown to inform him of a blocked pipe at the entrance to a field on Hayne Lane.

Forthcoming road closures in Gittisham parish:

09 Feb:  Lane to Catshayes Farm: BT pole installations.

22-26 Feb              Chineway to Hare and Hounds. Water works.

24 Feb    Hayne Lane again: Pot hole repairs 24 Feb-05 Mar

Members heard that https://one.network/  is a good guide to all works. You may need to log in to create an account (free) to see forthcoming works up to 3 months hence.

• To consider plans for expenditure in the parish under the Community Infrastructure Levy & S106

Cllr Orchard said there was no update on this. 

• To receive an update on public transport

Cllr Orchard said he had received a refreshingly honest apology from the Stagecoach Operations Manager about the non-arrival of the school bus on 18 December 2020, last day of term.  He said there was nothing else to report, but considering the police annual report is that in the parish there were 40 transport crimes of a total of 87 in the year, something is not adding up.

• To consider the purchase of a defibrillator for the Hayne Farm development

Cllr Twist said she had received an email from Adam Clark, Development Officer at Sovereign Housing asking for further information, which she has supplied. Cllr Twist believes his main point was asking about the electrical contractor we would use to install the defibrillator. She responded that the parish council agrees a contractor with themselves and Baker Estates.  The Chair said there was nothing more to be done for now.

• To consider climate change measures within the parish

Cllr Twist said she had investigated the provision of renewable energy suppliers, of which there were 4 including Ecotricity. However changing companies is not the best route to take, she cautioned, as some companies (especially smaller ones) are going bust with alarming regularity, and your account is transferred by OFGEM to which ever company is prepared to take the accounts.

Electric Vehicle Charging Points

Cllr Twist reported that she had received an email from Alastair Mumford (Corporate Energy Manager, DCC), who stated they were in the process of providing more information to ORCS, and hoped to get back to her in about 4 weeks.  There is additional funding available from the Government, announced yesterday.

Cllr Twist said she had spoken to Bob Nelson the Chair of Broadhembury PC about their EVCPs which have been installed for about 2 years. They received their funding through a grant from the Department of Transport, via the Energy Saving Trust, and received 75 per cent of the cost. They chose Pod Points (EDF) which are accessed via an app.  Cllr Twist said she had also spoken to Talaton’s parish clerk about their plans.  The Chair said perhaps the electric pool car would be worth pursuing alongside the charging point, and encouraged people to come forward with other energy-saving ideas for the parish.

• To consider parish council support for scam awareness and security

Cllr Twist said that information released last week shows that fraud including credit cards, identity and cyber, is the most prevalent crime in Britain costing £190 billion a year.

ACTION: Cllr Twist to draw up a poster based on Neighbourhood Watch information about vaccine scams, and Cllr Orchard and the clerk to put on noticeboards.

• To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said preparations are in hand for having a pre-app meeting with EDDC planning (no date finalised yet). It has been necessary to extend the boundary of the site in a westerly direction for about 10 metres to help with accommodating a turning circle for larger vehicles, extending gardens and helping with surface water attenuation proposals.  It is not anticipated that this will introduce any new planning problem since the previous planning permission granted in 1999 extended the site significantly in a westerly direction. Cllr Valentine reported that we are close to having a preferred scheme and details will be advised asap.  Members agreed they endorsed the progress taking place with the Gittisham CLT, and the work it has been undertaking to date.  Cllr Valentine said the Government appeared to be positive towards community-led developments, as it has recently given a further £4m to the Community Housing Fund.  This is revenue funding, not capital, to help organisations such as CLTs get to the point of securing planning permission.

Cllr Valentine said that EDDC has 30 days from the pre-app meeting to feed back any comments, and after that there is the potential to move forward to submitting a planning application.  At that point, Cllr Valentine said he would like to arrange a community event in March to seek wider community support for the proposal.  Members discussed how this could be organised given the current Covid restrictions in place; the Chair confirmed it was not possible to use the village hall, and thought it was likely the other venues in the village would present the same issues.  It was agreed an outside event might be a possibility, with display boards installed so that people could attend at their own convenience while respecting social distancing.

Regarding the use of CIL funding for a village “gateway”, Cllr Valentine said this was not as straightforward as anticipated.  He had received a message from Tom Vaughan at DCC who said that if the community is considering investing in this, DCC may be able to support it if there is evidence of consultation and community approval.  However, Mr Vaughan described issues with traffic speeds in Gittisham as “perceived”.  Members agreed that the traffic monitoring system had been installed in the wrong location previously, and did not therefore provide the necessary data to show speeding as an issue.

ACTION: Cllr Valentine to speak to Hamish Hall regarding online public consultations.

ACTION: Cllr Valentine to write an article for the Gittisham Gazette asking if people would support the parish council’s investigation into a village gateway.

• To consider the parish emergency plan

Cllr Orchard said Cllr Rowe had uploaded the old plan and template for the modern plan onto Google Drive.  He added that there was now an additional paragraph on the location of defibrillators and how to use them, as well as ‘phone numbers for external agencies.  Cllr Orchard said there was a need for volunteers to come forward who could act in the event of an emergency weather event.  The Chair said she would contact the group of Covid volunteers, and Cllr Walker suggested one representative in the village, Hayne Farm and Vale respectively would be sensible.  Cllr Orchard said there would also be a private list of vulnerable people in the parish, and he had access to advice from Devon Communities Together on how this could meet data protection law.  The Chair asked for the emergency plan to be completed by the date of the next meeting.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to write short article for the Gittisham Gazette asking for volunteers who would be able to assist in the case of extreme wet weather (flooding threat), and snow and ice for village, Vale and Hayne Farm areas.

• To consider the refurbishment and maintenance of the village play area

Cllr Walker reported that a new family in the village had told her how delighted they are with the play area.  She said she would return the hand gel to the entrance, and keep the cleaning rota under review. 

ACTION: Cllr Walker to put hand sanitiser at the entrance to the play area.

• To consider work to be carried out by the lengthsman to maintain ditches and drains in the parish

Cllr Walker said that Len Abbott had unblocked a drain on Honiton Lane where the pond had flooded after recent heavy rain.  He had also found another drain he was unaware of, so he will wait for the water level to drop before he excavates it.  The Chair said the heavy rain had mostly disappeared down the river, thanks to the lengthsman’s excellent work.

188/20   To receive a report from the Chair

The Chair said the off roading situation is improving with the involvement of Combe Estate, DCC  rights of way, Cllr Twiss, the police and locals.  All were using the proper channels, she reported, and thanked everybody for increasing the visibility of this problem.  The Chair said she would be contacting the local parish council chairs.

189/20   To consider a temporary solution to the absence of a postbox in Gittisham village

Members heard that the postbox had been taken down briefly while work continues on the building, but the box has since been reinstated.

190/20   To consider the casual vacancy in Gittisham Vale

The clerk said EDDC had informed her no requests had been received for an election to fill the vacancy, and the parish council could now proceed to co-opt.

ACTION: Clerk to put co-option policy into action.

191/20 To consider updating the parish website to comply with accessibility standards

The clerk said since the resignation of Andy Wilkins, she was looking for a volunteer to update the parish website to ensure it complies with the latest accessibility standards.

ACTION: The clerk to forward details of the requirement to Cllr Rowe, although there is no obligation on him to undertake this if the workload is not manageable with other commitments.

192/20 To approve a supplier for the Gittisham play area maintenance contract for 2021/22

The clerk said she had approached three contractors to invite them to bid for the annual maintenance contract. Members resolved to appoint Michael Poll for another year.

ACTION: Clerk to contact Michael Poll and thank him for his previous work.

193/20 To consider the frequency of parish council meetings, and to discuss the practicalities of returning to face to face meetings from 7^th May 2021

Members agreed with the Chair that the schedule of meeting was not onerous, and they resolved to carry on as things stand.  Cllr Orchard added that if parish council meetings were less frequent than once a month, sub-committees would still have to meet for items such as planning.

The clerk explained that from 7^th May 2021 the legislation regarding holding remote council meetings is due to end, and it was therefore necessary to plan for meeting face to face.  Prior to the meeting, she circulated guidance from DALC.  Members discussed how meetings could be held face to face, including half the council meeting one month and keeping meetings as short as possible.  Cllr Valentine cautioned that due diligence would have to be observed. Councillors agreed to review the scheme for delegation at next month’s meeting, so that the parish council is prepared to carry on business if there is no change in the legislation.

194/20   To approve the February payments and to note the current bank balance

It was resolved to approve the following payments:

1080       F J Clampin                          £225.52                 Clerk’s salary & expenses

1081       Combe Estate                      £10         Play area rent 01/01/2021-25/12/2030

1082       Gittisham PCC                     £157       Gittisham Gazette printing

1083       Gittisham PCC                     £23.50   Gittisham parish room hire 2020

1084       Len Abbott                            £84         6 hours lengthsman work, Jan 2021

1085       Arthur J Gallagher Insurance £266.81 public liability insurance (lengthsman)      

DD          NEST                                     £22.48   Clerk’s pension (5% employer, 5% employee)

Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £17,261.44 (which includes the £7,000 in the business reserve account). 

195/20   Clerk’s Report

The clerk said the alternative laptop was out of stock.  She explained that Cllr Rowe was due to attend DALC’s Being a Good Councillor four-part course in March, which the PC had approved at a previous meeting.  Regarding dog poo bins at Hayne Farm, she said she had not yet received a reply to the PC’s message to Baker Estates.

ACTION: Cllr Valentine to ask his son for recommendations of in-stock laptops. 

196/20   For information only; items for the forward agenda

Internal auditor’s contract 2021/22; website; face-to-face meetings, review of any outstanding policy documents

197/20   To consider any late entry correspondence

The Chair said she was pleased to see how proactive councillors had been.

198/20   Date of next two meetings  

Wednesday 3^rd March and Wednesday 7^th April 2021 at 7.30pm via Zoom.  Should restrictions on public movement be lifted, these meetings will revert to being held in the parish room or another suitable venue.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2100 hrs.

Chair…………………………………….

3^rd March 2021

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD ON 6^TH JANUARY 2021

via Zoom

The Parish Council Meeting has to take place remotely for reasons of social distancing brought in by HM Government during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Present:

Gittisham Village Ward

Cllr C Hall (Chair)

Cllr D Valentine

Cllr M Walker

Cllr A Rowe

Gittisham Vale Ward:

Cllr P Orchard

Cllr J Twist

In attendance: Cllr Susie Bond (EDDC), Fiona Clampin (clerk), one member of the public

Apologies for absence: Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), PCSO Darren England

163/20   To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted. 

164/20   To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 2^nd December 2020

The minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd December 2020 were confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

165/20   To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

The police did not send a report this month, so the clerk provided figures taken from https://www.crime-statistics.co.uk/ .  In November 2020, 1 crime reported: 1 x shoplifting.

166/20   To receive declarations of interest

None.

167/20   To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

The clerk said she had not yet contacted Mr Sellick regarding the gazette distribution, but would be writing to him.

Cllr Rowe said he had visited the store in the village and was satisfied there was a good supply of grit, salt and sandbags.  The Chair suggested that stocks of grit and salt should be kept under review as part of the parish emergency plan.  Cllr Orchard reminded members that there is a stock of sand at Gititsham Farm, and Cllr Rowe agreed to follow this up.  Cllr Twist said spreading some salt where Hayne Lane meets Meadow Acre would be worthwhile, and it was agreed to approach Cllr Twiss about a new green salt bin at the entrance to Old Elm Road by the gate. 

ACTION: Cllr Rowe to contact Russell Hayman about sand supplies at the farm. 

ACTION: The clerk to contact Cllr Twiss about the possibility of a new green salt bin. 

168/20   Reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Cllr Bond said she welcomed the news that the Government had bowed to pressure following their consultation on housing numbers and withdrawn the plan to impose annual development numbers of 1,614 houses on East Devon. Instead, the current number is 928 new houses per year, which in itself will be a difficult number to achieve, she said, but will be used as the benchmark for the ongoing Local Plan review.

169/20   To consider the following planning applications:

1. a) 20/2657/FUL 26 Cypress Close Honiton EX14 2YW  Construction of single storey rear extension

b)    20/2437/FUL 2 Hamlet Cottages Weston EX14 3PB Construction of single storey rear extension

c)     20/2751/FUL Land At The West End Of Devonshire Road Heathpark Industrial Estate Honiton Construction of single storey industrial unit for use classes E, B2 & B8 including alterations to car park layout approved under 07/3056/MFUL

The clerk explained there had been a misunderstanding over the deadline for submitting responses to a) and b) because of the Christmas period.  However, councillors had no objections.

Members resolved not to object to c) subject to satisfactory measures being put into place to deal with surface water. 

170/20   To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

1. To note the latest planning decision notices
2. 20/2437/FUL Construction of single storey rear extension 2 Hamlet Cottages, Weston, EX14 EPB  Approval (standard time limit)
3. 20/2657/FUL Construction of single storey rear extension – 26 Cypress Close Honiton EX14 2YW Approval (standard time limit)

Cllr Orchard agreed to take on responsibility for this brief.

172/20   To consider the casual vacancy in Gittisham Vale

The clerk said she had notified EDDC, and the councillor vacancy had been advertised.  If by 22nd January a request for an election to fill the vacancy is made in writing to the Returning Officer at EDDC by 10 electors for the ward, an election will be held to fill the vacancy; otherwise it will be filled by co-option. Members agreed to fill the Vice Chair position once the parish council was up to full strength.

173/20 To agree the budget for 2021/22

The clerk outlined likely expenditure for the rest of the current tax year, and circulated a spreadsheet showing forecast expenditure for 2021/22. Councillors suggested new lines for an additional defibrillator £2,000), dog poo bins (£450) and replacement for toddler swings (£500) in the village play area (estimated prices). Members resolved to set budget expenditure at £15,205 which includes contingency and depreciation of play area items. The forecast expenditure details have been circulated.

ACTION: The clerk to contact Graham Hutton at Baker Estates to request a dog poo bin at Hayne Farm, if the parish council funds a second.

174/20 To set the precept for 2021/22

Councillors agreed to increase the precept by 2 per cent in 2021/22, the balance of the budget to be taken from reserves. Councillors said they recognised the difficult circumstances brought about by the pandemic, but agreed it was necessary to balance the books and cover the council’s increasing costs.  The increase amounts to £163.20 shared across the whole parish, not per elector.

175/20 To approve the January payments and note the current bank balance

It was resolved to approve the following payments:

1077       F J Clampin                          £224.86  Clerk’s salary & expenses

1078       F J Clampin                          £40         Reimbursement for ICO annual subscription

1079       Websites Ahoy                      £17.50       Website maintenance        

DD          NEST                                     £22.48   Clerk’s pension in line with new rate of pay (5% employer, 5% employee)

Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £18,050.75 (which includes the £7,000 in the business reserve account).  The clerk circulated a bank reconciliation showing the financial picture as of 30^th November 2020.

176/20   Clerk’s Report

The clerk said the chosen laptop was still out of stock.

ACTION: Cllr Valentine to ask his son for recommendations of in-stock items. 

177/20 For information only; items for the forward agenda

Play area maintenance contract 2021/22; frequency of parish council meetings; website.

178/20 To consider any late entry correspondence

Cllr Valentine said the pothole problem opposite Gittisham Farm was getting worse.  The Chair explained that this is on the Highways team’s to-do list, but encouraged as many people as possible to report the situation to DCC https://www.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/report-a-problem/ Cllr Bond said people should take photographs.

NB Since the meeting the potholes have been filled in.

179/20   Date of next two meetings.   Wednesday 3^rd February and Wednesday 3^rd March 2021 at 7.30pm via Zoom. 

Should restrictions on public movement be lifted, these meetings will revert to being held in the parish room or another suitable venue. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2040 hrs.

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD ON 2^ND DECEMBER 2020 via Zoom

The Parish Council Meeting has to take place remotely for reasons of social distancing brought in by HM Government during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Present:

Gittisham Village Ward

Cllr C Hall (Chair)

Cllr D Valentine

Cllr M Walker

Cllr A Rowe

Gittisham Vale Ward:

Cllr A Wilkins (Vice Chair)

Cllr P Orchard

Cllr J Twist

In attendance: Cllr Susie Bond (EDDC), Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), Tom Biddle (Baker Estates), Graham Hutton (Baker Estates), Fiona Clampin (clerk), one member of the public

Apologies for absence: PCSO Darren England

Before the meeting, Tom Biddle & Graham Hutton from Baker Estates (BE) spoke as members of the public regarding agenda item 7a).  Graham Hutton provided an update on the Hayne Farm development, and told members that 43 of the affordable homes have either been handed over or are close to being handed over.  He explained how Baker Estates and its contractors had managed during the first lockdown.  He said many staff had been furloughed and turnover was down by one third, and this situation was part of the reason for the amendment to the application proposed, a Section 73 application which allows developers in principle to slightly modify approved consent.  Tom Biddle showed members plans of the site, and explained that BE had reviewed the site because of the risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent impact on the business.  He said for plots 235–239, BE was proposing to replace the four one-bed and the one two-bed apartment with four two-bed houses and one three-bed house.  He explained that the storey height would stay the same, although the units would be different.  If approved, he said this would allow BE to make sales securely and help the company move forward over the next 12–18 months.  Graham Hutton added that Honiton Town Council had been supportive of the application at its meeting two weeks ago.

Cllr Valentine asked about the current projections for completion.  Graham Hutton replied that the affordable homes are forecast to be finished around the end of 2023, and the entire site within seven years (from the start date).  The open market properties would take longer, and at the time of publication the development was around half-way through construction.

Cllr Bond asked about the state of the market, and Graham Hutton replied that in general it was quite good.  He anticipated a wobble in the future however.

Cllr Orchard asked when the noticeboard frame was likely to be installed.  Graham Hutton responded that he would follow this up with the supplier, and members heard that in the future the board would be moving to the public open space near the substation.

Graham Hutton enquired as to how the residents of the development had integrated with the community.  The Chair said that pre-lockdown some residents had taken part in village activities.  Cllr Twist added that the development has its own Facebook page, and residents are definitely using the noticeboard to keep themselves informed.

147/20   To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted. 

148/20   To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 4^th November 2020

The minutes of the meeting held on 4^th November 2020 were confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

149/20   To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

The police did not send a report this month, so the clerk provided figures taken from https://www.crime-statistics.co.uk/ .  In October 2020, 3 crimes reported: 2 x anti-social behaviour, 1 x public order.

150/20   To receive declarations of interest

None.

151/20   To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

The clerk said she had not been able to purchase the laptop, because it appeared to be out of stock in the two shops where it had been available previously.  Cllr Valentine said that stocks had diminished quite dramatically in computer components, and Cllr Twiss advised the clerk to wait a little longer for items to come back in stock as long as the DCC Locality Budget is spent before the end of financial year 2020/21.

Cllr Wilkins reported that he was in the process of setting up a suitable computer to review the website documents.

Cllr Wilkins said he had contacted Carol McCann to offer a roadworks item for the Gittisham Gazette, explaining that it may be subject to change.

Cllr Wilkins explained that the issue of traffic speeds and whether CIL money could be used to support traffic calming measures coming into the village from the west is being managed by the CLT Project Team.  He said that DCC rather than EDDC will be their contact point for any authorisation required, and funding would be considered once authorisation for the possible design is agreed.

Finally, Cllr Wilkins said he had contacted EDDC’s Electoral Services to discuss routes to restructuring the parish council, but was awaiting a response. 

152/20   Reports from County Council and District Council representatives

DCC Care home COVID-19 Testing

Cllr Twiss said that as is well documented, older people are generally more vulnerable to contracting COVID and the challenge is to given them maximum protection, keep them out of an acute hospital setting and through no fault of their own using up resources.

However, he explained that the Department of Health and Social Care is about to launch a huge expansion of testing in care homes, with their pledge being that by 18th December all care homes will have received sufficient test kits to enable:

All staff to be tested twice a week

All residents to be tested weekly

Up to two visits by two visitors every week (i.e. testing for up to four visits a week for every resident)

Most of the test kits will be the new ‘Lateral Flow Devices’ which give results in less than 30 minutes. This is really good news for the many care homes in East Devon and beyond, Cllr Twiss said.

This is a small-scale pilot involving eight care homes in Devon and DCC is one of three Local Authorities (also Hampshire and Cornwall) who were selected, based on low prevalence rates.  The aim of the pilot is to examine the role of how testing of visitors, alongside other existing infection prevention/control measures, maximises safety. It will run for four weeks from 16 November to 13 December 2020. Homes received training through online webinars on 12/13th November before commencing the pilot on 16th November.

The testing will use a combination of new rapid-results tests, as well as the tests already in use:

Weekly swab testing of regular visitors, using existing PCR swab testing technology

new Lateral Flow Devices (LFD) tests which are taken before visitors enter the home with results available within 15 to 30 minutes.

As LFDs are new technology, any positive tests will be confirmed with a PCR test.  Feedback from the homes is collected through weekly online sessions, facilitated by the DHSC, and this has been mainly positive said Cllr Twiss.  It’s been reported that the process is simple to follow, and meaningful contact whilst wearing full PPE is appreciated. Relatives and residents have been very emotional with the pilot bringing hope and a glimpse of the new normal.  Thirty visitors had been tested as of 20th November.  One visitor tested positive and went home to isolate whilst awaiting the result of the PCR result.  One visitor refused testing because they didn’t feel comfortable.

Mass vaccination programme

Cllr Twiss explained that the national COVID-19 mass vaccination programme is to commence in December 2020.  The focus of initial vaccination will be in staff and residents in care homes and those over 80 years of age.  A significant amount of work is taking place locally across the Devon-wide system to co-ordinate activity and ensure coverage across the county, and that there is an awareness how and when people can access the vaccine at their GP surgery or regional centre (Exeter).

He added that the Exeter Nightingale hospital has now received its first COVID-19 patients.  Since the beginning of July, the Nightingale Hospital Exeter has been providing local people with fast and safe access to a range of important diagnostic tests. These additional services will now stop at the Nightingale facility to allow the hospital to care for COVID-19 patients. Diagnostic tests will continue to be available to those who need them through existing diagnostic services across the region.  The 116-bed hospital is designed to provide care for patients with COVID-19 and can support both ventilated and non-ventilated care. Patients with COVID-19 who need the additional services available within an acute hospital will be cared for there.

ACTION: Cllr Twiss to email Cllr Bond with current occupancy figures.

Waste and recycling

All DCC-operated recycling Centres are open, but from recent personal experience in recent weeks very quiet, said Cllr Twiss.  Winter opening hours are in operation for most sites this is 9-4.30 Monday to Friday and 10-4.30pm Saturday and Sunday. They will be closed on Christmas day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Highways

Cllr Twiss said he was pleased to report that volumes of work across the Highways teams remains really high.  He reported that the recent wet weather has seen a significant number of problems on the network, but this has not held up the winter maintenance programme which officially started on 15th October, with the salt barns fully stocked, and all vehicles ready. 

Additional COVID-related contingency plans are also in place should they be required.  In many ways, Cllr Twiss said we are quite fortunate to have as many depots as we have, including one in Honiton that serves the eastern end of East Devon.  You may have seen recently that the new Network Operations Control Centre that has been set up now in Great Moor House to make sure our roads stay functioning throughout the year.  He added that with the recent second lockdown, traffic flows on the A-road network have again fallen, during the last couple of weeks week by about 30 per cent and at weekends by about 40 per cent, compared to the equivalent week in 2019.  With schools remaining open, the morning peak flows are virtually unchanged; the main changes are during the daytime and evening periods.

The DCC Highways Asset Team is extremely busy delivering its highest ever capital programme.  This larger budget is allowing the team to look beyond the normal priorities of Devon’s main A-roads and address some of the deterioration on the county’s important lower category roads.  These improvements and renewals across the network are beginning to be noticed by the travelling public as this work continues, said Cllr Twiss.  As ever, at this time of year, the DCC gully cleaning policy is under scrutiny as we experience a combination of leaf fall and an extended period of wet weather.  The team has carried out a detailed review of its approach to drainage cleaning which has resulted in a number of improvements. 

The second Doing What Matters project focused on the rebuild of the safety defect process and is now beginning to look at new software development with a view to rolling out a trial ‘beta’ system in the New Year.  The primary aim of the project is to improve the number of defects repaired at the first visit.  In order to achieve this, Cllr Twiss said DCC is investing in the amount of advance information recorded by its safety inspectors.

Cllr Bond said EDDC’s Cabinet has resolved to grant LED a subsidy to the tune of £732,000 to help mitigate the impact of Coronavirus. Leisure East Devon operates as a charitable trust and is therefore unable to access Government grant funding. (Had LED been operated by EDDC, it would have been eligible for funding, Cllr Bond explained.)  Given the importance of LED, which operates nine leisure and fitness centres including swimming pools and tennis courts across East Devon, to the health and well-being of residents, Cllr Bond said the council had no alternative. Full information is available here https://eastdevon.gov.uk/news/2020/11/east-devon-cabinet-recommends-urgent-subsidy-for-its-leisure-operators-following-impact-of-coronavirus-pandemic-and-requests-mp-and-government-assistance-for-a-level-financial-playing-field-with-other-councils/

Cllr Bond said she had circulated to parish councils a distilled version of the Government guidance on tiers and their restrictions, particularly now that East Devon is in tier 2. These will be reviewed on December 16.

153/20   To consider the following planning applications:

a) 20/2179/VAR Land West of Hayne Lane Gittisham Variation of condition 1 of application 18/0454/MRES (Proposed construction of 291 no. dwellings and associated parking, garages, roads, drainage and landscaping (approval of reserved matters pursuant to outline planning permission 13/2744/MOUT), amended proposal to reduce total number of units from 300 to 291) to amend unit types on plots 235-239 from apartments to 4 x 2 bed and 1 x 3 bed dwellings, amend the shape and size of the rear gardens associated with plots 234 and 240, and allow for a garage to be constructed serving plot 235.

b) 20/1726/FUL 1 Hamlet Cottages Weston EX14 3PB Change of use of an existing workshop (use Class B1(c)) to a residential dwelling (use class C3) with minor alterations

Cllr Twist explained in relation to a) that the density would not be greater with this variation, and that the two-bedroom houses had been very popular, more so than the flats.  Members agreed with the Chair’s comment that it was positive to see BE adapting to the market, and the proposal had no impact on drainage.  Councillors resolved to have no objection to the application.

Members resolved to object to b) on the grounds outlined previously, ie granting permission would establish a new residential unit in the countryside without agricultural need being sought, and it will act as a precedent for other opportunities in the future which would be detrimental to the overall policy-making of EDDC.

Tom Biddle and Graham Hutton left the meeting.

154/20   To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

a) To note the latest planning decision notices

20/0781/FUL and 20/0782/LBC Rapshayes Farm, Gittisham EX14 3AB Conversion of barn to holiday let accommodation.  Approval.

 b) To receive an update on Highways

Cllr Wilkins said there had been no response from DCC regarding the situation with heavy vehicles entering and turning within Hayne Farm.

He circulated details of forthcoming roadworks in the parish:

18–19^th January 2021 Lane Past Gittisham Forge, road closed for detailed bridge examination

9^th February 2021 Lane to Cathayes Farm, road closed for replacement of two BT poles

22^nd–26^th February 2021 Outside Putts Corner caravan site, traffic control (two-way signals) to install back-to-back hydrants on the water main

25^th February–5^th March 2021 Hayne Lane from Hayne Farm to Beech Walk, road closed for patching

3^rd March 2021 Road past Truances Dairy closed for replacement of one BT pole.

Cllr Orchard suggested that DCC should not carry out roadworks on school bus routes during term-time as a matter of policy.  Cllr Twiss replied that the situation with roadworks planned in Alfington for January could change, as things often do depending on the weather, staff availability and the holiday season.

c) To consider plans for expenditure in the parish under the Community Infrastructure Levy & S106

The Chair said that there had not been any real progress on whether CIL money could be used to support traffic calming measures at the entrance to the proposed new development opposite Clysthayes.  Cllr Bond reminded members that CIL can be used to mitigate the impact of any development.  Cllr Twiss alerted councillors to the fact that a road crossing at the Beehive in Honiton had cost in the region of £50,000. 

The Chair said the parish council and the CLT could write to DCC to request a new traffic survey further up the hill going west, to support any application for traffic calming measures.  Cllr Twiss advised them to write to Tom Vaughan.

ACTION: Cllr Bond to contact EDDC about the possibility of using CIL money for the above-mentioned purpose. 

ACTION: Cllrs Wilkins & Valentine to contact DCC about the possibility of a new traffic survey. 

d) To receive an update on public transport

Cllr Orchard said the service over the past month had been good, on the whole.

e) To consider the purchase of a defibrillator for the Hayne Farm development

Cllr Twist said she had received an email from Adam Clark, Development Officer at Sovereign Housing, who is now considering the request for a defibrillator to be installed.  The company would also be raising the request at their next site meeting, and hoped to provide Cllr Twist with an update before Christmas.  See also update from Graham Hutton before minute ref 147/20.

f) To consider climate change measures within the parish

Cllr Twist reported that the government’s Green Homes Grant scheme had been extended until March 2022.   Regarding Electric Vehicle Charging Points, Cllr Twist said she had registered an interest but received no further information from DCC about a proposal for an EVC for the village.  The clerk said Talaton PC’s clerk had been in touch asking if it was possible to share experiences on securing an EVC. 

ACTION: Clerk to pass on Cllr Twist’s details to the Talaton clerk; Clerk to obtain more information from Broadhembury regarding its two charging points behind the village hall. 

g) To consider parish council support for scam awareness and security

Cllr Twist said she had submitted a short article to the Gittisham Gazette in November, about scam awareness.  She explained that there are many websites that warn about scams and how to recognise scams, and she was focused on how we might recognise those people who are being scammed, and how we could distribute information to residents, for example if there were doorstep callers working in the area.  The Chair suggested that Facebook and WhatsApp could be a good way to do this.  Cllr Rowe said providers such as BT and TalkTalk have alert lists of scammers, which could be good for the older members of the parish.

h) To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said South Devon Rural Housing Association had been appointed as the GCLT’s Housing Association partner. A project team has now been formed and consists of representatives from the GCLT Board, the architects (ECA), the housing association, the engineering consultants, Combe Estate and GCLT’s advisers, Wessex CLT Project. Cllr Valentine explained that the project team will lead and advise through the design stages and report back to the GCLT on a monthly basis. Initial options for the development of the site have been presented to the project team, and further options are currently in preparation. There will be a public consultation in the new year and further details will be published in due course.

i) To consider the parish emergency plan

Cllr Valentine said work on this had recommenced and further progress will be undertaken in the new year.

j) To consider the refurbishment and maintenance of the village play area

Cllr Walker said the repair of the tower planks had been carried out to a high standard. 

k) To consider work to be carried out by the lengthsman to maintain ditches and drains in the parish

Members resolved to approve Cllr Walker’s suggestion for the lengthsman to carry out more work in the village play area.

ACTION: Cllr Walker to speak to Len Abbott about playground maintenance.

155/20   To receive a report from the Chair

The Chair said that while there had been no definite decisions made on how the parish council should be structured as the parish grows, she reminded members of Cllr Twiss’s suggestion that with the help of technology, it might not be necessary to meet at the same frequency as in the past.  She thanked councillors for their work during the year, and for bearing with the idiosyncrasies of Skype and Zoom since March.  She wished all members, their families and those who support the parish council a happy Christmas and a healthy 2021.

ACTION: All councillors to reflect on frequency of meetings and discuss at the February 2021 meeting.

156/20 To review the current state of gazette distribution and remuneration

The Chair said as the gazette had been distributed online since the first lockdown, it might be worth re-evaluating its distribution in the future.

ACTION: Clerk to write to Mr Sellick to inform him that the distribution is under review.

157/20 To approve and sign the annual CIL report 2019/20

The clerk distributed details of CIL income and expenditure for 2019/20. Members resolved to approve the document, and it was signed by the Chair.

ACTION: Clerk to upload the CIL document 2019/20 and send to EDDC.

158/20   To approve the December payments and to note the current bank balance

It was resolved to approve the following payments:

1073      F J Clampin                       £224.86 Clerk’s salary

1074      Len Abbott                         £147      10.5 hours lengthsman work, Nov 2020 (at £14/hr)

1075      Community Heartbeat Trust £324    Annual support cost for two defibrillators      

1076      Peter Sellick                       £26.66   Gazette distribution

DD         NEST                                 £22.48   Clerk’s pension in line with new rate of pay (5% employer, 5% employee)

Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £18,356.24 (which includes the £7,000 in the business reserve account). 

159/20   Clerk’s Report

Members agreed that the parish council would pay for any future attendance on a DALC new councillors course for Cllrs Orchard and Rowe.  Each course (there are four) costs £15 + VAT.

ACTION: Clerk to look out for future course opportunities. 

160/20   For information only; items for the forward agenda

Cllr Wilkins said it would be necessary to include an item on the forward agenda for a new casual vacancy, as he was tendering his resignation from the parish council with immediate effect.  The Chair thanked Cllr Wilkins for his years of service and tenacity in serving the local community.  Members all agreed that when current Covid restrictions were lifted, a suitable outing to thank Cllr Wilkins could be arranged.

ACTION: Clerk to notify EDDC of vacancy.

Cllr Wilkins left the meeting.

161/20   To consider any late entry correspondence

None.

162/20   Date of next two meetings. 

Wednesday 6^th January and Wednesday 3^rd February 2021 at 7.30pm via Zoom.  Should restrictions on public movement be lifted, these meetings will revert to being held in the parish room or another suitable venue.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2055 hrs.

Chair…………………………………….

6^th January 2021

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD ON 4^TH NOVEMBER 2020

via Zoom

The Parish Council Meeting has to take place remotely for reasons of social distancing brought in by HM Government during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Present:

Gittisham Village Ward

Cllr C Hall (Chair)

Cllr D Valentine

Cllr M Walker

Gittisham Vale Ward:

Cllr A Wilkins (Vice Chair)

Cllr P Orchard

Cllr J Twist

In attendance: Cllr Susie Bond (EDDC), Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), Fiona Clampin (clerk), one member of the public

Apologies for absence: PCSO Darren England

130/20   To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted. 

131/20   To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 7^th October 2020

The clerk said the pay rate in minute ref 124/20 had been incorrectly reported and should read £11.53 / hr.  The minutes of the meeting held on 7^th October 2020 were then confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

132/20   To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

The police did not send a report this month, so the clerk provided figures taken from https://www.crime-statistics.co.uk/ .  In September 2020, 1 crime reported: 1 x anti-social behaviour. 

133/20   To receive declarations of interest

None.

134/20   To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

The Chair said she had filled in the consultation on the Devon Local Flood Risk Management, and requested that GPC is involved with discussions on land management to alleviate flooding, such as in the Otter catchment.

The clerk said she had reported the empty grit bin at the bottom of Tommy Wax, and written to Mr Sellick regarding the gazette distribution.

Cllr Wilkins said his work on the website was ongoing.  He said that a proposed article on an electric car club was sent to all councillors on 8th October, with only one acknowledgement received.  Without endorsement from the council as a whole, he said he did not forward it for publication in the Gittisham Gazette.

135/20   Reports from County Council and District Council representatives

DCC Social Care

Cllr Twiss said as we go in to winter and a second COVID-19 lockdown, DCC Social Care teams have been planning and preparing for dealing with the fallout of the second wave, armed with a lot more knowledge and understanding than in the spring of 2020 and the first lockdown, with a focus on vulnerable people and unpaid carers.

Designated Care Homes

The Department of Health and Social Care has written to all local authorities setting out requirements to designate care settings for COVID-19 positive people who are not quite well enough to return straight home from an acute hospital. These settings will be inspected by the CQC for assurance of infection control measures. Whilst the settings could be existing care homes, the beds would need to be on separate wings or floors in order to avoid the risk of infecting other residents, and would require a separate staff group to support these residents.  No care home will be required to accept someone with a positive test result, and we are in the process of agreeing with local NHS providers how we can ensure we have suitable accommodation available to meet this need.

Supporting carers

Unpaid carers across Devon do an incredible amount work and this has only increased during the COVID-19 period, said Cllr Twiss, with recent research suggesting that nearly two-thirds of unpaid carers have not been able to take any breaks at all in the last six months.  In response to this, alongside NHS Devon CCG DCC has made grants of between £1,000 and £15,000 available to care providers, personal assistants, and carers themselves who can develop and provide innovative opportunities that will give other carers a break, during COVID-19. See https://www.devonnewscentre.info/new-funds-available-to-help-carers-take-a-break/ for how to apply.

Waste and recycling

The regulations and guidance for the second lockdown have been tweaked a little to widen what is and isn’t classified as being open and operating.  Cllr Twiss said he had received enquiries from members of the public about the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC’s), but he said he could reassure members that DCC sites will not be closing.. There may be occasions where there are staff shortages and some temporary closure may be necessary but DCC will put out media communications about any situation that arises due to staff sickness/isolation.

COVID-19 funding for individuals, organisations and businesses

Cllr Twiss said DCC had allocated £192,100 from Government grants (and an additional DEFRA one using EDDC) to set up a hardship fund (with qualifying criteria) and process applications during the COVID-19 crisis. This fund is still very much open for business and applications and further details can be found at https://eastdevon.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/benefits-and-council-tax/financial-hardship-fund-information

Street lighting in urban and applicable rural settings

Cllr Twiss reported that DCC has recently announced that all of its 79,000 streetlights will be converted to LED lights within the next two years – reducing carbon emissions by 75 per cent.  It comes as part of a working partnership with SSE Contracting who will be carrying out maintenance of streetlights in Devon and Torbay over the next ten years – with the aim of the contract being carbon neutral by 2030.  He said the company will be building on the work it has undertaken for DCC for more than 25 years, which has already seen around 34,000 street lights converted to low-energy LED technology since 2015, as well as the replacement of more than 5,400 street lighting columns. It will also look to improve the county’s Central Management System to remotely monitor and operate lighting more flexibly and efficiently and will eventually allow us to cease night scouting, saving further costs.  This street lighting contract is extremely important as DCC continues to reduce carbon emissions. Street lights account for a significant amount of DCC’s carbon emissions, Cllr Twiss said, and the conversion to LEDs alone will reduce carbon emissions by more than 15,000 tonnes each year, the equivalent of taking 8,000 cars off Devon’s roads.

DCC Highways

Planned works continue as near to normal as possible with maintenance and capital works taking places across the Division, including finally the lower end of Hayne Lane in the near future, where for selfish reasons Cllr Twiss confessed he was pleased as he continually finds himself in a wide rut between lanes on his bike when cycling that way, which will now be resurfaced!

Cllr Bond said that as the second lockdown is upon us, EDDC is prepared to keep the most vital services running throughout the next month (or possibly longer).  Waste and recycling services will carry on as normal.  LED leisure facilities will have to close.  Parks, gardens and public toilets which were Covid-secure will stay open.  The Community Support Hotline will be re-opened to support those in difficulty during lockdown, as well as supporting local community groups who are working hard to care for those in their areas.

Otherwise, Cllr Bond added, now that EDDC has pulled out of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan, work is underway to review the Local Plan. The first step will be a ‘call for sites’. The administration is hoping to find sufficient smaller sites to fulfil the housing requirement.

Cllr Wilkins added that EDDC had introduced its £2 / day parking for the run-up to Christmas.

136/20   To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

1. To note the latest planning decision notices

Cllr Wilkins said there were no new decision notices to report.

2. To receive an update on Highways

Cllr Wilkins said the situation with heavy vehicles entering and turning within Hayne farm has been raised with DCC through Phil. GPC is awaiting a proposal from DCC to solve the problem. For some reason, he said, DCC is of the opinion the issue is with articulated lorries parking overnight.  Cllr Orchard suggested that there is a clear signing strategy at similar junctions around Honiton, and asked why Meadowacre Road did not have one of these on the street name plate, plus at the junction into the closed area (junction with Hayne Lane).

Cllr Wilkins said that as Cllr Orchard had reported via email, the works on Hayne Lane were completed and the site cleared on Tuesday 27th October.  The two repaired culverts are working well and the retaining method, which he had not seen before, is neat.  It will be interesting to see how the system performs over time, he added.

Though not within the parish, Cllr Wilkins said the road through Alfington will be closed 18^th -19th January 2021.  This means that traffic, including the school buses, traveling to and from Ottery will need to find an alternative route.  The diversion plan has yet to be published, but Cllr Wilkins said he suspected it will be via Fenny Bridges and Gosford Road.  He added that the road to The Forge would be closed for the same two days.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to contact Stagecoach and DCC, to explain that the January works are happening simultaneously within a mile of each other, and to ask for them to be rescheduled during the school holidays.

ACTION: Cllr Wilkins to contact Carol McCann to offer a roadworks item for the Gittisham Gazette, explaining that it may be subject to change.

3. To consider plans for expenditure in the parish under the Community Infrastructure Levy & S106

Cllr Orchard said he had the details of a couple of contractors, but had taken no further action on developing a boules pitch in the village.  Cllr Valentine said he had met the architects who would be designing the proposed limited housing development in the village, and discussed with them the possibility of trying to encourage the highway authority to instigate some form of traffic control coming into the village.  It’s something which other authorities have allowed parish councils to instigate and used CIL money for that purpose, he explained.  Cllr Twiss said this was not something which could be funded by S106, and suggested members contact EDDC to check the criteria for CIL.  Cllr Wilkins added this could be a way to revisit the provision of a mandatory speed limit through the village before the affordable housing element is begun.  The entrance to the housing development would be on a slight bend, and could present a problem for traffic movements in and out. 

ACTION: Cllr Wilkins to contact EDDC to research regulations and investigate potential costs.  To discuss in parallel at the CLT meeting in November. 

4. To receive an update on public transport

Regarding the roadworks on 18^th November on lower Hayne Lane, Cllr Orchard said he had secured agreement in writing with the contractors for school buses to be allowed through the works area in the morning.  Cllr Twiss asked if he could be copied in to any future correspondence about the impact of any roadworks on the school buses.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to follow up email to Stagecoach and DCC schools transport team.

5. To consider the purchase of a defibrillator for the Hayne Farm development

Cllr Twist said she had received an email last week from Adam Clark, Development Officer at Sovereign Housing asking a number of questions about the installation of an AED, which she circulated around the parish council.  She added that Cllr Wilkins had kindly provided some of the information required which she included in her response to the email, and a draft of the response was circulated to councillors.  A copy was also sent to Robin Palmer, Project Manager at Baker Estates.  She said she would await Sovereign’s reply.  The block of flats where it’s hoped the AED could be located has just started to be built, and Cllr Twist said it would be good to have the electric connection included in the build rather than installed later at extra cost.

6. To consider climate change measures within the parish

Cllr Twist reported that the government’s Green Homes Grant scheme was featured on BBC Spotlight last week, specifically Cornwall, where there are complaints about only national firms being listed to carry out the work. It was feared that with the deadline of 31st March 2021 there will not be time to carry out the work in this region. Regarding Electric Vehicle Charging Points, Cllr Wilkins explained that he had handed this brief to Cllr Twist, as it appeared to fit better within her climate change portfolio.  Cllr Twist said there had been no further update on this for Gittisham. There was an article in the Midweek Herald on 28^th October, written by Stuart Hughes of DCC about those charging points already installed in Devon and their strategy for more installations in the county.  Also for information Heron Farm has installed two electric charging points in their car park.

Cllr Twist said the police and trading standards had issued many warnings on scamming, (particularly cold calling) regarding the Green Homes grant.

7. To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said that following the appointment of ECA as the architects acting on behalf of GCLT, a project team has now been established to assist and monitor the design process. The architects visited the site on Monday together with himself, Combe Estate and the advisors from Wessex CLT.  Cllr Valentine said he will also be meeting the engineers on site in due course. The second lockdown announcement may have a number of impacts which could introduce delays into the current project plan. Cllr Valentine said they are investigating the options for engaging with the community as part of the design process. Later this week, he added, the CLT would be interviewing, by Zoom, two housing associations who have indicated an interest in becoming the GCLT’s development partner.

The GCLT delayed AGM is due to take place on Tuesday 10th November at 7.30 pm via Zoom and the next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 18th November at 7.00 pm.  Cllr Valentine also updated members on a possible timetable for next steps in the process, which he explained was a target and not a guarantee.  He said the CLT was hoping to submit a planning application during the spring of 2021, following an exhibition of the various options which would have to overcome Covid restrictions somehow.  A decision could be expected by the end of the summer 2021; if approved, construction would begin towards the end of next year, and completion by the end of 2022.  Cllr Bond advised Cllr Valentine to have discussions with EDDC as soon as possible.  Cllr Wilkins told members he had updated the Gittisham website to include the three CLT meetings currently scheduled.

8. To consider the parish emergency plan

Cllr Valentine said there was no update on this.

9. To consider the refurbishment and maintenance of the village play area

Members heard that the supplier of the tower had been delayed visiting the play area to look at the split wood, but was due to visit w/c 9th November. Cllr Walker said she would continue to check everything was in order at the play area, but suggested the rota of weekly cleaning and maintenance checks was not necessary over the winter period. She added that Len Abbott would also visit the play area from time to time, and she said that the cleaning tools were stored at her house.

The Chair said that with reference to the hedge originally planned to screen the view opposite King’s Cottage, councillors had agreed that it could potentially present a safety issue if parents could not see their children climbing over the gate in the upper field.  She said Mike Dawes had suggested to withdraw his request for a hedge on safety grounds.  Members resolved to remind Russell Hayman of the agreement to maintain the hedge along the road in front of the play area at its current height in future, and at a lower level outside Parkers West.

Cllr Orchard said he had distributed to members a limited selection of replacement units and costs for the toddler swings. It was agreed to defer any payment until at least March 2021, depending on how much expenditure there has been in this financial year. The Chair advised Cllr Orchard to choose seats that meet the required safety standards.

ACTION: The clerk to respond to Mike Dawes and contact Russell Hayman.

10. To consider work to be carried out by the lengthsman to maintain ditches and drains in the parish

Cllr Walker said the lengthsman had been working on ditches etc and under the railway bridge at the bottom of Honiton Lane, and he would continue to carry out this kind of work throughout the winter.

137/20   To receive a report from the Chair

The Chair said the proposal to liaise with other parish councils would be carried forward to the next meeting. 

Members discussed a possible restructuring of the parish council, bearing in mind the growing numbers within the Hayne Farm development; Cllr Wilkins suggested it would be wise to have a clear idea of what was desirable before approaching EDDC.  Cllr Bond said in terms of the size of the parish council, it depends on the number of electors.  If it’s any help, she said, Feniton has seven parish councillors and it’s a bigger parish than the two Gittisham wards combined.  She offered to email the officer in charge of elections at EDDC to ask advice if GPC could set out what exactly the proposal was, and suggested that DALC could also help if required.  Cllr Twiss said with new technology, there was now much more work that could be carried out between meetings.

The Chair said the clerk had distributed descriptions of the clerk’s role and corresponding pay scales.  Members agreed with the Chair’s suggestion that the pay scale should remain at the current rate, given the clerk’s range of duties and the amount of parish expenditure.

ACTION: Cllr Wilkins to discuss routes to restructuring with EDDC.

Cllr Twiss left the meeting.

138/20   To consider the purchase of a computer for the parish clerk

The Chair said the clerk had circulated details of a laptop computer, based on research by Cllr Wilkins and Johnny Valentine.  Members resolved to purchase this model, the Acer Aspire 5 15.6in Ryzen 7 8GB 512GB FHD Laptop – Black, currently priced at £649.99 from Argos.  The clerk said the £400 contribution from DCC’s locality budget had been received.  Cllr Wilkins suggested that the laptop should have fully licensed applications with everything licensed and registered to the parish council. The laptop should be for official parish council use only and be labelled as being the property of the parish council. There should also be a file backup process in place and internet security installed.  The clerk agreed to add the purchase of the Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 licence to the December 2020 agenda.

ACTION: Clerk to purchase the laptop using a personal credit card and claim back the cost in December.

139/20 To amend the parish council standing orders to allow for a secret ballot on a co-option vote

Members resolved to approve the change to the standing orders to allow for a secret ballot on a co-option vote.

140/20 To amend the parish council Covid standing orders to allow for secret ballots at remote meetings to be carried out by text / private message

Members resolved to approve the change to the Covid standing orders to allow for secret ballots at remote meetings to be carried out by text / private message.

141/20 To consider candidates for the Gittisham Village councillor vacancy and proceed to co-option as appropriate

Members followed the co-option procedures adopted at March 2020’s parish council meeting, with the amendments as outlined in minute ref 140/20.  Two candidates had come forward; members voted by text message and Alex Rowe was duly co-opted to the parish council (Gittisham Village ward) and summoned to attend the next meeting.  Members felt that both were strong candidates.

ACTION: Clerk to write and thank the unsuccessful candidate.

142/20   To approve the November payments and to note the current bank balance

It was resolved to approve the following payments:

1069       F J Clampin                          £224.86 + £3.60 expenses Clerk’s salary & expenses (at new rate of £11.53 / hr)

1070       F J Clampin                          £373.64 HMRC rebate of overpaid tax

1071       Michael Poll                          £60         Grass cutting play area (inv. ref 10054)

1072       Len Abbott                            £105       7.5 hours lengthsman work, Oct 2020 (at £14/hr)

DD          NEST                                     £22.48   Clerk’s pension in line with new rate of pay (5% employer, 5% employee)

Members were informed that the latest installment of CIL had been received (£6,156.58), and the current bank balance stands at £19,101.24 (which includes the £7,000 in the business reserve account). 

143/20   Clerk’s Report

The clerk asked if any councillor would like to volunteer as a snow warden.  Members agreed with Cllr Walker’s suggestion that new Cllr Rowe might like to step forward. 

ACTION: Clerk to pass Cllr Rowe’s details on to DCC and provide him with information on the role.

144/20   For information only; items for the forward agenda

Cllr Wilkins said the stream on the boundary between Gittisham and St Michael’s continues to back up beneath the Old Elm Road bridge. He said he had reported the matter to EDDC once again.  There has also been an issue with raw sewage flooding gardens at the far end of Ferndale Close, said Cllr Wilkins. Though not a parish council issue, residents requested he attend a discussion with South West Water on 15th October.  Unfortunately no solution was found.

It was agreed to include the following items on the next agenda: gazette distribution & remuneration, parish council support for scam awareness and security, highways, planning, CIL / S106, public transport, climate change, Hayne Farm defibrillator, lengthsman work, play area,  limited residential development, emergency plan, representation, liaising with other parish councils. 

Cllr Rowe said he had seen a telecoms engineer inspecting the green cabinet near the Forge, and he had noticed that Gigaclear was trading once again under the same name.

ACTION: Chair to take forward with Cllr Twiss and see if there is any update on broadband infrastructure.

145/20   To consider any late entry correspondence

None.

146/20   Date of next two meetings.  

Wednesday 2nd December 2020 and Wednesday 6^th January 2021 at 7.30pm via Zoom.  Should restrictions on public movement be lifted, these meetings will revert to being held in the parish room or another suitable venue.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2100 hrs.

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD ON 7^TH OCTOBER 2020

via Zoom

The Parish Council Meeting has to take place remotely for reasons of social distancing brought in by HM Government during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Present:

Gittisham Village Ward
Cllr C Hall (Chair)
Cllr D Valentine

Cllr M Walker

Gittisham Vale Ward
Cllr A Wilkins (Vice Chair)
Cllr P Orchard
Cllr J Twist

In attendance: Cllr Susie Bond (EDDC), Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), Fiona Clampin (clerk), two members of the public

Apologies for absence: PCSO Darren England

103/20 To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted.

104/20   To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 2^nd September 2020

Cllr Wilkins alerted members to a missing item regarding excessive tree felling and hedge clearance, which the clerk agreed to insert.  The minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd September 2020 were then confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

105/20   To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

The police did not send a report this month, so the clerk provided figures taken from https://www.crime-statistics.co.uk/ .  In August 2020, 2 crimes reported: 1 x other crime and 1 x anti-social behaviour. 

106/20   To receive declarations of interest

Cllr Wilkins declared an interest in agenda item 23, as he is due to be reimbursed by the council.

107/20   Reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Cllr Twiss said that COVID-19 continues to dominate most aspects of our everyday lives where tuning in to news bulletins or reading the papers is enough to frighten anyone and heighten already high levels of anxiety.

However people in East Devon are overwhelmingly ‘playing by the rules’ currently in place, he said. Putting COVID-19 cases in to some context Devon, including East Devon has very low numbers of cases currently, with the Feniton & Honiton DCC Division experiencing something of a ‘mini spike’ recently with three cases reported in the past week.  He said this may or may not be related to a large number of cases in Exeter, (most associated with the University) where people work in Exeter, but live in East Devon.

Clearly there is no room for complacency or letting down guards, but evidently risks are very low in terms of contracting COVID-19 and even lower in terms of a much worse outcome. There have been no deaths in East Devon for the last 3 weeks, although regrettably 3 out of area in care homes situated in Plymouth since 12th September. The following web site gives you numbers of cases reported for the past week and which may be of interest to members of the Council; see www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=47574f7a6e454dc6a42c5f6912ed7076  

Wider picture / snapshot of coronavirus in the South West peninsula

Cllr Twiss distributed some recent figures for September:

• 23rd to 29th September there were 134 laboratory confirmed cases in Devon.

East Devon 10; Exeter 78; Mid Devon 7; North Devon 10; South Hams 9; Teignbridge 13; Torridge 3; West Devon 4.

[29 in Torbay; 36 in Plymouth; 137 in Cornwall and c 31,000 in England]

So, currently confirmed cases per 100,000:  Devon 16.7; Torbay 21.3; Plymouth 13.7; Cornwall 24; England 54.8.

• Jan 31st to 29th September there has been 1,722 confirmed cases in Devon and 218 deaths.

(Torbay 366 cases and 58 deaths; Plymouth 938 cases and 89 deaths; Cornwall 1,383 cases and 208 deaths; England 393,818 cases and 42639 deaths). 

There were 0 deaths in the Peninsula attributable to Coronavirus in the period 12th to 18th September. 139 recorded in England (that is still only 0.2 per 100,000 residents).

Please note that all deaths are not necessarily caused by Coronavirus, just that the person tested positive at some stage – at this time it is impossible to separate the cases without going back and scrutinising each death certificate.  Later figures are markedly more accurate than earlier in the Pandemic.

Confirmed infection cases show a marked increase in Devon and Cornwall. The Devon County Council figure includes a spate of positive cases at Exeter University (78) making up over 60 per cent of the Devon figure with more expected, although there is no evidence as yet of wider community transmission. The Cornwall figures rise seem to be due significantly to one food processing factory in Redruth.

With autumn here and less people affected to date in the Peninsula, it does really highlight the importance of social distancing, hand hygiene and good local communication in keeping a potential second surge in check, Cllr Twiss said.

Schools

Cllr Twiss said our local schools have done a fantastic job with staff putting in hundreds of extra hours work to ensure it is as risk free as possible for pupils and staff to return to school with attendance figures extremely good. As an example locally he quoted from Honiton Primary School headmaster, Christopher Tribble, from a meeting yesterday:

“Currently our attendance is hugely positive (despite the pandemic) at 97.6 per cent.  It is a notable success that we have managed to bring back the overwhelming majority of the populous back, which was above the national average of only 88 per cent – by nearly 10 per cent.  This is a notable success to add to the attendance success we secure during the pod/bubble era.  I believe that this is due to the strength and continued trust in the relationship we have within our parent body and wider school community. This has been no easy feat and has been achieved by building bridges and being very proactive with communications, continued visible actions relating to safety and a strong physical school presence.  The staff should feel proud of that achievement.”

The school like others in our area undertakes a regime of permanent and ongoing risk assessment which in itself is no small undertaking.

Healthcare

For those of you over a ‘certain age’, said Cllr Twiss, please remember to book your ‘flu jabs as soon as possible with either the GP or one of the local pharmacies (many of which offer online booking) with further details at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/flu-influenza-vaccine/

Cllr Bond said there is little to report this month as Covid seems to be at the forefront of all our minds. Dealing with the fall-out for local businesses and residents has put considerable strain on the council. Government has now asked local councils to operate the ‘Test and trace support payment’ scheme which has to be up and running by 12 October. This scheme gives a support payment of £500 for those who are forced by law to self-isolate from 28 September, who are in low-wage jobs and cannot work from home.

Work is ongoing with other southwest councils under the Team Devon banner to look at mitigating the impact of Covid on the South West.

Otherwise, the Rural Community Buildings Fund is now open for applications, Cllr Bond reported. This is an EDDC grant scheme offering up to £5000 to village halls, community buildings and community shops to upgrade or repair their buildings. Closing date for applications are 23 November 2020 and 15 March 2021.

Cllr Wilkins asked if the £2 all-day parking in East Devon would be reintroduced for the period November – March, but Cllr Bond replied that this had not been announced, although there is a working party to discuss what parking rates would be in the future.

Cllr Bond said she had filled in the consultation on the Devon Local Flood Risk Management, and mentioned Gittisham.

Cllr Twiss added that there would be more funds coming downstream for road maintenance and repairs, so he would shortly be reviewing what needs to be done in the coming year. 

Cllr Twiss left the meeting.

ACTION: The Chair to fill in the Flood Risk Management consultation before 15^th October 2020. 

108/20   To note the latest planning decision notices

20/0451/FUL – Shermans Farm Gittisham EX14 3AU – Construction of permanent agricultural worker’s dwelling with parking and associated development.  Approval with conditions.

20/1600/FUL 11 Ferndale Close Honiton EX14 2YN Construction of single storey rear extension and provision of render Approval with conditions.

20/1854/AGR – Rapshayes Farm Gittisham EX14 3AB Agricultural workshop and covered store Approval with time conditions.

109/20   To consider the following planning application:

a) 20/1726/FUL – 1 Hamlet Cottages Weston Honiton EX14 3PB Change of use of an existing workshop (use Class B1(c)) to a residential dwelling (use class C3) with minor alterations

Members resolved to object to the above application, agreeing that granting permission would establish a new residential unit in the countryside without agricultural need being sought, and it will act as a precedent for other opportunities in the future which would be detrimental to the overall policy-making of EDDC.

110/20   To consider the parish council response to the COVID-19 outbreak

The Chair said the volunteer group had supported those required to quarantine, and Cllr Bond encouraged residents to download the Track & Trace app.  

111/20    To consider plans for expenditure in the parish under the Community Infrastructure Levy & S106

Cllr Orchard said he had contacted Sulina Tallack at EDDC, who recommended that the parish council contact some reputable companies for quotes for the boules pitch.  The parish council would then choose a preferred supplier, and report back to Sulina explaining the project and the audit trail followed.  Once it has been approved, EDDC would draft a grant agreement.  It would also be run past planners, in case they were aware of any potential issues.

Cllr Orchard added that residents living alongside the river would need to be informed before the construction phase.  Cllr Wilkins reminded members that the response to the public consultation on how S106 funds should be spent had resulted in a resident suggesting that part of the money was spent at Hayne Farm.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to obtain three quotes, and to check with Jamie Buckley at EDDC they are aware it is a thorough overhaul of an existing, ‘homemade’ pitch.  Cllr Orchard to ask Baker Estates if they recommend a contractor, and to check out EDDC’s list of approved contractors online.

112/20   To consider work to be carried out by the lengthsman to maintain drains and ditches in the parish

Cllr Walker said Len Abbott had checked the status of all the salt bins. 

ACTION: The clerk to report via DCC website that the bin at the bottom of Tommy Wax hill is completely empty. 

113/20   To consider climate change measures within the parish

Cllr Twist said that the Devon Solar panel group buying scheme had closed on 5th October.  She reported that she had investigated the Government’s new Green Homes Grant, which opened on 1st October.  Any work carried out under the grant has to be completed by 31st March 2021; applications can only be made on line and only government-approved contractors (of which there are 900 nationwide) can be used.  Cllr Twist had looked as an example at double glazing, but there were only two contractors listed.

Cllr Wilkins said there had not been too much progress on installing an electric vehicle (EV) charging point, but DCC have advised that they are working on the long list of sites and will ensure Gittisham is there.  Additionally, DCC has enquired if there would be interest from the villagers for the provision of an electric vehicle on a ‘car club’ basis?  In other words an EV that people can book and use and then pay for the time they’ve had it.  Cllr Wilkins suggested an informal consultation within the village is undertaken to establish if there would be interest in this innovative suggestion.  Once firm proposals are available for the EV charging point and possibly the ‘car club’, a further formal consultation with the village and the estate will be needed prior to the parish council deciding to proceed or not.

ACTION: Cllr Wilkins to draft an article for the Gittisham Gazette, and all councillors to canvass opinion on the ‘car club’ proposal.

114/20   To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said architects had been appointed to the CLT, with the successful bid coming from ECA based in Poole.  He explained that the next step would be to establish a project team, led by Wessex CLT, consultants and a number of representatives chosen through the CLT board.    Cllr Valentine added that the housing association partner has not been chosen yet, although invitations have gone out.  He said people would be seeing a number of options coming forward for development of the site, and then they’ll go to a public consultation exercise.  Once agreement is reached over a final design, it’s hoped a planning application could be submitted in the spring of next year.  The CLT AGM will be held on 10^th November via Zoom.

Cllr Bond asked if this was a moment to have pre-app discussions with EDDC planners, to which the answer was yes.  Cllr Valentine said he would speak to ECA before setting up a meeting.

ACTION: Cllr Valentine to inform Cllr Bond of the date of the meeting with ECA.

115/20   To consider the parish emergency plan

Cllr Valentine said there was no update on this.

116/20 To consider the purchase of a defibrillator for the Hayne Farm development

Cllr Twist said Baker Estates are still awaiting a response from Sovereign Housing, so there is no movement on this action.  She said the parish council had received an email from a Heart Charity- London Hearts, which procures and supplies defibrillators and cabinets, giving a discounted package and a £200 parish council grant, training for the community is free.  She said she had not followed this up as it could be a while before we are ready to move on purchasing. Also the parish council may wish to stay with their current supplier, she said. The website is www.londonhearts.org.

ACTION: Cllr Twist to continue dialogue with BE.

117/20   To consider refurbishment and maintenance of the play area

Members heard that RhinoPlay had given a date of 19^th October to inspect the split wood on the tower, after which they would communicate their decision to the parish council. Members heard that the baby / toddler swings were discoloured, despite the Chair having scrubbed and bleached them extensively. Members agreed to replace them in the spring.

The Chair thanked Combe Estate for the donation of the stepping logs, and also Len Abbott for installing them. She said that she and Cllr Valentine had met Mike Dawes regarding the proposal to have a tree and hedge at the top end of the wild area, and this had been withdrawn by mutual agreement. She reported that the padlock at the top gate had been replaced by zip ties. 

Members heard that the oak tree planted earlier this year had not survived the summer, but Terry Trim had agreed to replace it free of charge as soon as appropriate.

Cllr Walker suggested that with winter approaching the play area would not be in use nearly so much, so members agreed that a monthly clean would be appropriate starting from the week after half-term.  Councillors agreed to reassess the situation at the November meeting.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to obtain three quotes from suppliers for new seats and chains.

118/20   To consider the purchase of a computer for the parish clerk

The clerk circulated a selection of laptops recommended by Which! magazine under £500.  However, Cllr Twiss had indicated he could provide £400 from his DCC locality budget towards the cost.  Members agreed with Cllr Wilkins’s suggestion that a laptop costing between £500 and £800 would be more suitable.

ACTION: Cllr Wilkins to advise the clerk on possible spec.

ACTION: Clerk to investigate further with revised price range and discuss with Cllr Valentine’s son.

119/20 To consider the parish website

Cllr Wilkins said he had made minutes and agendas back to April 2020 accessible, and would now make a start on other documents as outlined in the accessibility report from Websites Ahoy.

ACTION: Cllr Wilkins to continue the review of documents using a Windows-based operating system.

120/20 To consider the distribution of the Gittisham Gazette

Members agreed that Mr Sellick’s remuneration should be reviewed in December 2020.

ACTION: Clerk to inform Mr Sellick and thank him for his work.

121/20 To consider liaising with other local parish councils.

The clerk said she had made contact with neighbouring parish councils including Talaton, Buckerell, West Hill, Feniton and Payhembury, and received positive responses to the suggestion of an annual meeting to share problem-solving experience and ideas. 

ACTION: Chair to investigate setting up a Zoom meeting with other councils.

The clerk left the meeting.

122/20 To consider a review of remuneration of the parish clerk in line with the annual NALC salary scales, and associated pension payments

Members resolved to raise the clerk’s salary in line with NALC recommendations to £11.55 / hr, and the pension to £22.48 which the clerk had calculated using the Money Advice Service workplace pensions calculator. 

ACTION: Clerk to investigate with DALC regarding years of service and effect on pay grade.

The clerk returned to the meeting.

123/20 To review the bank signatories and update the mandate as appropriate

Members resolved to remove former councillor Russell Hayman’s name from the list of signatories and add Cllr Twist. 

ACTION: Clerk to update with Nat West.

124/20 To approve the October payments and to note the current bank balance

It was resolved to approve the following payments:

1063       F J Clampin                          £224.86 + £3.60 expenses Clerk’s salary & expenses (at new rate of £11.53 / hr)

1064       F J Clampin                          £30.33   Remainder of clerk’s backdated pay to £1^st April 2020 at new rate

1065       Len Abbott                            £126       9 hours lengthsman work, Sept 2020 (at £14/hr)

1066       Michael Poll                          £60         Grass cutting play area (inv. ref 10041)

1067       Michael Poll                          £60         Grass cutting play area (inv. ref 10045)

Cllr Wilkins left the meeting.

1068       Andy Wilkins                        £4.68      reimbursement for play area cleaning expenses

DD          NEST                                     £22.48   Clerk’s pension in line with new rate of pay (5% employer, 5% employee)

Cllr Wilkins returned to the meeting.

The clerk circulated bank resolutions for June 2020 and September 2020, and thanked Cllr Twist for her help in completing them.  Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £12,966.11 (which includes the £7,000 in the business reserve account). 

125/20   To consider any late entry correspondence

Cllr Walker said residents had informed her the Stagecoach bus was occasionally missing out the village, which left those needing it for work and appointments thoroughly inconvenienced.  Moreover, anecdotal evidence from a driver indicated that some were uncomfortable driving the lanes and missed Gittisham deliberately. 

The Chair suggested changing the format of the agendas, to group items by councillor and reflect their respective responsibilities, which was approved.

Cllr Wilkins reported that roadworks would be taking place on Hayne Lane beginning 12^th October, at the Iron Bridge 29-30^th October and lower Hayne Lane on 18^th November.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to write to Stagecoach; Cllr Walker to furnish a list of missed dates and times.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to investigate school bus provision when the lower part of Hayne Lane will be closed, as well as in January 2021 when the road to the Forge will also be shut.

126/20   Matters to be reported to DCC / EDDC

Cllr Wilkins said there had been further complaint about disabled access through the emergency gate between Old Elm Road and Hayne Lane, including from a new resident.  Cllr Wilkins felt the response from DCC would not be welcomed by people with mobility issues, as although DCC had agreed to look at it they had not provided a timescale.  A previous query had been raised three years ago, he noted. 

There are other issues with the gate, Cllr Wilkins explained:

In February workmen installed drop kerbs on the pavements around the gate. During these works the security lock was removed and a temporary Yale combination lock used instead. The security lock was never returned and recently the temporary lock has been replaced by a small key padlock.

DCC have advised that the key is kept at the DCC/Skanska depot at Heathpark. Considering the gate is for emergency access by the emergency services, with their dispatch advising the combination to use, the current situation raises some questions.

Is it expected that emergency services divert to the DCC depot to collect they key whilst on an urgent call and return it on completion of the call?  Have the emergency services been alerted to this change in operation?  Is the depot open 24/7 with someone ready to issue the key?

Cllr Wilkins said the gate has been damaged in the past and will now not easily open or close. Last year he observed it taking three workmen and a club hammer to close it. This situation was reported to DCC at the time and DCC responded that they thought it was “a little stiff”. Cllr Wilkins said it’s more than a little stiff and could not be opened by a two person ambulance crew!

He concluded that the gate is no longer fit for purpose as an emergency access for the emergency services and DCC are aware of this. If DCC feel emergency access is no longer required can it be removed and replaced with a wall or some other permanent barrier?  Vale residents would rejoice if the access to Hayne Lane was removed for all but pedestrians and cyclists.  To add to this situation the latest version of Apple Maps, released on 2^nd October, shows access for vehicles between Old Elm Road and Hayne lane. This is reflected in the associated satnav service which is routing vehicles though the gate.

Cllr Wilkins said it was reported at the last PC meeting that the boundary stream between the parish and Honiton was partly blocked at the north side of Old Elm Road adjacent to the bridge. He reported that EDDC attended and strimmed the vegetation on both banks either side of the bridge, they did not clear the blockage. The trimmed foliage was deposited into the stream thus making the issue worse; water now regularly builds up under the bridge due to the restricted flow.

There has been a rather poor attempt to maintain the balancing pond, he noted. On 5^th October a digger was deployed which removed the built up debris from the water flow and grid depositing it on the pond floor. When the pond next kicks into action the debris will become buoyant and once again deposit itself from where it came no doubt restricting water flow.

In other years during maintenance debris has been taken off site, vegetation has been cleared and the area left looking attractive. It was a feature frequently used by children to play adventure games and by adults to enjoy watching wildlife. Sadly it is now unloved and unused.

ACTION: The clerk to inform DCC and EDDC respectively of the above.

127/20   For information only; items for the forward agenda

Members questioned whether the parish reflected the changing make-up of the area, and whether the parish council structure reflected its residents. 

It was agreed to include the following items on the next agenda (which will have a new format): coronavirus, climate change, lengthsman work, limited residential development, S106, parish clerk’s computer, Hayne Farm defibrillator, play area, website, representation, liaising with other parish councils. 

ACTION: Clerk to discuss representation with EDDC.

128/20   Clerk’s Report

The clerk said that the officer at DCC had told her the Planning Inspectorate have something of a backlog due to the lockdown putting a stop to public inquiries and hearings. They are just getting going with virtual inquiries so perhaps there will soon be news on the footpath at Goldcombe.

129/20   Date of next two meetings 

Wednesday 4th November and Wednesday 2nd December at 7.30pm via Zoom. 

Should restrictions on public movement be lifted, these meetings will revert to being held in the parish room or another suitable venue.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2100 hrs.

Chair…………………………………….

4^th November 2020