2021/22

Gittisham Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council meeting

Held on 4th November 2021

in Gittisham Village Hall

Present:

Gittisham Village Ward Cllr A Rowe Cllr D Valentine

Gittisham Vale Ward Cllr P Orchard (acting Chair) Cllr J Twist

In attendance: Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), Cllr Jake Bonetta (EDDC), Cllr Alasdair Bruce (EDDC), one member of the public, Fiona Clampin (clerk)

Apologies for absence: Cllr C Hall (Chair), Cllr M Walker, PCSO Darren England

In the absence of Cllr Hall, Cllr Orchard agreed to chair the meeting.

104/21   To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted. 

105/21   To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 6^th October 2021

The minutes of the meeting held on 6^th October 2021 were confirmed and signed by Cllr Orchard. 

106/21   To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

1 crime, September 2021: burglary, Devonshire Road.

Cllr Twiss added that he had attended a meeting with senior police officers including Sgt Hutter.  Cllr Twiss reported that a new method of reporting crime figures would be trialled, with a report formulated for larger towns each month.  For parishes there will be a trial newsletter that will be more relevant, targeted and specific.

ACTION: Clerk to distribute police newsletter.  All to feed back to Cllr Twiss their thoughts on the newsletter.

107/21   To receive declarations of interest

None.

108/21   To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

None.

109/21   To consider EDDC’s Community Governance Review (CGR) and Honiton Boundary Review

Members approved Cllr Orchard’s motion to move this item up the agenda.  Parish councillors expressed their disappointment that neither GPC nor Honiton Town Council had been informed well in advance of a report proposing a review of the parish and town boundaries that went before EDDC cabinet on Wednesday 3^rd November. 

Cllr Bonetta explained that at its meeting last night, the Cabinet of EDDC resolved that – pending consultation with and representations from both Honiton Town Council and Gittisham Parish Council – officers be given delegated authority over whether or not to proceed with a boundary CGR in time for the next local elections in May 2023. This constitutes a major step towards a CGR and changed boundaries, and therefore much greater consultation with GPC is needed on this. It is important to note that this CGR would only affect the parish boundaries, not the district ward boundaries.

He added that with his Honiton Town Council hat on: he is personally supportive of a move towards a CGR, and he made this clear at the Cabinet meeting yesterday. The form that this takes and the physical extent that the boundary review goes to will obviously come from conversations had between all three councils involved, and it would not be his place as a single ward member to comment on where the lines should be drawn as of yet.  Any CGR he said, would include a three-month public consultation.  However, he offered his support towards a transfer of the Gittisham Vale ward into Honiton Town Council boundaries, based on not only current EDDC ward boundaries but the neighbourhood currently split in two between parishes.  Cllr Bonetta declared an interest as a member of Honiton Town Council, and apologised for not declaring previously at this meeting his membership of Honiton Forward.  He invited members and residents to address any specific concerns or comments, so that he could forward them to the relevant team at EDDC.

Cllr Valentine said he had watched the discussion online, but there appeared to be no reference to the concerns expressed to EDDC’s officers by both HTC and GPC.  Members agreed that any change in the parish boundary between Gittisham Vale and Honiton St Michael’s in particular could have significant implications for council tax rates, and even the existence of the parish council itself.  Cllr Orchard had crunched the numbers, and estimated that with a Band D precept for Gittisham presently around £25, and Honiton £75, if the Vale transferred to HTC, the income for GPC would fall around a third, meaning an increase of around 50% for the remaining households in Gittisham parish.  If Hayne Farm also transferred that would be a loss of around two thirds of the total properties in the parish, meaning an increase of around 300% for each of the remaining households in order to retain the parish income level. 

Members agreed there are those in Gittisham Vale and Hayne Farm who feel strongly that they are part of Gittisham parish, and the importance of this should not be ignored.  Particularly during Covid, the parish has worked hard to bring residents together, encourage support networks and organise events which have attracted people from across the parish.  Discussions have taken place at GPC about representation to ensure that the number of councillors in the two wards of the parish reflect the size of the community in the Vale, Village and Hayne Farm, although these did not include a discussion of changing the ward boundaries.

Members heard that the item was deferred for further consideration by EDDC on 8^th December.  They agreed to ask EDDC for the discussion to be postponed until a proper consultation can take place.

ACTION: Cllr Valentine to draft some further points, and clerk to send update and request for postponement to EDDC’s Mark Williams & Henry Gordon Lennox.

110/21   To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Cllr Bruce said that having managed to clear up the incorrect information supplied to the parish council at the last meeting concerning the status of the Church Mead garages, he had since contacted the officer concerned for an update.  He has been assured an update on whether/if they need any work before being available for rent will be available before the next parish meeting.

District council is still hosting meetings via Zoom , and Blackdown House remains a virtual ‘Marie Celeste’, said Cllr Bruce. This is not a satisfactory situation for the proper functioning of EDDC. He fully appreciates the concerns expressed by a number of councillors over Covid-19, but with a large number of town and parish councils meeting face to face in the district, the council finds itself at odds with the general picture.  Cllr Bruce said he remained hopeful that the situation will be resolved in January 2022.

After the last meeting where Mr Elkins gave an impassioned description of his flooding experience recently, Cllr Bruce met him to see if the district could offer anything to help. He was able to provide some practical tips based on his own experience and assured him that he would continue to ensure that DCC made sure the drains were kept clear. Without a wholesale dismantling of our drainage system, the most practical steps we can take is to ensure the system we have works to its maximum at all times. Cllr Bruce has proposed to Cllr Twiss that a major change is needed within the Highways section at DCC, which he concurs with. We need to shift from a reactive system to one which either preempts heavy rainfall events (after all we now have one of the most powerful weather predicting computers in the world just down the road), or uses another method to ensure that the drainage system works at 100 per cent most of the time. Cllr Bruce has serious reservations as to whether any of the above will be achieved, but it is clear the current system does not serve the needs of our communities.

On the same front it was a great relief to hear that funding has now been secured for the final phases of the flood defence system  in Feniton. This been given a push, not least due to the Environment Agency being in a position to stump up the money as EDDC does not have any. We now await a date from Network Rail as to when they will close the main line to allow the culvert to be placed through the embankment.

Cllr Bruce said he welcomed the news from central government that more than £500 million  is to be allocated to encourage developers to favour  brown field sites. This is not a new initiative by any means and successive governments have tried to get these sites developed before greenfield locations, something we would all wish to see. However, the right form of incentive needs to be in place for any developer to look at these old sites before they will take on what can be problematic issues, for example contaminated land.

Cllr Bruce said he and Cllr Twiss had met Baker Estates w/c 1^st November to go over the proposed plans in more detail. It was useful to see the planned loop road to help facilitate a future bus run which Cllr Bruce said he knew Cllr Twiss will take forward for us. He also asked questions regarding the infrastructure planned and built in to cope with increased volumes of field run off from storm events. Cllr Bruce was assured that most of the system is in place and being added to. He also enquired what system was being used to insulate these properties. As someone who has built his own home to A++ level, he said he was acutely aware of the massive impact this can have on energy costs, and was promised a walk round the estate to see the works for himself.  There was also good news to report on the playpark trigger being met with new build and equipment on order. However, this will not be available until early next year for well-documented reasons.

Seaton Jurassic

Cllr Bruce reported he had attended a meeting today regarding the fate of Seaton Jurassic.  He explained his involvement in it from the beginning.  He felt much progress had been made, and the options presented were well laid out.  Cllr Bruce said he hoped it would be possible to find a way of working with a commercial partner in future.

Cllr Bruce left the meeting.

Roads

Cllr Twiss said that adverse weather conditions have taken their toll on Devon Highways in recent weeks, and locally the Feniton & Honiton Division is no exception ranging from serious flooding to road surface damage etc.  Hayne Lane as you may be aware is one such place where DCC Highways has been preparing a scheme to lay kerbs and channels to protect the edge from erosion, but when NHO Mike Brown visited the site recently with the contractor’s agent to discuss the necessary work, they saw that the recent storms a couple of weeks ago had caused a complete collapse of the bank.  The DCC reactive works team has tried placing sandbags and barriers to keep the lane open but the permanent works are of a scale which will now need referring to the structures team.  Cllr Twiss said he feared that any further deterioration will lead to closing the road until a new scheme can be put in place and he had no fixed timescale for this currently.

Members discussed the current state of Hayne Lane, with some in favour of turning it into a green lane if further extreme weather damages the road in future.  Cllr Orchard remarked that the traffic survey he had undertaken with Cllr Twist showed that traffic turning out of Hayne Farm tended to turn downhill, rather than travelling up Hayne Lane where the state of the road is particularly poor. 

Cllr Rowe asked if the yellow lines would be painted back on Devonshire Road, and Cllr Twiss said they would.

Broadband

Cllr Twiss reported that Jurassic Fibre are preparing for installation of fibre optic cable in to Gittisham and he was waiting for an update on a potential ‘Plan B’ access route from Matt Galley at JF who is their partnerships Director. This follows an email from Cllr Hall, who had bumped in to a surveyor from JF who expressed concerns that the current infrastructure that Openreach are obliged to share may need to be upgraded.

Buses

DCC has produced an updated bus strategy (which was circulated to members) where broadly, once Hayne Farm is ‘built out’ will trigger a regular bus service hopefully encouraging a reduction in car trips in to Honiton and beyond, the population trigger being 500 people.  Cllr Twiss aid he had written to DCC Transport to put this on to their radar re Hayne Farm a year or so down the track.

Cllr Jake Bonetta said that as‌ ‌with‌ ‌every‌ ‌month‌ ‌at‌ ‌EDDC,‌ ‌the‌ ‌administration‌ ‌has‌ ‌been‌ ‌very‌ ‌busy‌ ‌working‌ ‌towards‌ ‌the‌ ‌delivery‌ ‌of‌ ‌major‌ ‌projects,‌ ‌and‌ ‌hisy‌ ‌work‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌Honiton‌ ‌St.‌ ‌Michael’s‌ cCouncillor‌ ‌has‌ ‌been‌ ‌no‌ ‌different.‌ ‌Many‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌achievements‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌council‌ ‌over‌ ‌this‌ ‌previous‌ ‌month‌ ‌have‌ ‌happened‌ ‌outside‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌area,‌ ‌with‌ ‌major‌ ‌advancements‌ ‌being‌ ‌achieved‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌new‌ ‌Sidmouth‌ ‌Beach‌ ‌Management‌ ‌and‌ ‌Flood‌ ‌Alleviation‌ ‌Schemes,‌ ‌and‌ ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌Council‌ ‌Plan‌ ‌focusing‌ ‌the‌ ‌work‌ ‌of‌ ‌EDDC‌ ‌on‌ ‌a‌ ‌greener‌ ‌and‌ ‌more‌ ‌economically‌ ‌prosperous‌ ‌East‌ ‌Devon.‌ ‌

Cllr Orchard said he had received a complaint about the overflowing dog poo bin at the Old Elm Road terminus, which was echoed by Cllr Twist. Cllr Bonetta explained that there are discussions at EDDC about the situation with dog waste bins across the entire district, and he would speak to StreetScene for an update.  He reminded members that if a dog waste bin is full, the waste can be double-bagged and placed in a standard black bin.  

Working Together for the Future of East Devon Conference 2021

Cllr Bonetta said that voluntary organisations, as well as parish councils, are being invited to book places on the free conference, taking place virtually on November 16th from 9:30am to 1:30pm. This conference will be a great opportunity to network with voluntary organisations from across the District and to celebrate their achievements, as well as looking at East Devon’s work in areas such as Citizens’ Advice, Poverty Strategy and the Local Care Partnership / Community Mental Health Framework.  Places must be booked in advance for the free conference, so if representatives would like to attend on behalf of Gittisham Parish Council or another organisation then they will need to email (or call 01395 517569) with their name, contact details and the name of their organisation by 5pm next Wednesday, 10th November.

ACTION: Members to ask Baker Estates for an update regarding dog waste bins when they attend the next meeting. Cllrs Orchard & Twist to ‘grumble walk’ the Hayne Farm estate.

Cllr Twiss and Cllr Bonetta left the meeting.

111/21   To consider the following planning applications:

a)            21/2741/VAR – I Hamlet Cottages Weston EX14 3PB – Variation of condition number 2 (approved plans) of application 21/1295/FUL (Demolition of existing workshop to be replaced with a new self-build dwelling)

b)            21/2603/LBC – Pomeroy House Gittisham EX14 3AJ – Single-storey extension to side with raised patio, installation of porch canopy to courtyard west elevation and east elevation, and internal alterations, involving demolition of existing porch to side

c)             21/2602/FUL – Pomeroy House Gittisham EX14 3AJ – Single-storey extension to side with raised patio, installation of porch canopy to courtyard west elevation and east elevation, and internal alterations, involving demolition of existing porch to side

Members resolved to have no objection to b) or c).  In relation to a), members resolved to object to this application 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. Parish councillors also raised concern about the proposed materials in terms of the roofing.

112/21   To consider the casual vacancy in Gittisham Vale ward and proceed to co-option as appropriate

Jan Fowles was elected by a unanimous vote to represent Gittisham Vale ward.

ACTION: Clerk to send Cllr Fowles register of interests form and investigate training courses for new councillors. 

113/21   To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

• To note the latest planning decision notices

21/1350/FUL – Land West Of Devonshire Road Heathpark Industrial Estate Honiton – Construction of two storey offices (Unit D) for Use Class E (g) (i), alterations to car park layout, and internal access. Installation of covered bike store to front..  Approval.

• To receive an update on Highways

Forthcoming road closures in Gittisham Parish:

11-12 November Road closure for Western Power – Road past Shermans Farm.

22-24 November Road closure for Jurassic Fibre – Ironbridge to Eveleigh’s Farm.

Cllr Orchard reiterated the previous discussion on Hayne Lane, pointing out that the road is washing away again adjacent to where it was repaired last year. There are warning cones in place.  He said the Old Elm balancing pond downstream exit grill is blocked. EDDC is aware and has appointed contractors urgently.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard said he would follow up with DCC School Transport to ask what DCC is doing about the school buses during the closure.

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

Cllr Orchard said he had contacted a further four contractors for the play area works. One declined, two not answering their phones and one will call back later (hopefully). K C Builders had told Cllr Orchard last month that he is finding it impossible to get a price for tarmac, so can do the boules court and leave the skittles and t/tennis for someone else to surface.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to update Sulina Tallack at EDDC on progress so far.

• To receive an update on public transport

Cllr Orchard said he had removed more items from the Vale bus shelter since the last meeting.  He added that the Stagecoach staff strike had been called off at the last minute.  Trains are running only as far as Gillingham or Salisbury, following the collision last weekend.

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

Cllr Twist said she had received no response from Baker Estates since the email sent on 13th September.

• To consider climate change measures within the parish, including rewilding proposals for land in the parish

Cllr Twist said she had received no response from DCC since an email on 25th January 2021.

Cllr Rowe said he had not received a reply from Goren Farm regarding seeds, so he had been investigating prices online.  However, he felt that transporting them from elsewhere would be counter-productive.   

ACTION: Cllr Rowe to discuss rewilding with Cllr Bonetta.

• To consider parish council support for scam awareness and security

Cllr Twist outlined two current scams: 1) a scammer impersonating an EDDC officer regarding re-banding of council tax rings and asks for money.  Please hang up and call EDDC on their official number.  This scam was also outlined by Cllr Bonetta before he left the meeting.  2) Tesco “free prize draw”.  This is an email scam, asking you to complete a survey for the chance of winning a prize in order to steal people’s bank details.

• To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said the speed monitoring box installed temporarily at the west end of the village had found that the vast majority of traffic (90%) travels at less than 30mph.  Members noted that 3,445 traffic movements were recorded over a seven-day period. 

• To consider the parish emergency plan

The clerk said she had publicised the emergency plan, including ‘phone numbers, on the website and noticeboard.  Cllr Rowe said he had checked all the grit bins in the parish, and all was well.

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

There was no update this month.

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

There was no update this month.

114/21   To receive a report from the Chair, including considering any potential action on measures to alleviate flooding

The Chair did not send a report this month.

115/21 To consider traffic levels and speeds in Gittisham village and on Hayne Lane

Cf items 113/21 h) and 110/21.

116/21 To consider the parish council’s position on a proposed footpath between Hayne Farm and Goldcombe

Members discussed the history of the proposal for a path, and took a vote to clarify the parish council’s position.  One councillor was in favour, and four abstained. 

117/21   To consider support for the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

This was deferred until the next meeting.

118/21   To approve the November payments and to note the current bank balance

It was resolved to approve the following payments:

1130       F J Clampin                          £226.84                 Clerk’s salary & expenses (stamps)

1131       Michael Poll                          £60         Grass cutting, play area (inv. ref. 101xx)

1132       Gittisham Parish Hall          £10         Hire for October meeting

1133       Len Abbott                           £210       Lengthsman work, 15 hours, Oct 2021

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

The clerk said that £3,829.87 had been received in CIL money.  Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £23,639.73 (which includes approximately £7,000 in the business reserve account).  The clerk circulated the half-yearly budget.

ACTION: All to consider future expenditure to reduce the reserves.

119/21   Clerk’s Report

The clerk said she was unable to make the meeting scheduled for 1^st December.  Members discussed whether future parish council meetings should move to a different day in order to make use of the village hall.  The clerk said that Baker Estates would like to attend the December meeting.

ACTION: Clerk to arrange date for December meeting.

120/21   For information only; items for the forward agenda

Hayne Farm development, to include a presentation by Baker Estates; parish boundary; Hayne Lane; day of meetings; Climate & Ecological Emergency Bill.

121/21   To consider any late entry correspondence

None.

122/21   Date of next two meetings.   December 2021 (tbc) and Wednesday 5^th January 2022 (tbc) at 7.30pm. 

ACTION: Clerk to ask Judith Turner about village hall availability in January 2022.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2120 hrs.

Chair…………………………………….

9^th December 2021

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Parish Council meeting

Held on 6th October 2021

in Gittisham Village Hall

Present:

Gittisham Village Ward Cllr C Hall (Chair) Cllr A Rowe Cllr M Walker Cllr D Valentine

Gittisham Vale Ward Cllr P Orchard Cllr J Twist

In attendance: Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), Cllr Alasdair Bruce (EDDC), five members of the public, Fiona Clampin (clerk)

Apologies for absence: Cllr Jake Bonetta (EDDC), PCSO Darren England

Prior to the start of the meeting, one member of the public exercised their right as parish resident to speak regarding concerns over flooding outside Eveleigh’s Cottage.  He said that on Monday 4^th October the torrential rain had resulted in a situation where drains could manage the water flow, to being completely overwhelmed, with water pouring down the road.  The water almost reached his front door and came into his garden.  The lane past the Village Hall was also flooded.  The resident said that he appreciated there was a flood plan in place, but expressed his concern over the state of the drains in this area.  He said that the Chair had lodged a blocked drain with DCC, and a contractor had been to investigate it earlier this year.  The resident said he felt the tools used for this particular drain were inadequate, and explained that he had also tried to unblock the drain from time to time as it affects his property.  He said that someone should take responsibility for cleaning out the drains and doing it regularly.  He’s doing as much as he can to keep the water out, but the overflow has happened twice in five months.  Climate change will make such ‘freak’ events more common, he said. 

Cllr Walker said she had been told by staff at South West Water that the drains were inadequate, built many years ago.  Her comments were echoed by Cllr Valentine, who said that the network itself is not fit for purpose.  He argued that someone has to recognize that and generate the appropriate solutions, or the parish will find itself in this situation year after year.  Cllr Walker said the lengthsman would be visiting the resident’s property to see what could potentially be done, and he would also look at other drains in the area to pass on to DCC where they are blocked.  The Chair said she would walk the area with him to investigate upstream causes.  The Chair acknowledged how hard the resident had worked to remedy the problem as much as possible.  She agreed to write a report which the parish council can share with DCC, EDDC and the Environment Agency. There is unlikely to be funding for anything, she said, but awareness that the village in particular is vulnerable to flashy storms might give Gittisham higher priority for drain cleaning.  She reminded members that people should avoid wading or driving through flood water.

Cllr Twiss said the responsibility for water flow was complicated, depending on where the water was, and there is therefore no single accountable body to resolve the problem.  He explained that DCC has overspent in some areas, and there is no financial support for installing new drainage.  Cllr Twiss advised the Chair to speak to her counterpart at Feniton PC, as they have many years of experience of managing flooding.  He told members he would be meeting the senior management of DCC Highways and other heads of services about their ambitions for DCC’s budget for 2022-23.  He pledged to represent the views of this parish when it comes to the budget process.  The Chair stressed the need to work with landowners and farmers to manage the flow of water.    She said that individual property owners can install air brick covers, flood barriers to doors, etc. and sign up to the Environment Agency’s flood warning service to be ready to install these measures. The alert warnings are issued during daylight hours.  The resident said he appreciated it was not the parish council’s responsibility, but asked if it would be possible to initiate a review with DCC Highways to look at the drainage system within the village to try to maximise what is there. He offered to be part of any workforce to clear the drains.

Cllrs Orchard and Twist said that the Vale and Hayne Farm had not been badly affected by the recent rainfall, although Hayne Lane was full of debris.  

ACTION: Chair to ask VH committee if some sandbags can be stored in the village hall shed, to avoid wading through floodwater to reach supplies at Curlditch.  Clerk to publicise the emergency plan, including ‘phone numbers, on the website and noticeboard.  Chair to speak to those listed on the emergency plan.  Chair to summarise points in a plan that can be shared with other agencies.

Two members of the public spoke regarding the planning application under discussion at minute ref. 94/21.  They asked if the application could be decided by committee at DMC, if the planning officer was minded to refuse.  Cllr Bruce said he would keep a watching brief.  The residents thanked the parish council for their support in the past. 

87/21     To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted. 

88/21     To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 7^th September 2021

An amendment was made to minute ref. 85/21 to clarify the situation regarding the Vale defibrillator.  The minutes of the meeting held on 7^th September 2021 were then confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

89/21     To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

There were no crimes reported in August 2021.  In response to PCSO Darren England’s request for the kind of information the parish council would like from the police in terms of contact and reports, Cllr Orchard said the police should feed back information to the PC occasionally.  Members agreed a drive-through on occasion would be reassuring.  Cllr Twiss added that he would be meeting Sgt Roy Hutter, the new neighbourhood sergeant.   

90/21     To receive declarations of interest

Cllr Valentine declared an interest in minute ref. 94/21, as he has been advising the applicants.

91/21     To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

The clerk agreed to send Cllr Bruce the report submitted by Cllr Bonetta.

92/21     To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Cllr Twiss said the whole of the DCC Highways and Traffic Management Service is experiencing real difficulties in recruiting staff.  The team is currently operating with 33 vacancies from a total workforce of approximately 240.  This reduction in staffing numbers is putting added pressure on the remaining workforce at a time when the team have been dealing with the added challenges of the different ways of working and reduced tolerance in our communities brought about by the pandemic.  They continue to work with colleagues in Human Resources and look for different ways to promote the opportunities that are available.

A significant backlog of smaller lining works has built up over the last 18 months, he said. The Traffic Management Team is aware of the impact these changes have on communities and the frustration it can generate. DCC has formed new partnerships with several lining providers and are now working through the backlog at pace with a view to catching up by the end of this month.

This year’s arboriculture surveys have thankfully seen a reduction in the number of actionable Ash Dieback reports and general tree defects across the county.  The team is working with their legal colleagues around areas of landowner responsibility and promoting the need for land owners to do their bit in relation to trees, vegetation and drainage.

Planning is underway for a virtual Parish and Town Council conference, held via Teams, before the end of the year.  Parishes were asked for feedback on what topics they would be interested in understanding more about.  The aim is to create an interactive event for parish and town councillors as well as DCC’s own members.  Attendees will be able to participate in the sessions that interest them.

With the recent change in weather, Cllr Twiss said he was pleased to inform members that the Winter Service operations are well prepared for what this season has to offer.  Over the summer all the equipment has been serviced with the gritting lorries recalibrated to ensure the correct amount of salt is spread onto the network.  Despite the HGV driver issues, the salt barns are well stocked.

With a change in weather comes another set of challenges.  The team have been looking at how they can manage the drainage cleaning budget in a different way.  The challenge is ensuring all gullies, grips (drainage channel dug from road to ditch), easements and buddle holes (holes or pipes that carry water through a hedge or bank as part of road drainage) are cleaned in line with DCC policy while maintaining the ability to deliver a reactive service as and when the need occurs. This challenge is even greater in the South West with a limited supply chain to cope with sudden increases in demand.

Waste and recycling

The 2020/21 performance statistics have just been published and Devon’s recycling rate reduced to 55.3% from the previous year’s 56.6%.  The reduction can be linked to the provision of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) which closed for seven weeks during the first lockdown commencing end March 2020.  Subsequent social distancing measures reduced site capacities, closure of resale shops and the introduction of booking systems also impacted on the amount of waste processed leading to a reduction in recycling performance.

East Devon once again achieved the highest recycling rate amongst Devon’s Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs) with 60% marginally down from previous years 60.5%.  The other seven WCA figures as follows: Teignbridge (55.9%); Torridge & West Devon (55.2%); South Hams (54.7%); Mid Devon (53.7%); North Devon (49.5%) and Exeter (27.8%).

While HWRC recycling performance remains high at 72%, 2020/21 saw a small reduction from previous year (75%).  Reductions across all streams were noted for Devon’s HWRCs, notably organic material down 22%.  The closure and restrictions to HWRC re-use shops last year resulted in a 64% reduction in sales, equating to 666 tonnes less materiel resold to members of the public; all HWRC re-use shops have now re-opened.

Covid 19 etc (lots of numbers but an improving overall position)

The summer spike peaked on 20th August, with the position currently flattening to around 2,000 cases per week in Devon and a reduction in all ages except in the school, college and university settings, where in the last 10 days DCC has notification of around 700 cases in educational settings.

•              22nd to 28th September there were 2,284 laboratory confirmed cases in Devon.  384 in Torbay; 880 in Plymouth; 1,958 in Cornwall.  England 188,750

Currently confirmed cases per 100,000: Devon 279.7; Torbay 281.8; Plymouth 335.7; Cornwall 342.4.  England 335.3

•              Breakdown of cases in Devon’s Districts as follows: 

East Devon 405 (276.9 per 100,000); Exeter 321(281.8); Mid Devon 158 (192.1); North Devon 287 (295.4); South Hams 317 (364.4); Teignbridge 363 (270.6); Torridge 213 (312.1); West Devon 180 (322.6)

Of the 5,446 cases in the Peninsula, just 542 were over 60 (about 10%)

•              There were 21 possibly Covid-related deaths – 12 in Devon; 2 in Torbay; 4 in Plymouth and 3 in Cornwall.  England 622

•              As at 28th September there were 75 (15 in ICU) Covid-related patients in Devon’s four hospitals – RD&E, Derriford, North Devon and Torbay – which is about 2.4% of total capacity!  Overall capacity running at around 88% which is higher than normal at this time of the year.

•              Cases across Devon by age group per 100,000:

0 – 19     =              657.5

20 – 39  =              213.5

40 – 59  =              249.9

60 – 79  =              89.9

80 plus   =              69.6

•              Vaccinations (over 16) in Devon:  First dose 93%; Second dose 86%.

Devon funding news

COVID-19 Outbreak Management Grant (Self-Isolation)

This grant is now available to voluntary and community groups/organisations and social enterprises that help people by providing practical, social, and emotional support when they have to self-isolate due to COVID-19.

Organised by local councils or voluntary and community groups, this could include support with:

•              accessing food and other supplies.

•              caring responsibilities

•              practical tasks such as dog walking

•              mental health and wellbeing, including loneliness and boredom

•              communications to improve awareness of when people need to self-isolate

•              maintaining a contingency support offer, even when demand is low

•              identifying gaps and opportunities for further COVID-19 self-isolation-related support and funding.  See https://www.devon.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-in-devon/keeping-safe-well/covid-19-outbreak-management-grant-self-isolation-guidance/  and application form at https://tinyurl.com/4p86kk5m  

Cllr Bruce said it had been a relatively quiet few weeks at council since the last parish meeting, and there remains some difficulty in accessing staff to resolve local issues. For example, he said he was still awaiting a reply regarding the EDDC-owned garages and their future. He will ensure the PC has an answer before the next parish meeting.

The local plan continues to grind its way through the council machinery, Cllr Bruce explained. However, a revised version is due to go out to public consultation in March next year. This important body of work is going to fundamentally shape the future of our villages and towns and the provision of open space and recreation facilities for our communities. In particular, focus will be on the elements that parish councils can influence such as transport, planning, development and environment.

Cllr Bruce said he had recently been involved in communication regarding flooding with our two MP’s and County Cllrs. As a result of a number of conversations with local farmers and his own personal experience, there is a clear disconnect with what farmers feel they are responsible for and what the council expects them to do regarding drainage.  He said he was sure this is not a new observation to the parish councillors, but before any sustainable and costed plan is launched regarding local flooding issues (or for that matter national), it has to work at the very point where it starts. His experience suggests this is currently broken but is fixable.  This has been brought into sharp focus after the severe flooding events in Feniton on Sunday night, and will undoubtedly bring fresh pressure to get the flood mitigation project completed and signed off.

Cllr Bruce apologised for missing the last parish meeting, due to a full council meeting which debated the merits of the purchase of a parcel of land adjacent to a nature reserve near Seaton by EDDC. Whilst the council were ultimately unsuccessful in the purchase due in part to sensitive information leaking out, and a price tag that had many questioning its value for money including Cllr Bruce himself, the principle is one that would see him supporting this kind of initiative. Some may justifiably argue that all areas should see a fair share of council money spent across the district; he said one-off purchases like this can help to enriched our environment, whilst not being right on the doorstep but nonetheless accessible to most of us.

In his absence, Cllr Jake Bonetta sent the following report: “We have been busy within the administration of East Devon District Council over the previous month.  Not only has it been a busy and productive party conference season for me, I have also been getting deeply involved in council work and casework across Honiton St. Michael’s as we move towards a finalised version of the emerging Local Plan. There are also many other strategy consultations that will be making a show over the coming months, of which I will keep you updated.

Garages at Church Mead

Thanks to Cllr Walker for pointing me in the direction of the garages at Church Mead last meeting. I have since spoken to the relevant officers at EDDC about this to clarify the status of the garages. According to the officers involved, the three garages owned by EDDC are currently vacant as the area has been earmarked for potential development.  If the area is not deemed suitable for development then EDDC will look to let these garages in the future once checks have been made that they are suitable to be let. Please do let me know if the Parish Council deems this to be the case.

[Members agreed there appeared to be some confusion over the information regarding the garages, and Cllr Bruce added that he too had been investigating the situation.] 

Fuel poverty

As our days and nights continue to get cooler the closer we move towards Christmas, the more important it is to talk about fuel poverty. A study by York University suggests that, due to a cumulative 15% increase in gas and electricity bills over the past year as well as the £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit payments, an extra 1m households will face fuel poverty in the UK this year, up from 2.5m households last year. In East Devon earlier this year, 10.5% of households were deemed to be in fuel poverty.  There is help available both from national Government, as well as energy companies through East Devon District Council. I would be grateful if the Parish Council could distribute the following links, for support that can be offered to those in need across Gittisham in the coming months:

Warm Home Discount Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

Discretionary Housing Payments to help with rent if that becomes unaffordable: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

Energy companies and East Devon District Council’s criteria for funding help: https://eastdevon.gov.uk/housing-and-homelessness/housing-in-the-private-sector/energy-efficiency  

ACTION: Cllr Bruce to discuss with Cllr Bonetta a way forward for attendance at meetings and reports.

Cllr Twiss and Cllr Bruce left the meeting.

93/21     To consider the rollout of superfast broadband, and a presentation by Jurassic Fibre:

Matt Baker from Jurassic Fibre gave a short presentation to bring councillors up to speed on the company’s plans to extend broadband infrastructure to Gittisham.  He said he’d received confirmation from the construction team that the engineers were on track for the infrastructure to reach Gittisham village by November.  That would mean the link to homes would happen in the first quarter of 2022.

Mr Baker encouraged residents to register their interest on the Jurassic Fibre website.  This does not commit them to taking the service.  Cllr Orchard reported his experience of being quoted £500 for his property to be connected to Jurassic Fibre, but Cllr Twiss said this was a mistake.  Mr Baker said that prices start from £25 / month for 30Mbps download speed, and an £80 / month package is available which offers a download speed of 950Mbps.  This does not include the telephone line.  He agreed to return to the parish council meeting in January 2022 to provide an update.

Cllr Valentine asked if Jurassic could make sure public transport & school transport providers were informed of the planned road closure, 22-24 November, for Jurassic works.  Cllr Orchard added that in future, if works affect school transport routes then they should be scheduled for school holidays.

Matt Baker left the meeting.

94/21     To consider the following planning applications:

a)            21/1756/FUL – Land Adjoining Combe Garden Centre Hayne Lane Gittisham – Regularisation of laying of hardstanding and use as overflow parking area for staff and construction of building for storage of stock for Combe Garden Centre

b)            21/2474/FUL – Goldcombe Farmhouse Gittisham EX14 3AB – Change of use of holiday let to dwelling

Members resolved to have no objection in principle to a).  However, they would like to see an additional passing place and give way signs for motorists leaving the centre. Provision for surface water drainage also needs to be addressed to prevent it flowing onto the highway.

Cllr Valentine left the meeting.

Members resolved to have no objection to b).  Parish councillors fully support the application, and welcome having additional rented properties in the village.

Cllr Valentine returned to the meeting.

95/21     To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

• To note the latest planning decision notices

21/1165/FUL Bakery Cottage Gittisham EX14 3AF Single storey rear extension and internal alterations. Creation of courtyard and parking bay with EV charging point and erection of maximum 1.8m wall/fence. Alteration of workshop/store to form garden room. (amended plans concerning revision to extension)  Approval with conditions.

21/1166/LBC Bakery Cottage Gittisham EX14 3AF Single storey rear extension and internal alterations. Creation of courtyard and parking bay with EV charging point and erection of maximum 1.8m wall/fence. Alteration of workshop/store to form garden room (amended plans concerning revision to extension).Approval with conditions.

20/1404/V106 Deed of Variation to defer the following planning obligations: £500.000.00 Affordable Housing Contribution due by 100th occupation as follows – £200,000.00 by September 2021 and £300,000.00 by September 2022; £381,980.00 (£462,000.00 currently with indexation) Education Contribution due by 145th occupation as follows – 12 months after 145th occupation; £105,000.00 (£116,000.00 currently with indexation) Sports Pitch Contribution due by 150th occupation as follows – 12 months after 150th occupation. – Land West Of Hayne Lane Honiton

Legal agreement issued.

• To receive an update on Highways

Forthcoming road closures in Gittisham Parish:

12 October Exeter Road/Heathpark Way closed for resurfacing for 3 nights.

11-12 November Road closure for Western Power – Road past Shermans Farm.

22-24 November Road closure for Jurassic Fibre – Ironbridge to Eveleigh’s Farm.

Devonshire Road double yellow lines consultation last spring is about to be implemented with yellow lines through from Hayne Lane.

30mph signs installed Hayne Lane between Devonshire Road and Hayne Farm.

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

The Chair said she would pass on another possible contractor to Cllr Orchard.   

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to update Sulina Tallack at EDDC on progress so far.

• To receive an update on public transport

Cllr Orchard said he had removed a large pile of records and CDs from the Vale bus shelter since the last meeting.  He added that Stagecoach staff might be striking on 18^th October.

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

Cllr Twist said Baker Estates sent an email, stating Sovereign Housing had agreed to the defibrillator being sited on the block of flats, as originally proposed. This means that if the Parish Council wish to have the managed route the Host Agreement has to be signed by Sovereign. She replied to Baker Estates explaining this, and has not heard anything since.

One member of the public said he had requested a new battery for the village defibrillator.

• To consider climate change measures within the parish, including rewilding proposals for land in the parish

Cllr Rowe said he and Cllr Orchard had met Megan and Jon from the EDDC Countryside team and Paul from EDDC Streetscene.  They were interested in the sites Cllr Rowe outlined for rewilding.  They are very happy for the parish to look after/ rewild these sites with their help too if we as a council wanted to do this they would then make sure that the cut regimes are changed to meet the requirements of rewilding.  Work to prepare the sites for wild flower seed will require a volunteer base.  It is a bit late in the year to start now as we would need to get people together.  However we could start work in the spring but the EDDC team said that the end of August next year is the best time to get seeding so that would give us preparation time.

We would need to get funding for seeds.

Site ideas discussed included:

Bottom of Old Elm (by the rocks)

Between Ferndale Cl and stream

Cllr Rowe said the cheapest option for both these sites is to leave them to “overgrow” then cut occasionally.  However, he acknowledged that some people may find this untidy and planting some flowers may make it look a bit nicer and perhaps bring a good bit of community engagement between the Village and the Vale.

Cllr Rowe explained there is a new project that may be beginning called Wild Honiton, a lead-on from the Wild Exmouth project that EDDC have been running over the past few years. These Gittisham sites may be in contention for that and EDDC are more than happy to give us advice and help create these areas maybe on a small level at first.  The Chair said Lottery and / or AONB funding could help if successful.

ACTION: Cllr Rowe to consider the best way forward and prepare numbers and budget.

• To consider parish council support for scam awareness and security

Cllr Twist said more than £4million a day has been stolen every day in the first half of this year. This represents an increase of 71% compared to the first 6 months of last year. A total of £754m was stolen through fraud, with less than half being refunded by banks.

A new number 159 is being trialled, for a year, by STOP Scams UK, a group of banks and telephone firms.

Contacting this number will automatically connect you to your bank’s fraud prevention service.

Not all banks are signed up currently, it is hoped it will become a universal service.

ACTION: Cllr Twist to publicise the number on the Hayne Farm Facebook page, and the Chair to distribute on the village WhatsApp group.

• To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said asbestos had been found in the agricultural buildings, which would require removal.  The speed monitoring box has been installed at the west end of the village.  The Chair said this time the data report needs to show the high speeds, not just the average speed.  It’s the lunatics zooming through that are the problem, she said, and that’s the reason there needs to be an appropriate speed limit.  Cllr Valentine said an AGM would be scheduled for November 2021.

• To consider the parish emergency plan

The clerk agreed to to publicise the emergency plan, including ‘phone numbers, on the website and noticeboard. 

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

Cllr Walker thanked Cllrs Orchard & Rowe for installing the replacement swing seats.  She said she had removed a rotten tree in the wild area. 

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

Cllr Walker said the lengthsman had cleared debris left by Monday night’s downpour.  She said he would keep an eye on the drains, and members agreed that if there was money in the budget to cover additional work for the lengthsman this should be recommended for approval. 

ACTION: Cllr Walker to ask the lengthsman to quote for additional work on drains and gullies. 

Cllr Valentine and four members of the public left the meeting.

96/21     To receive a report from the Chair

The Chair said that as we move into winter weather conditions and with Cllr Twiss’s report explaining the shortage of staff in DCC Highways, we need to be vigilant with looking after our own, in terms of flooding and ice. The last couple of weeks of storms has shown us how well the village has reacted quickly to trees down, blocked road drains and deploying sandbags. Residents have been keeping drains clear where they know they will be affected if they’re blocked and the lengthsman was busy yesterday (Tuesday 5^th). If there is anything that needs similar attention in the Vale or Hayne Farm we can deal with it in a similar way. Please remind people of the facility to report blocked road drains on the DCC Highways ‘report a problem’ website, the Chair said.

The local young farmers group have just been up to Westgate Hill and cleared all the debris left by off-roaders. The Chair said she had thanked the organiser via Facebook.  The Chair added she had had no feedback from the estate about the off-roading and trespass.  She suggested to them that the parish council has done all it can and will pass any concerns received to the estate. There are no routes for vehicles on the hill there so any off-roaders are either misusing footpaths and bridleways or are trespassing on estate land. The police are more aware of the problem now, so that will hopefully help.

The new footpath from Hayne Farm to Goldcombe is still outstanding.  The clerk said that the Planning Inspectorate has now opened the file, and contacted all parties to formally confirm whether DCC Rights of Way is happy to proceed with written representations. The officer has confirmed DCC is happy with this and Combe Estate has previously indicated that they are. A start date and schedule could be released within the next few weeks, though no guarantees of course.  The Chair asked if the parish council could do anything to progress this, as she felt it would be a really important connection between the new houses and the village and much safer walking route now that our lanes are so busy.

ACTION: Clerk to write to thank Sid & Otter Vale young farmers club.  All to encourage the public to write to EDDC and DCC councillors regarding the Goldcombe footpath.

97/21 To consider traffic levels and speeds in Gittisham village and on Hayne Lane

The clerk said she had received the 20 is Plenty stickers, and would pass them to the Chair.

98/21 To consider the casual vacancy in Gittisham Vale ward

The clerk said the vacancy had been advertised on the noticeboards and website, with a deadline of Sunday 31st October.

99/21     To approve the October payments and to note the current bank balance

It was resolved to approve the following payments:

• 1124       F J Clampin                          £224.86                 Clerk’s salary & expenses
• 1125       Michael Poll                          £60         Grass cutting, play area (inv. ref. 10114)
• 1126       Gittisham Parish Hall          £10         Hire for September meeting
• 1127       Len Abbott                           £140       Lengthsman work, 10 hours, August 2021
• 1128       Len Abbott                           £7.59      Lengthsman expenses, August 2021
• 1129       Len Abbott                           £28         Lengthsman work, 2 hours, Sept 2021
• DD          NEST                                     £22.48   Clerk’s pension (5% employer, 5% employee)

Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £20,339.18 (which includes approximately £7,000 in the business reserve account). 

ACTION: Clerk to prepare half-yearly budget for next meeting.

100/21   Clerk’s Report

The clerk said the resident who had asked about bonfires, had asked if the parish council could offer any additional advice to limit the lighting of bonfires. Members heard that the Chair had put out a message on the village WhatsApp group to remind people that some house insurance companies suggest that no bonfire should be lit within 100m of thatched properties.  She also said in the message there was information about bonfires on the East Devon website, although the parish council is not in a position to provide further advice over and above what EDDC provides.

ACTION: Clerk to reply with links to government advice on bonfires.

101/21   For information only; items for the forward agenda

Traffic speeds in Gittisham village inc Hayne Lane; casual vacancy.

102/21   To consider any late entry correspondence

None.

103/21   Date of next two meetings.  

Wednesday 3^rd November 2021 (venue tbc) and December tbc at 7.30pm.  The Chair asked all to observe social distancing and bring along a mask and hand sanitiser.

ACTION: Clerk to ask Judith Turner about village hall availability.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2135 hrs.

Chair…………………………………….

3^rd November 2021

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD ON 7^TH SEPTEMBER 2021

in Gittisham Village Hall

Present

Gittisham Village ward

Cllr C Hall (Chair)

Cllr A Rowe

Cllr M Walker

Cllr D Valentine

Gittisham Vale ward

Cllr P Orchard

Cllr J Twist

In attendance: Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), Cllr Jake Bonetta (EDDC), PCSO Darren England, two members of the public, Fiona Clampin (clerk)

Apologies for absence: Cllr Alasdair Bruce (EDDC)

71/21     To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted. 

72/21     To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 4^th August 2021

The minutes of the meeting held on 4^th August 2021 were confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

73/21     To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

Two crimes were reported in July 2021:

1 x anti-social behaviour, Laburnum Close

1 x criminal damage & arson, Cypress Close

The Chair said members were delighted to see PCSO Darren England at the meeting.   PCSO England outlined changes to staffing among the force, and expressed his desire to work with the parish in reducing and preventing crime.  He said he would like to attend between two and three PC meetings per year.  He explained that communication was improving with regular newsletters, and parishes would see more information on trends in rural crime and how to help the police tackle it.  He encouraged residents to sign up to the various schemes relevant to their individual circumstances, including Horse Watch and Farm Watch and Devon & Cornwall Alert.  (The latter is a two-way community messaging system where you can select what type of information you receive.)  He said that in general rural crime levels were low. 

Cllr Twist outlined the ways in which she was communicating information to the parish about scams.  Cllr Orchard asked why certain locations appeared to recur in the crime statistics, and PCSO England agreed to come back to him via the clerk with more information.

ACTION: Clerk to email PCSO England with meeting dates; Clerk to pass PCSO England’s email address to Cllr Twist; Clerk to investigate whether the police newsletter can be attached to the Gittisham Gazette.

PCSO Darren England left the meeting.

74/21     To receive declarations of interest

None.

75/21     To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

The Chair reported that one of DCC’s Rights of Way officers had inspected the signage at Westgate and was satisfied it was clear enough; no signs have been erected by the farmer to date. 

Cllr Orchard explained that disabled access via the gate at the end of Old Elm Road may be resolved by the end of November. 

The Chair said she had not heard from Carol McCann regarding a contribution from the parish council towards the church photocopier for printing the gazette. 

ACTION: Clerk to email DCC regarding status of Ramblers’ appeal at Goldcombe; Cllr Twiss also agreed to check. 

76/21     To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Cllr Bonetta said that work has continued full pace at East Devon District Council over the summer months, working towards many important policy goals and consultations. He said he had started work as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, which is discussing the new and upcoming Local Plan. He explained he had also been active in speaking at Full Council, including in supporting proposals for expansion of our nature reserves across the District, to benefit not only our biodiversity but the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Public Toilets

Although not directly linked to the village of Gittisham and any toilet provisions within the village, EDDC is currently going through an important consultation stage with regards to the public toilets that it owns and operates. However, this consultation is vital in making sure that all our towns and villages are properly served with public conveniences across the district, especially in our principal and main towns. As a Honiton Town and East Devon District Councillor for Honiton St. Michael’s, Cllr Bonetta said it is extremely important to him that the public toilets at King Street, Honiton, are maintained and opened immediately – and he alongside other councillors have been lobbying for this in the strongest terms. This is to enable greater pedestrian support within the town centre, as well as to maintain much-needed disabled toilet access to the Southern half of the High Street.  He urged members to get involved with the consultation, which closes at 5pm on October 1st, 2021.

Housing

Over the past 2 months of representing Gittisham Vale on EDDC, Cllr Bonetta said he had taken up a number of casework items relating to council and social housing across his ward. It is extremely important to him that EDDC’s tenants are well looked-after and supported by the Council and their representatives. If any resident would like to discuss a council housing issue with him, from any part of the district, please do get in touch at

Cllr Walker said she had been told that there were no vacancies for garages at the ex-local authority properties on Church Mead, but she knew this was not the case as there are three garages currently vacant.  Cllr Bonetta said he would follow this up.

Cllr Valentine said he would let Cllr Bonetta have the details of the Gittisham CLT.

East Devon Local Plan

At a meeting of Strategic Planning Committee earlier today, 7th September, it was resolved that a refined draft version of the East Devon Local Plan will be recommended for public consultation in March 2022. This draft plan will contain items for consultation covering multiple items referring to the powers of Gittisham Parish Council, such as planning and development, environment, and transport. At the meeting, discussions took place on the importance of town centres, as well as in protecting the individuality of our villages and introducing Green Belts to stop towns from encroaching on surrounding villages. It is therefore important that every Parish Council across the District feeds into this process, and he suggested Gittisham Parish Council include an agenda item on the Local Plan consultation in the New Year.

Enhanced Covid response area

Cllr Twiss said that as the peak summer holiday season draws to its conclusion it has clearly been an economically good one in the South West, including East Devon. However, it appears the trade off with our big temporary population swelling hugely when compared to the permanent one, the downside is that Covid case rates in Devon are currently very high, especially in our late teens and younger adults, which is to be expected since the removal of restrictions, the opening up of opportunities to socialise, and our popularity as a major visitor destination. 

The impact of coronavirus is being felt hard across the entire health and social care system, he said, with those services struggling to cope with demand and workforce pressures. The number of cases are rising again nationally, and in Devon, they are far higher (622 per 100,000 of the population) than the latest national average (332).  The government has designated Devon, Cornwall, Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly, an ‘enhanced response area’, in response to high case rates of coronavirus.  It means additional support will be available from the government, to those areas for the next five weeks in order to try and reduce infection case numbers.

He said this doesn’t mean another local lockdown, but it does mean that authorities across the South West have more flexibility to introduce additional public health measures if considered necessary, to those in other parts of the country.  Public Health Devon is urging people to:

• Limit your social contacts to stop the virus spreading
• meet others outside, because that’s safer than meeting inside
• continue to wear face coverings when indoors in public places
• wash your hands properly and regularly
• have the jab if you are an adult and haven’t yet had it. Please have both doses as soon as you can. If you’re aged 16 to 18, please take up the vaccination when offered to you
• self-isolate if told to do so by NHS Test and Trace
• self-isolate and arranging a PCR test if you show any symptoms of having the virus – the high temperature, new and continuous cough, or change of your usual sense of taste or smell

Covid news and Vaccination Programme update

Uptake of the vaccine among 16/17-year-olds has been high.  More than 1.7m doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been given in Devon.  Between 8 December and 29 August 917,236 first doses have been given while 809,425 second doses have been given; a total of 1,726,661 doses.  People who have both vaccine doses or are under 18 don’t have to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of someone with Covid-19.  You can book an appointment online or by calling 119.  The Devon Vaccine Support Team can support carers who can’t leave the person they care for or those who can’t use the national booking system because they aren’t registered with a GP.  Contact:

  / 01752 398836 Support the health and care system by getting vaccinated.

Employment opportunities

Cllr Twiss said for a variety of well-publicised reasons there are a wide variety of job vacancies across many sectors of our economy including retail, hospitality and commercial. For those looking for a long term career path or simply a change of direction new staff are needed across all sectors of the health and social care sectors.  There are opportunities from apprentice, to part and full time The Proud to Care campaign provided plenty of information and links to jobs including those in the Honiton area at https://www.proudtocaredevon.org.uk/   

Devon jobs at https://www.devonjobs.gov.uk/  is another resource advertising many vacancies, as is the EDDC https://jobs.eastdevon.gov.uk/  and he urged members to share these links to anyone who they thought might be interested in seeking employment.

Cllr Twiss added that he had been reassured by Jurassic Fibre that the roll-out of superfast broadband in Gittisham village was heading in the right direction.  Cllr Rowe said he had also been speaking to a representative from the company, and Cllr Valentine expressed his concern that the proposed development in the village did not appear in any broadband infrastructure plans.  Cllr Twiss also promised to report back as to whether the front desk at Honiton Police Station will be reopened, following lobbying of the Police & Crime Commissioner.

Cllr Bonetta left the meeting.

Cllr Rowe enquired whether Honiton or Ottery had any plans to support an e-bike scheme.  Cllr Twiss said he was not aware of any, but said that DCC would be looking to spend money on projects to reduce carbon emissions. 

In his absence, Cllr Alasdair Bruce sent the following: Things have been very quiet at council recently, not helped by a council workforce working to rule due to ‘interference’ by some members or the ruling party. An apology has been submitted so the issue may resolve itself soon. You may already be aware of this, but it has made contacting officers over issues such as fly tipping and enforcement much harder. I am assured that communication will improve and have been asked to be patient.

ACTION: Cllr Rowe to invite a Jurassic Fibre representative to a future meeting and cc Cllr Twiss.  Cllr Valentine to email Cllr Twiss & Cllr Bonetta details of the Gittisham CLT plans.

Cllr Twiss and one member of the public left the meeting.

77/21     To consider the following planning applications:

a) 21/1165/FUL Bakery Cottage Gittisham EX14 3AF Single storey rear extension and internal alterations. Creation of courtyard and parking bay with EV charging point and erection of maximum 1.8m wall/fence. Alteration of workshop/store to form garden room. (amended plans concerning revision to extension)

b) 21/1166/LBC Bakery Cottage Gittisham EX14 3AF Single storey rear extension and internal alterations. Creation of courtyard and parking bay with EV charging point and erection of maximum 1.8m wall/fence. Alteration of workshop/store to form garden room (amended plans concerning revision to extension)

Members resolved to have no further comments to make on the amendments.

78/21     To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

a. To note the latest planning decision notices

21/1420/VAR Unit 5 Weston Park Devonshire Road Heathpark Industrial Estate Honiton EX14 1ST Variation of condition 1 (extension to opening hours) of 19/2150/VAR  Approval with conditions.

b. To receive an update on Highways

Forthcoming road closures in Gittisham Parish:

11-12 November, Road past Sherman’s Farm – Western Power works

22-24 November, road from Ironbridge to Eveleigh’s – Jurassic Fibre works

See also minute ref. 80/21.

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

Cllr Orchard said he had contacted eight contractors for the play area works. One declined, six had not responded.  He had met J Coles on site and K C Builders yesterday.  Given the criteria for the funding, three written quotes are required and therefore progress will be delayed until a further quote can be obtained.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to obtain an additional quotation.

d. To receive an update on public transport

Members heard the replacement bus for King’s School pupils in September would arrive for the first time on Weds 8^th.  The Chair said it was a good result after many years of lobbying.

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

Cllr Twist expressed her frustration at further delays to the installation.  She said the Community Heartbeat Trust had sent her a lengthy contract, which includes a contract for a host.  She is therefore waiting for a response from Baker Estates as to who owns the land where the defibrillator will be located.  Members discussed the possibility of an alternative site for the defibrillator if the delay persists. 

ACTION: Chair to contact Graham Hutton at Baker Estates.

f. To consider climate change measures within the parish, including rewilding proposals for land along Old Elm Road

Cllr Twist said there was no update on EV chargers.  Cllr Rowe said he had met James Chubb from EDDC’s Countryside team to look at rewilding a patch of land along Old Elm Road, close to the stream.  Mr Chubb said he could liaise with EDDC’s StreetScene to mow the grass less frequently, put wild flower seeds down and protect some of the saplings.  The Chair added that hedge plants would arrive for the play area in mid-November.

ACTION: Cllr Rowe to contact StreetScene to find out whose responsibility any rewilding project should be.

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

Cllr Twist said 13-17^th September there would be a publicity campaign running called Take Five, where people are encouraged to pause when asked for financial or personal information by would-be scammers.  Cllr Twist added that the new booster for Covid would likely be the next target for cyber criminals.

h. To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said there was a pause while solicitors worked on some loose ends.  He was pleased to report there was funding in place for a new speed survey on the hill in Gittisham village, and hoped this might take place in October. 

i. To consider the parish emergency plan

Cllr Orchard said there was no update on this.

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

Cllr Walker thanked Cllr Orchard for his work obtaining quotes for the new facilities.  It was agreed some strimming may be needed around the bench.  The Chair agreed to speak to a resident who had raised concerns over a potential increase in noise levels when the new facilities were being used.

ACTION: Clerk to ask Michael Poll when he will be trimming the wild area grass.

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

Cllr Walker said the lengthsman had kindly given Cllr Twiss a tour to point out issues, including the pothole by Rapshayes where a drain also needs fixing.  The Chair said there were two drains outside the Village Hall which silt up, and could cause problems with flooding in wet weather.  The Chair encouraged all members and residents to report issues via the ‘report a problem’ page on the DCC website.  She added she had done this for the silted up drains.

Cllr Orchard reported that no further work had been done to cut the hedge along Old Elm Road.

ACTION: Cllr Walker to ask the lengthsman about the silted up drains.

79/21     To receive a report from the Chair

The Chair said she hoped all councillors had enjoyed a summer break. She said there was nothing specific to report, but she would like to recognise the ongoing work of our councillors in ensuring the various initiatives we have underway are making good progress. Thank you for all that you do for our parish.  

She asked if members might support a bid to fund two community e-bikes, financed by Lottery funding.  She explained that one of the students in our parish has suggested that they could take further if we could support them if needed.  The Chair said this would be a great way for us to get out and about in this hilly area, which often puts people off from getting bikes out in the first place. The project would need support in ongoing maintenance, booking and charging.  She promised to report back at a future meeting. 

ACTION: Chair to investigate funding of two community e-bikes.

80/21 To consider traffic levels and speeds in Gittisham village and on Hayne Lane

Members heard that Cllrs Orchard & Twist had carried out a traffic survey on Hayne Lane.  The results were circulated.  Cllr Orchard reported that although the perception was that traffic numbers had increased, the numbers from the survey did not bear this out.  The Chair thanked them for their work and said it was good to have data. 

Cllr Twiss had indicated that taking measures to close Hayne Lane was not possible, but members agreed that road conditions make it unsafe to walk.  Councillors also questioned the cost benefit of maintaining the road which is in such poor condition, and agreed to continue lobbying.  Cllr Rowe added that the speed limit signs will be covered up until the correct signage is in place.  Cllr Twiss had also said he would investigate a footway from the end of Devonshire Road to lower Hayne Lane, as the road appeared to be busy with people.

ACTION: Clerk to order 10 x ‘20 is Plenty’ stickers.

81/21 To consider candidates for the Gittisham Vale councillor vacancy and proceed to co-option as appropriate

The clerk said no applications had been received by the latest deadline of 5^th September.

ACTION: Clerk to re-advertise the vacancy ASAP.

82/21     To approve the September payments and to note the current bank balance

It was resolved to approve the following payments:

1120      F J Clampin                       £224.86 Clerk’s salary

1121      Michael Poll                      £60        Grass cutting, play area (inv. ref. 10109)

1122      Michael Poll                      £60        Grass cutting, play area (inv. ref. 10105)

1123      Gittisham Parish Hall        £10        Hire for August meeting

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

Members were informed that the second half of the annual precept had been received; the current bank balance stands at £20,847.11 (which includes approximately £7,000 in the business reserve account). 

83/21     Clerk’s Report

The clerk said a resident had asked if the parish council could take any action to limit the lighting of bonfires.

ACTION: Chair to investigate official rules on parishioners lighting bonfires.

84/21     For information only; items for the forward agenda

Traffic speeds in Gittisham village inc Hayne Lane; casual vacancy.

85/21     To consider any late entry correspondence

The Clerk reminded members that she had emailed councillors to notify them that the defibrillator had been deployed, following an email from Mr A Wilkins, upon whose property the equipment is situated. 

86/21     Date of next two meetings  

Wednesday 6^th October (village hall) and Wednesday 3^rd November 2021 (venue tbc) at 7.30pm.  The Chair asked all to observe social distancing and bring along a mask and hand sanitiser.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2115 hrs.

Gittisham Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 4th August 2021 in Gittisham Village Hall

Present:

• Gittisham Village ward
• Cllr Carol Hall (Chair)
• Cllr Maggie Walker
• Cllr Alex Rowe
• Gittisham Vale ward
• Cllr Peter Orchard
• Cllr Janet Twist

In attendance: Cllr Alasdair Bruce (EDDC),Fiona Clampin (clerk)

Apologies for absence: Cllr D Valentine, Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), Cllr Jake Bonetta (EDDC), PCSO Darren England

55/21     To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted.

56/21     To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 7^th July 2021

The minutes of the meeting held on 7^th July 2021 were confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

57/21     To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

Two crimes were reported in June 2021:

• 1 x violent crime
• 1 x other theft

ACTION: Clerk to invite PCSO Darren England again to a future parish council meeting.

58/21     To receive declarations of interest

Cllr Orchard declared an interest in item 66/21, as he is due to be reimbursed by the council.

59/21     To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

The clerk reported that Baker Estates had not yet responded regarding the dog poo bins, as Graham Hutton is on holiday.  

The clerk reported that it’s now possible to publish the accessibility statement for the parish website.

60/21     To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Cllr Twiss did not send a report this month, due to annual leave.

In his absence, Cllr Jake Bonetta (Honiton St Michael’s) sent the following: I would like to express a massive thank you to the community of the Gittisham Vale ward for entrusting me with the office of District Councillor. I am humbled to be able to represent you at District Council level, sharing this responsibility with my role as a Honiton Town Councillor. There is so much work to do to make Honiton an even better place to live – and the work starts right away.

At the last EDDC Full Council meeting on Tuesday 27th July, I was also appointed as the Assistant Portfolio Holder for Culture, Leisure, Tourism and Sport by the Leader of the Council. I am excited to bring my all to this role, in developing our open spaces and youth infrastructure for the next generation to enjoy. This does not retract from my overall focus, which is to ensure that everyone across Honiton St. Michael’s ward is represented equally, fairly, and wholly.

Recycling issues

I have received a number of complaints from residents in Honiton St. Michael’s about missed recycling collections over the past couple of weeks/month. After consultation with strategic officers and other Councillors, I have discovered that this is linked to the wider problems seen across the transport and seasonal sectors, in lack of staff available due to the Coronavirus lockdowns as well as new Brexit restrictions. The StreetScene department, along with almost every identical Council department across the UK, is struggling to keep to recycling schedules.  I have been assured that any missed recycling collections will be picked up within a couple of days of the scheduled collections. The StreetScene department are working overtime to ensure that this happens, and that late collection routes are prioritized for timely collections the next week.

Jurassic Fibre

A number of Vale residents have contacted me about recent works that have taken place by Jurassic Fibre within the Vale area. This work is to install fibre-optic internet access for homes in the area, on the Jurassic Fibre network. I have been personally shocked at the state that pavements have been left in.  Although this is not specifically an EDDC issue, I want to highlight that I have been talking to officers at EDDC about this issue to see if there is anything that the District Council can do. Hopefully we will be able to come to a reasonable conclusion to sort the pavements out.

Members welcomed the other new district councillor, Alasdair Bruce.  He began by saying that he considered himself a district councillor first, a Conservative second, and he hoped to be able to follow in the footsteps of the excellent work done by former Cllr Susie Bond.  He explained that since being elected, he had attended two council meetings via Zoom, not in his opinion a satisfactory way to hold these meetings, especially as we are now all holding parish meetings face to face. However, the controlling group at District has managed to vote through this retrograde step which looks like being in place until January next year, he said.

The one item during the full council meeting on July 27th of interest was an embryonic policy proposed by Cllr Bailey to try and beef up the council’s response to abuse of the planning process when it comes to the felling of trees, often during the pre-planning process. Laudable as this is to try and close this glaring loophole, it needs careful and informed debate to produce a fully supported, fully funded and sustainable policy. Cllr Bruce said he had raised the issue of Ash dieback, which often requires a rapid response due to public safety issues and cannot wait for planning approval as an example. This would also apply to farmers trying to manage trees on their land and forestry businesses.

Related to the above was the issue of planning enforcement raised at the Scrutiny meeting on July 29th. During the debate it was clear that the frustration of members dealing with planning abuses was unable to be effectively tackled by the council’s enforcement team. A perfect storm of shortfalls in funding, lack of officers and poor legislation find the officers struggling to keep on top. Given the constant pressure on councils to increase their housing stock, the appropriate checks and balances need to be in place to produce safe housing of the best quality. Planning enforcement is a vital part of this.

Staff morale at the council was also debated with a frank report by the chief executive officer presented and comments made about the apology offered by the controlling group, the East Devon Alliance. Cllr Bruce said he was not privy to what transpired over the last two years to bring the council to this sad situation, nor had he any wish to know. The debate ended with a clear sense that all members agreed staff morale was key to a properly functioning council and are committed to a respectful and professional work environment.

Members discussed with Cllr Bruce the parish ward boundaries, as well as hedge cutting in Gittisham Vale.  (see minute ref 63/21 b)

61/21     To consider the rollout of superfast broadband, and a presentation by Airband

Lynda Sudlow from Airband gave a presentation via Zoom to members, explaining the company’s plans to bring superfast broadband to Gittisham parish.  She said the work would happen in several phases, beginning in August, with the build planned for early 2022 and completion later in that same year, although the section past Beech Walk will take longer.  All representatives working in the area will have identity cards.  She insisted that there would be no need to dig up roads or erect telegraph poles, as the plan was to attach the fibre cable to the existing copper network.

The service provided is fibre to the premises, and there are a range of packages offered starting from £30 / month for 100Mbps download, an 18-month contract and installation cost of £99.  Lynda Sudlow said that residents could express an interest on the Airband website, and this would not commit them to taking the service. She explained that the router could be placed anywhere in the property, and there would be no issue with connectivity and thick walls. The Chair reminded Lynda Sudlow that most properties in the village were listed buildings.

Members discussed previous problems unique to this parish which had been experienced by other broadband infrastructure providers, and had prevented the roll-out of superfast broadband in the past.  Lynda Sudlow said she would be interested to hear more about this to avoid running into similar problems.  She also emphasized that as Airband is contracted by the government to provide superfast broadband to underserved rural communities, some of the past issues would not apply.  Members agreed this was encouraging news.  Cllr Rowe asked if Airband’s infrastructure would be available to other providers in the future, and Lynda Sudlow replied that the company would be able to offer a wholesale service to other ISPs in future phases.

ACTION: Clerk to circulate Lynda Sudlow’s email address to members.

Lynda Sudlow left the meeting.

62/21     To consider the following planning applications:

a)            21/1165/FUL Bakery Cottage Gittisham EX14 3AF Single storey rear extension and internal alterations. Creation of courtyard and parking bay with EV charging point and erection of maximum 1.8m wall/fence. Alteration of workshop/store to form garden room. (amended plans)

b)            21/1166/LBC Bakery Cottage Gittisham EX14 3AF Single storey rear extension and internal alterations. Creation of courtyard and parking bay with EV charging point and erection of maximum 1.8m wall/fence. Alteration of workshop/store to form garden room (amended plans)

c)             21/1756/FUL Land Adjoining Combe Garden Centre Gittisham Erection of a storage building on land adjacent to Coombe Garden Centre for the storage of stock

Members welcomed the presence of an updated detailed flood risk assessment for a) and b).  Members had no objections to c), but raised a concern over whether there is adequate onsite storage of surface water to prevent any additional run-off onto the A30. 

Cllr Bruce left the meeting.

63/21     To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

a) To note the latest planning decision notices

21/0944/FUL Pomeroy House Gittisham EX14 3AJ – Outdoor pool with plant in existing outbuilding and re-grading / landscaping works within the walled garden; localised repairs and reinstatement of section of collapsed garden boundary wall. Approval with conditions.

21/0945/FUL Pomeroy House Gittisham EX14 3AJ – Localised repairs and reinstatement of section of collapsed garden boundary wall. Approval with conditions.

21/0730/VAR Phases 1 – 4 Hayne Lane Gittisham Variation of condition 1 of application 20/2179/VAR (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 and/or numbers on plots 132-136, 162-166 and 299-230; design changes to units on plots 92-95, 105-110, 167-170 &172-175; layout changes to plot 137, and; provision of additional parking to plots 167-170.  Approval with conditions.

21/1354/VAR Coign Cottage Gittisham EX14 3AB Variation of condition No. 2 (Approved plans) and condition No. 3 (Materials) of planning permission ref: 20/0584/FUL to allow for a change of materials used and alterations to the proposed plans.  Approval with conditions.

21/1295/FUL 1 Hamlet Cottages Weston EX14 3PB Demolition of existing workshop to be replaced with a new self-build dwelling.  Approval with conditions.

b) To receive an update on Highways

Cllr Orchard said there was no progress on the overgrown hedges on the south side of Old Elm Rd between Honeysuckle Close and the bus turning circle. Cllr Walker said some of the hedge had been cut, and members resolved to ask the lengthsman to strim enough of the hedge at head height so access was possible. 

ACTION: Cllr Walker to ask Len Abbott to trim above-mentioned hedges in the Vale as described.

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

Cllr Orchard circulated a draft spec to members for the play area’s new items, in line with May’s public consultation exercise, which was approved. ‌ The spec includes a table tennis facility, outdoor skittles alley and boules court.   

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to obtain quotations from interested companies.

d) To receive an update on public transport

Members heard the replacement bus for King’s School pupils in September would call at the village at 08.15 and 15.44.  Cllr Orchard said the deposit of books in the Vale bus shelter had stopped.

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

Cllr Twist said she was waiting to hear from the Community Heart Beat Trust as to how long the lead-in time is from ordering the defibrillator to installation.  The expected go live date is November 2021.  Members resolved to approve the purchase of a defibrillator for the Hayne Farm development at a cost of £1,760 + £25 carriage.  The annual support package is £135, with a minimum 4-year contract. 

ACTION: Cllr Twist to obtain a letter of commitment from Baker Estates.

f) To consider climate change measures within the parish

Cllr Twist said that homeowners and renters across East Devon can now get free advice on how to save money and make their homes energy efficient. Exeter Community Energy (ECoE) provides confidential and tailor made advice and practical information on keeping your home warm. They do not make cold calls or sell products.  The energy advisers will give you general advice, in depth telephone advice assessments, make home visits, drop in energy advice clinics, they will help with, tariff checks and supplier switching, applying for the Warm Home discount, energy and water saving tips and advice, grants for insulation and heating smart meters and more.  To arrange a free impartial advice call or home visit call 0800 772 3617 or mailto:healthyhomes@ecoe.org.uk

New regulations came into force in May 2021 for those who have wood burners or open fires, coal and wood products have to be certified and labelled by suppliers, for more information go to gov.uk/restrictions on sale of coal and wet wood for home burning.

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

Cllr Twist outlined the latest scams:

Home electric vehicle charging points can be hacked. Two home chargers Wallbox and Project EV have been found to be lacking adequate security when used with an accompanying app for smart phones.  Updated software is now available and owners are being encouraged to update their software ASAP.

h) To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine sent a report in his absence: the public exhibition was extremely well attended with 42 visitors viewing the plans and model that were on display. The majority of comments received (both verbal and written) were very supportive of the proposals that were being presented. There were some very useful comments which were noted and the architects have been looking at how these can usefully be incorporated in the plans for submission with the planning application. A lot of work has also taken place looking at the options for ensuring an energy efficient development.

We must always remember that there has to be a balance to be found with the cost limitations arising from the grant funding and meeting every ones expectations in respect of design etc.  Alan at South Devon Rural HA is currently costing up the proposal and assessing whether we can achieve those expectations within budget. There is a delay with the option agreement between ourselves Gittisham and the Estate. I would simply say “solicitors” and I am sure you will all understand where the delay is occurring. Unfortunately this is a document that we have to include as part of the package of documents to accompany the planning application.

We are nearly ready to submit the planning application (hooray) and perhaps we can celebrate a successful submission in October – just in time for the GCLT AGM!!

i) To consider the parish emergency plan

The Chair said she was in the process of asking the flood marshalls’ views on pinch points in the parish.  Cllr Rowe volunteered his services for observing where issues might arise.   

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

Cllr Walker said the play area was being well used, as were the sanitary measures.  The Village Hall committee has agreed to the picnic benches in their front garden being used by the public for picnics and will install a notice at the playground to advise that this is available.  Cllr Orchard said he expected the replacement swing seats and chains to arrive on 8^th October.  He, Len Abbott and Cllr Rowe will install them.  Cllr Twist added that there appeared to be no progress on the Hayne Farm play area. 

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

As per item 63 b).

64/21     To receive a report from the Chair

The Chair said she had been contacted by parishioners about three matters in the past month.

1. Councillor vacancy – how can we fill the Vale rep vacancy? Can we do a re-run of our recruitment campaign?  Members agreed to renew their efforts to fill the vacancy; the clerk and Cllr Orchard said they had re-advertised the position on the website and Vale noticeboard.

2. Litter – Hayne Lane and Beech walk and the Vale bus shelter have litter problems, according to local Facebook groups. Is there anything we can do?

3. Hedge and verge cutting. Members discussed whether the right balance was being struck between leaving areas to go wild and making sure the practicalities of using paths and roads are not adversely impacted.  Cllr Rowe said he would be meeting James Chubb from Wild East Devon to discuss projects of this nature.

65/21 To consider traffic speeds in Gittisham village

Members agreed that Hayne Lane and Beech Walk were becoming terrible rat runs for motorists.  Hayne Lane in particular is difficult to walk, the state of the road is poor and there is a large amount of litter.  Members agreed to ask Cllr Twiss if a traffic count survey could be carried out.  A suggestion has been made that Hayne Lane could be made “Farm Traffic Only” and this will be investigated via DCC.

The Chair said the 20 is Plenty stickers had been fixed to bins and other structures in Gittisham village. Cllr Rowe suggested attaching one to one of the grit bins. 

ACTION: Chair to contact Cllr Twiss about Hayne Lane (speed and litter), Beech Walk (litter) and village (speed).

66/21     To approve the August payments and to note the current bank balance

It was resolved to approve the following payments:

1115       F J Clampin                          £436.51                 Clerk’s salary & expenses (stamps)

1116       Michael Poll                          £60         Grass cutting, play area (inv. ref. 10098)

Cllr Orchard left the meeting.

1117       P Orchard                              £666       Reimbursement for replacement swing seats & chains

Cllr Orchard returned to the meeting.

1118       Gittisham Parish Hall          £10         Hire for July meeting

1119       Len Abbott                           £119       Lengthsman work, 8.5 hours, July 2021

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

Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £17,062.85 (which includes approximately £7,000 in the business reserve account).  The clerk circulated a bank reconciliation for 30 June 2021.

67/21     Clerk’s Report

The clerk said she had contacted DCC’s RoW officer for the area regarding the Westgate signage, and the officer said she would take a look.  The clerk added that following Fiona Moores’ promotion, there is a new general manager at The Pig, Chris Charles.

68/21     For information only; items for the forward agenda

Traffic speeds in Gittisham village inc Hayne Lane; casual vacancy.

69/21     To consider any late entry correspondence

None.

70/21     Date of next two meetings.  

Tuesday 7th September (village hall) and Wednesday 6^th October 2021 at 7.30pm.  The Chair asked all to observe social distancing and bring along a mask and hand sanitiser.

ACTION: Clerk to ask Cllrs Bruce & Twiss if there are forthcoming dates they are unable to make, given that the village hall will no longer be free on a Wednesday evening.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2110 hrs.

Chair…………………………………….

7th September 2021

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD ON 7^TH JULY 2021

in Gittisham Village Hall

and via Zoom

Present:

Gittisham Village Ward

Cllr C Hall (Chair)

Cllr D Valentine

Cllr A Rowe

Cllr M Walker

Gittisham Vale Ward

Cllr P Orchard

In attendance: Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), Fiona Clampin (clerk)

Apologies for absence: Cllr J Twist, PCSO Darren England

39/21     To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted.

40/21     To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 10^th June 2021

The minutes of the meeting held on 10^th June 2021 were confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

41/21     To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

Three crimes were reported in May 2021:

2 x anti-social behavior

1 x violence and sexual offences

42/21     To receive declarations of interest

The Chair said that with respect to the planning applications discussed at the June meeting, 21/1165/FUL and 21/1166/LBC, she had taken some water level measurements for the applicant but was not involved in the interpretation of any data for them.

43/21     To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

The clerk reported that Baker Estates had not yet responded regarding the dog poo bins.  

The Chair’s said she had made an application to the Woodland Trust for a grant for hedge plants, which will be installed along the wall between the field and the bottom play area.

44/21     To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Members noted that the election for a new district councillor would be held on 8^th July. 

Vaccination Programme

Cllr Twiss said as we approach the 19th of July and the further lifting of restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, he thought that an update on the progress of the vaccination rollout would be helpful to members and whilst we are nowhere near out of the woods just yet as the school holidays are rapidly approaching, bringing with them the anticipated very large influx of visitors.  He said that like all of us he hoped that every day brings us closer to a more normal state of affairs for the majority of our population and learning to live with the virus.

•              The vaccination programme across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay continues make progress with all adults now being offered the vaccine. To date over 1.5 million doses have been given across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay with 679,000 people having received their second dose. The local NHS delivered the ‘Grab a jab’ weekend in late June enabling all adult to make walk-in appointments; plans are being developed to repeat this over the summer. There was also a walk-in clinic at the Devon County show last weekend and DCC Staff were offering lateral flow tests to show visitors.

•              Proof of vaccination can now be demonstrated using the NHS COVID Pass service where you can view and share your COVID Pass for event trials and travel abroad.

•              Following a central government public consultation, from October 2021 people working in CQC-registered care homes must have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, unless they have a medical exemption. It will apply to all workers employed directly by the care home or care home provider, those employed by an agency, volunteers and those coming into care homes to do other work, for example healthcare workers, tradespeople, hairdressers and beauticians, and CQC inspectors. A further consultation will be launched on whether to extend this new requirement to other health and social care settings.

Superfast Broadband

As the digital megabit age is finally reaching our rural areas, (albeit not fast enough in too many cases) it highlights the importance of addressing the challenges our small rural businesses face in gearing up for the opportunities this will bring. Cllr Twiss circulated a recently published paper, which he said is a very interesting read on how they might compete with larger, better resourced organisations.

Rural affordable housing

The topic of the affordability of housing for local people is a very live and pertinent one today as people look to inward migrate to our part of the world, many as a result of new ways of working due to the pandemic with less physical time spent in the office or other workplace.  This is reducing the supply of homes in all sectors and making it much more difficult for local people to compete in with buying or renting homes with affordable schemes for local people increasingly important.  Cllr Twiss circulated a Parish Councillors guide to affordable rural housing, which he said highlights the issues.

Paths and gateways

Cllr Twiss said he had discussed with DCC Neighbourhood Highways Officer Mike Brown to find funding to make the emergency gateway at the end of Old Elm Road where it meets Hayne Lane wheelchair and motorised wheelchair accessible.  He hoped that this work can be done in 2021/22.  With more people choosing to walk for exercise, he said he would like to see the informal footpath from the end of Old Elm Road towards the A30 and Otter Inn, Garden centre and Heron Farm beyond a more substantial one and will see what progress can be made to completing this in 2021/22 or beyond, depending on funding allocations.  Whilst just on the other side of the parish boundary with Honiton, this would of course benefit residents on Hayne Farm and Gitisham Vale.

Cllr Valentine said there is an increasing frustration and anger among village residents about the speed of traffic coming through, and he asked if he could draw this to the appropriate department at DCC.  Cllr Twiss added that there is a trial taking place in a number of South Devon villages to reduce speeds to 20mph, and depending on the outcome recommendations will flow from there. 

The Chair asked Cllr Twiss if there was the potential to progress the Goldcombe / Hayne Farm footpath appeal.

Cllr Twiss left the meeting.

ACTION: Cllr Twiss to send Devon Funding News to the clerk, as well as information on the 20 is Plenty scheme.  RESOLVED: Clerk to order £15 of 20 is Plenty stickers to attach to bins, and claim back at next meeting.  Cllr Twiss to investigate status of Ramblers’ appeal.

45/21     To consider the rollout of superfast broadband, and a presentation by Airband

This was deferred to the August meeting.

46/21     To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

1. To note the latest planning decision notices

21/1354/VAR Coign Cottage Gittisham Honiton EX14 3AB – Variation of condition No. 2 (Approved plans) and condition No. 3 (Materials) of planning permission ref: 20/0584/FUL to allow for a change of materials used and alterations to the proposed plans. Approval with conditions.

Appeal Ref: APP/U1105/W/21/3267313 Conversion of existing buildings to holiday dwellings (application for removal of condition 5 of planning permission 84/P0792 to allow year round occupancy of the holiday dwellings and variation of condition 6 of planning permission 84/P0792 to allow The Cider Barn to be used as an unrestricted residential dwelling) at Goldcombe Farmhouse, Gittisham.  Appeal dismissed.

• To receive an update on Highways

Cllr Orchard said he had received a complaint from a resident about overgrown hedges on the south side of Old Elm Rd between Honeysuckle Close and the bus turning circle. Members discussed whose responsibility this might be, and agreed to ask the lengthsman to cut the hedges back to prevent people from getting scratched. 

Forthcoming road closures in Gittisham Parish: Resurfacing A375 Sidmouth Road – closed Tuesday 20^th  July Gittisham Hill to Exeter Road.  Working hours 1900-0700 for 12 weekday nights in two phases:  south of Old Elm Rd roundabout then to the north. The roundabout will be totally closed at 2300 each night. Vale residents have been leafleted by Devon Highways.

26/7^th July Devonshire Road. Priority boards for Jurassic Fibre works.

29/30^th July Alfington Road closed for Jurassic Fibre works.

ACTION: Cllr Walker to ask Len Abbott to trim above-mentioned hedges in the Vale.

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

The Chair explained that she and Cllr Orchard had met EDDC officers to understand the next steps in progressing new items in line with May’s public consultation exercise. ‌ The meeting had given clarification on funding sources and allowed us to proceed to the next stage. A table tennis facility, outdoor skittles alley, boules court and hopscotch grid had all been agreed, and Cllr Orchard is preparing a specification.  Members agreed that the next stage would be to inform neighbours of the works and their timings, followed by sourcing quotes in line with EDDC’s policy.  The Chair said she was very pleased with the plans and see the new playground facilities as being useful to families, older children and adults.

She added that EDDC had also sent some information about potential funding sources for a shelter. The Chair reported that she had shared this with the village hall committee, which is looking to install an awning at the back of the hall which could help with Covid safety at village events.

ACTION: Clerk to inform residents of properties neighbouring the play area of the plans.  Cllr Orchard to work on specifications.

• To receive an update on public transport

Members heard there was no update on the replacement bus for King’s School pupils in September, nor whether from 19^th July when Covid-19 restrictions are due to be eased whether the pupils-only bus would be continuing.

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

Cllr Twist sent a report in her absence, saying that the information she’d requested from Community Heart Beat for consideration by the Parish Council had been circulated.  She added that she had not received any further communication from Baker Estates.

• To consider climate change measures within the parish

Cllr Twist said she had not received any further information regarding the EV charging point, and asked if the parish council is registered with Parish and Town Council Wildlife to receive their newsletter.

• To consider parish council support for scam awareness and security

Cllr Twist outlined the latest scams:

• A cold caller impersonates a legitimate mobile network operator or supplier.  There is also a Covid Vaccine Passport scam email purporting to be from the NHS; clicking on the link will take you to a fake NHS website where you are asked for personal and payment details.  In reality details of your vaccine status are available free via the official NHS website. 
• A suspicious SMS message, claiming to be from a delivery company, asking you to click on a link to track the delivery status of a package. These messages are actually linked to a banking Trojan called “FLUBOT”. It asks receiver to install a tracking app to track the status of the package, when its intention is to steal credentials and other personal data.

Cllr Twist advised users not to click on links in SMS messages, not to install apps from anywhere but the official app stores, and ensure mobile telephones are protected with security software.

• To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said the public exhibition/consultation, displaying details of the development had attracted more than 40 visitors.  Some changes had been made to the design as a result of comments.  It is hoped that the planning application will be submitted to EDDC at the end of July.

1. To consider the parish emergency plan

The Chair said she was in the process of arranging a meeting with emergency plan councillors and named flood marshalls, and hoped this would take place before the August meeting.

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

Cllr Walker thanked Cllr Orchard for taking responsibility for the new items (see minute ref 46c).  The clerk said that she was still corresponding with Kompan regarding the replacement seats and chains for the toddler swings, and had provided them with photographs and measurements with the aim of selecting the appropriate items.  As it has been difficult to make progress due to the company’s lengthy reply times and sending the wrong quote to the clerk, Cllr Orchard agreed to investigate ordering the items.

ACTION: Clerk to forward correspondence with Kompan to Cllr Orchard.

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

Members noted that the lengthsman had cut a passing place on the road to Catshayes Farm, which would be useful for both motorists and walkers.  They also noted that he had cut back foliage along Dark Lane / Shaggy’s, for which they were grateful. 

47/21     To receive a report from the Chair

The Chair echoed Cllr Valentine’s comments about traffic speeds, and agreed to write to The Pig to ask the management to remind staff and residents to drive carefully.  Cllr Valentine added that a new speed survey on the hill beyond Clysthayes may form part of the GCLT work.

The Chair reported that Combe Estate would be installing signs at both Beech Walk and Westgate.  The purpose of the signs is to try to combat various anti-social behaviours that that have taken place recently.  She reminded members that DCC had clarified there was no vehicular access at Westgate, across the top and down to Alphington.  Any vehicles using that area are doing so illegally.

The Chair explained that a local farmer had raised concerns about walkers getting lost between Westgate and the village.  Walkers have ended up on a private farm track which leads from Sherman’s Farm to Catshayes Farm, and the farmer is worried about the public getting hurt by boisterous cows.  (There have been reports in the press of cows hurting people elsewhere.)  Members agreed that temporary signs, a review of signage with DCC and a letter to Combe Estate and The Pig to raise awareness was an appropriate response.

ACTION: Chair to write to Fiona Moores at The Pig regarding drivers.  Clerk to write to DCC RoW, The Pig, Len Abbott and Combe Estate.

48/21 To consider the purchase of a printer or copier for the Gittisham Gazette

The Chair said she had discussed with the Gittisham Gazette editor, Carol McCann, and agreed that the PC would continue to cover ¾ of the cost of printing and copying.  The aim is to reduce the number of paper copies, while recognizing that some residents require them.  The editor has agreed to report back to the Chair with an estimate of ongoing costs. 

ACTION: Chair to discuss with Carol McCann how to make the Gittisham Gazette more parish-wide. 

49/21 To approve the appointment of Alison Marshall as internal auditor for 2021/22

Members resolved to appoint Alison Marshall as internal auditor for the financial year 2021/22.

ACTION: Clerk to contact Alison Marshall.

50/21     To approve the July payments and to note the current bank balance

It was resolved to approve the following payments:

1108       F J Clampin                          £226.37                 Clerk’s salary & expenses (stamps)

1109       Len Abbott                           £91         Lengthsman work, 6.5 hrs June 2021 @ £14/hr

1110       Michael Poll                          £60         Grass cutting, play area (inv. ref. 10094)

1111       Michael Poll                          £60         Grass cutting, play area (inv. ref. 10084)

1112       Gittisham Parish Hall          £10         Hire for June meeting

1113       Websites Ahoy                     £195       Maintenance and updates on website

1114       Len Abbott                           £7.24      Lengthsman expenses, June 2021 (petrol)

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

Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £18,183.84 (which includes approximately £7,000 in the business reserve account). 

51/21     Clerk’s Report

The clerk agreed to inform regular contributors to the Gittisham website about the need to conform to accessibility guidelines.  Recently uploaded items will need to be amended to reflect this, and then the accessibility statement can be published.

52/21     For information only; items for the forward agenda

Traffic speeds in Gittisham village.

53/21     To consider any late entry correspondence

None.

54/21     Date of next two meetings

Wednesday 4^th August (village hall) and Wednesday 1^st September 2021 at 7.30pm.  Public via Zoom.  The Chair asked all to observe social distancing and bring along a mask and hand sanitiser.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2025 hrs.

Chair…………………………………….

4^th August 2021