RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2025

6 June 2025 by Fiona

RECEIPTS

Precept	£10,139.08
S106	£3,079
Other	£113.57
VAT rebates	£833.20
net interest (on business reserve a/c)	£100.73
Gross receipts PAYMENTS		£14,265.58
Administration	£132.52
Salaries	£3,212.67
Pension	£327.86
S137 / Transport	£400
VAT payments	£311.20
Maintenance	£965
Lengthsman	£407.48
Other	£3,440.71
Total payments	£9,197.44
Excess of receipts over payments BANK RECONCILIATION	£5,068.14
Balance b/fwd 1 April 2024	£17,489.30

Gross Receipts current and reserves accounts £14,265.58

less total payments £9,197.44

Cashbook Balance £22,557.44

Bank balance as at 31 March 2025 Current Acc £15,461.83

Reserves Acc £7,257.61

less unpresented payments £162

Bank Account Balance £22,557.44 as per cashbook balance

Responsible Financial Officer

Fiona Clampin

Chair

Carol Hall

5th June 2025

Notice of public rights 2024-25 – exempt authorities

6 June 2025 by Fiona

WHAT EXEMPT AUTHORITIES NEED TO DO TO ADVERTISE THE PERIOD DURING WHICH ELECTORS AND INTERESTED PERSONS MAY EXERCISE RIGHTS RELATING TO THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTS

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 require that:

1. The statement of accounts prepared by the authority (i.e. the Annual Governance & Accountability Return (AGAR) Part 2), the accounting records for the financial year to which the audit relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records must be made available for inspection by any person interested, during a period of 30 working days set by the smaller authority and including the first 10 working days of July.

2. The period referred to in paragraph (1) starts with the day on which the period for the exercise of public rights is treated as having been commenced i.e. the day following the day on which all of the obligations in paragraph (3) below have been fulfilled.

3. The responsible financial officer for an exempt authority must, on behalf of that authority, publish (which must include publication on the authority’s website):

(a) the Accounting Statements (i.e. Section 2 of the AGAR Part 2), accompanied by:

(i) a declaration, signed by that officer to the effect that the statement of accounts will not be audited on account of that authority’s self-certified status as exempt, unless either a request for an opportunity to question the auditor about the authority’s accounting records under section 26(2) or an objection under section 27(1) of the Act, results in the involvement of the local auditor;

(ii) the Annual Governance Statement (i.e. Section 1 of the AGAR Part 2); and

(iii) the Certificate of Exemption (i.e. Page 3 of the AGAR Part 2); and

(b) a statement that sets out—

(i) the period for the exercise of public rights;

(ii) details of the manner in which notice should be given of an intention to inspect the accounting records and other documents;

(iii) the name and address of the local auditor;

(iv) the provisions contained in section 25 (inspection of statements of accounts etc), section 26 (inspection of documents etc) and section 27 (right to make objections at audit) of the Act, as they have effect in relation to the authority in question;

HOW DO YOU DO IT?

You will meet statutory requirements if you fully and accurately complete the notice of public rights pro forma in this document; and publish (including publication on the smaller authority’s website) the following documents, the day before the public rights period commences:

the approved Sections 1 and 2 of Part 2 of the AGAR; and
the completed Notice of Public Rights and Publication of Annual Governance & Accountability Return (Exempt Authority). Please note that we have pre-completed it with the following suggested dates: Tuesday 3 June – Monday 14 July 2025. (The latest possible dates that comply with the statutory requirements are Tuesday 1 July – Monday 11 August 2025); and
the notes which accompany the Notice (Local authority accounts: a summary of your rights).

Smaller authority name: GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

NOTICE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS AND PUBLICATION OF ANNUAL GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY RETURN (EXEMPT AUTHORITY)

ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 Sections 25, 26 and 27

The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/234)

NOTICE

NOTES

1. Date of announcement_6th June 2025____________________________(a) 2. Each year the smaller authority prepares an Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR). The AGAR has been published with this notice. It will not be reviewed by the appointed auditor, since the smaller authority has certified itself as exempt from the appointed auditor’s review. Any person interested has the right to inspect and make copies of the AGAR, the accounting records for the financial year to which it relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records must be made available for inspection by any person interested. For the year ended 31 March 2025, these documents will be available on reasonable notice by application to: (b) Fiona Clampin (clerk, Gittisham Parish Council), Tel. 07899 932620 email: commencing on (c) __Monday 9 June 2025 _______________________ and ending on (d) ___Friday 18 July 2025 ________________________ 3. Local government electors and their representatives also have: The opportunity to question the appointed auditor about the accounting records; and The right to make an objection which concerns a matter in respect of which the appointed auditor could either make a public interest report or apply to the court for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful. Written notice of an objection must first be given to the auditor and a copy sent to the smaller authority. The appointed auditor can be contacted at the address in paragraph 4 below for this purpose between the above dates only. 4. The smaller authority’s AGAR is only subject to review by the appointed auditor if questions or objections raised under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 lead to the involvement of the auditor. The appointed auditor is: PKF Littlejohn LLP (Ref: SBA Team) 15 Westferry Circus Canary Wharf London E14 4HD () 5. This announcement is made by (e) Fiona Clampin Clerk / Responsible Financial Officer Gittisham Parish Council

(a) Insert date of placing of the notice which must be not less than 1 day before the date in (c) below (b) Insert name, position and address/telephone number/ email address, as appropriate, of the Clerk or other person to which any person may apply to inspect the accounts (c) Insert date, which must be at least 1 day after the date of announcement in (a) above and at least 30 working days before the date appointed in (d) below (d) The inspection period between (c) and (d) must be 30 working days inclusive and must include the first 10 working days of July. (e) Insert name and position of person placing the notice – this person must be the responsible financial officer for the smaller authority

LOCAL AUTHORITY ACCOUNTS: A SUMMARY OF YOUR RIGHTS

Please note that this summary applies to all relevant smaller authorities, including local councils, internal drainage boards and ‘other’ smaller authorities.

The basic position

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 (the Act) governs the work of auditors appointed to smaller authorities. This summary explains the provisions contained in Sections 26 and 27 of the Act. The Act and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 also cover the duties, responsibilities and rights of smaller authorities, other organisations and the public concerning the accounts being audited.

As a local elector, or an interested person, you have certain legal rights in respect of the accounting records of smaller authorities. As an interested person you can inspect accounting records and related documents. If you are a local government elector for the area to which the accounts relate you can also ask questions about the accounts and object to them. You do not have to pay directly for exercising your rights. However, any resulting costs incurred by the smaller authority form part of its running costs. Therefore, indirectly, local residents pay for the cost of you exercising your rights through their council tax.

The right to inspect the accounting records

Any interested person can inspect the accounting records, which includes but is not limited to local electors. You can inspect the accounting records for the financial year to which the audit relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records. You can copy all, or part, of these records or documents. Your inspection must be about the accounts, or relate to an item in the accounts. You cannot, for example, inspect or copy documents unrelated to the accounts, or that include personal information (Section 26 (6) – (10) of the Act explains what is meant by personal information). You cannot inspect information which is protected by commercial confidentiality. This is information which would prejudice commercial confidentiality if it was released to the public and there is not, set against this, a very strong reason in the public interest why it should nevertheless be disclosed.

When smaller authorities have finished preparing accounts for the financial year and approved them, they must publish them (including on a website). There must be a 30 working day period, called the ‘period for the exercise of public rights’, during which you can exercise your statutory right to inspect the accounting records. Smaller authorities must tell the public, including advertising this on their website, that the accounting records and related documents are available to inspect. By arrangement you will then have 30 working days to inspect and make copies of the accounting records. You may have to pay a copying charge. The 30 working day period must include a common period of inspection during which all smaller authorities’ accounting records are available to inspect. This will be 24 June-2 August 2024 for 2023/24 accounts. The advertisement must set out the dates of the period for the exercise of public rights, how you can communicate to the smaller authority that you wish to inspect the accounting records and related documents, the name and address of the auditor, and the relevant legislation that governs the inspection of accounts and objections.

The right to ask the auditor questions about the accounting records

You should first ask your smaller authority about the accounting records, since they hold all the details. If you are a local elector, your right to ask questions of the external auditor is enshrined in law. However, while the auditor will answer your questions where possible, they are not always obliged to do so. For example, the question might be better answered by another organisation, require investigation beyond the auditor’s remit, or involve disproportionate cost (which is borne by the local taxpayer). Give your smaller authority the opportunity first to explain anything in the accounting records that you are unsure about. If you are not satisfied with their explanation, you can question the external auditor about the accounting records.

The law limits the time available for you formally to ask questions. This must be done in the period for the exercise of public rights, so let the external auditor know your concern as soon as possible. The advertisement or notice that tells you the accounting records are available to inspect will also give the period for the exercise of public rights during which you may ask the auditor questions, which here means formally asking questions under the Act. You can ask someone to represent you when asking the external auditor questions.

Before you ask the external auditor any questions, inspect the accounting records fully, so you know what they contain. Please remember that you cannot formally ask questions, under the Act, after the end of the period for the exercise of public rights. You may ask your smaller authority other questions about their accounts for any year, at any time. But these are not questions under the Act.

You can ask the external auditor questions about an item in the accounting records for the financial year being audited. However, your right to ask the external auditor questions is limited. The external auditor can only answer ‘what’ questions, not ‘why’ questions. The external auditor cannot answer questions about policies, finances, procedures or anything else unless it is directly relevant to an item in the accounting records. Remember that your questions must always be about facts, not opinions. To avoid misunderstanding, we recommend that you always put your questions in writing.

The right to make objections at audit

You have inspected the accounting records and asked your questions of the smaller authority. Now you may wish to object to the accounts on the basis that an item in them is in your view unlawful or there are matters of wider concern arising from the smaller authority’s finances. A local government elector can ask the external auditor to apply to the High Court for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, or to issue a report on matters which are in the public interest. You must tell the external auditor which specific item in the accounts you object to and why you think the item is unlawful, or why you think that a public interest report should be made about it. You must provide the external auditor with the evidence you have to support your objection. Disagreeing with income or spending does not make it unlawful. To object to the accounts you must write to the external auditor stating you want to make an objection, including the information and evidence below and you must send a copy to the smaller authority. The notice must include:

confirmation that you are an elector in the smaller authority’s area;
why you are objecting to the accounts and the facts on which you rely;
details of any item in the accounts that you think is unlawful; and
details of any matter about which you think the external auditor should make a public interest report.

Other than it must be in writing, there is no set format for objecting. You can only ask the external auditor to act within the powers available under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.

A final word

You may not use this ‘right to object’ to make a personal complaint or claim against your smaller authority. You should take such complaints to your local Citizens’ Advice Bureau, local Law Centre or to your solicitor. Smaller authorities, and so local taxpayers, meet the costs of dealing with questions and objections. In deciding whether to take your objection forward, one of a series of factors the auditor must take into account is the cost that will be involved, they will only continue with the objection if it is in the public interest to do so. They may also decide not to consider an objection if they think that it is frivolous or vexatious, or if it repeats an objection already considered. If you appeal to the courts against an auditor’s decision not to apply to the courts for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, you will have to pay for the action yourself.

For more detailed guidance on public rights and the special powers of auditors, copies of the publication Local authority accounts: A guide to your rights are available from the NAO website.

If you wish to contact your authority’s appointed external auditor please write to the address in paragraph 4 of the Notice of Public Rights and Publication of Unaudited Annual Governance & Accountability Return.

Certificate of Exemption – AGAR 2024/25 Part 2

6 June 20256 June 2025 by Fiona

To be completed by smaller authorities where the higher of gross income or gross expenditure did not exceed £25,000 in the year of account ended 31 March 2024, and that wish to certify themselves as exempt from a limited assurance review under Section 9 of the Local Audit (Smaller Authorities) Regulations 2015

There is no requirement to have a limited assurance review or to submit an Annual Governance and Accountability Return to the external auditor, provided that the authority has certified itself as exempt at a meeting of the authority after 31 March 2025 and a completed Certificate of Exemption is submitted no later than 30 June 2025 notifying the external auditor.

Gittisham Parish Council

certifies that during the financial year 2024/25, the higher of the authority’s total gross income for the year or total gross annual expenditure, for the year did not exceed £25,000

Total annual gross income for the authority 2024/25: £14,266

Total annual gross expenditure for the authority 2024/25: £9,197

There are certain circumstances in which an authority will be unable to certify itself as exempt, so that a limited assurance review will still be required. If an authority is unable to confirm the statements below then it cannot certify itself as exempt and it must submit the completed Annual Governance and Accountability Return Part 3 to the external auditor to undertake a limited assurance review for which a fee of £200 +VAT will be payable.

By signing this Certificate of Exemption you are confirming that:

The authority was in existence on 1st April 2020
In relation to the preceding financial year (2023/24), the external auditor has not:
issued a public interest report in respect of the authority or any entity connected with it
made a statutory recommendation to the authority, relating to the authority or any entity connected with it
issued an advisory notice under paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 8 to the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 (“the Act”), and has not withdrawn the notice
commenced judicial review proceedings under section 31(1) of the Act
made an application under section 28(1) of the Act for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, and the application has not been withdrawn nor has the court refused to make the declaration
The court has not declared an item of account unlawful after a person made an appeal under section 28(3) of the Act.

If you are able to confirm that the above statements apply and that the authority neither received gross income, nor incurred gross expenditure, exceeding £25,000, then the Certificate of Exemption can be signed and a copy submitted to the external auditor either by email or by post (not both).

The Annual Internal Audit Report, Annual Governance Statement, Accounting Statements, an analysis of variances and the bank reconciliation plus the information required by Regulation 15 (2), Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 including the period for the exercise of public rights still need to be fully completed and, along with a copy of this certificate, published on the authority website/webpage* before 1 July 2025. By signing this certificate you are also confirming that you are aware of this requirement.

*https://gittisham.org.uk

ONLY this Certificate of Exemption should be returned EITHER by email OR by post (not both) as soon as possible after certification to your external auditor, but no later than 30 June 2025. Reminder letters incur a charge of £40 +VAT

Annual Internal Audit Report 2024/25

Signed by the Responsible Financial Officer

Date 05/06/2025

Signed by Chairman

Date 05/06/2025

I confirm that this Certificate of Exemption was approved by this authority on this date: 05/06/2025

as recorded in minute reference: 33/25

Generic email address of Authority:

Telephone Number 07899 932620

Published Web address www.gittisham.org.uk

Gittisham Parish Council

www.gittisham.org.uk

During the financial year ended 31 March 2025, this authority’s internal auditor acting independently and on the basis of an assessment of risk, carried out a selective assessment of compliance with the relevant procedures and controls in operation and obtained appropriate evidence from the authority.

The internal audit for 2024/25 has been carried out in accordance with this authority’s needs and planned coverage. On the basis of the findings in the areas examined, the internal audit conclusions are summarised in this table. Set out below are the objectives of internal control and alongside are the internal audit conclusions on whether, in all significant respects, the control objectives were being achieved throughout the financial year to a standard adequate to meet the needs of this authority.

Internal control objective	Yes	No*	Not covered**
A. Appropriate accounting records have been properly kept throughout the financial year.	Y
B. This authority complied with its financial regulations, payments were supported by invoices, all expenditure was approved and VAT was appropriately accounted for.	Y
C. This authority assessed the significant risks to achieving its objectives and reviewed the adequacy of arrangements to manage these.	Y
D. The precept or rates requirement resulted from an adequate budgetary process; progress against the budget was regularly monitored; and reserves were appropriate.	Y
E. Expected income was fully received, based on correct prices, properly recorded, and promptly banked; and VAT was appropriately accounted for.	Y
F. Petty cash payments were properly supported by receipts, all petty cash expenditure was approved and VAT appropriately accounted for.			Not applicable
G. Salaries to employees and allowances to members were paid in accordance with this authority’s approvals, and PAYE and NI requirements were properly applied.	Y
H. Asset and investments registers were complete and accurate and properly maintained.	Y
I. Periodic bank account reconciliations were properly carried out during the year.	Y
J. Accounting statements prepared during the year were prepared on the correct accounting basis (receipts and payments or income and expenditure), agreed to the cash book, supported by an adequate audit trail from underlying records and where appropriate debtors and creditors were properly recorded.	Y
K. If the authority certified itself as exempt from a limited assurance review in 2023/24, it met the exemption criteria and correctly declared itself exempt. (If the authority had a limited assurance review of its 2021/22 AGAR tick “not covered”)	Y
L. The authority publishes information on a website/webpage, up to date at the time of the internal audit, in accordance with the Transparency code for smaller authorities.	Y
M. The authority, during the previous year (2023-24) correctly provided for the period for the exercise of public rights as required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations (evidenced by the notice published on the website and/or authority approved minutes confirming the dates set).	Y
N. The authority has complied with the publication requirements for 2023/24 AGAR (see AGAR Page 1 Guidance Notes).	Y
	O. (For local councils only) Trust funds (including charitable) – The council met its responsibilities as a trustee.			Not applicable

For any other risk areas identified by this authority adequate controls existed (list any other risk areas on separate sheets if needed).

Date(s) internal audit undertaken Name of person who carried out the internal audit

03/06/2025 – 05/06/2025

Trudie Jenkins Avery

Signature of person who carried out the internal audit

Date

05/06/2025

*If the response is ‘no’ please state the implications and action being taken to address any weakness in control identified (add separate sheets if needed). **Note: If the response is ‘not covered’ please state when the most recent internal audit work was done in this area and when it is next planned; or, if coverage is not required, the annual internal audit report must explain why not (add separate sheets if needed).

Section 1 – Annual Governance Statement 2024/25

We acknowledge as the members of:

Gittisham Parish Council

our responsibility for ensuring that there is a sound system of internal control, including arrangements for the preparation of the Accounting Statements. We confirm, to the best of our knowledge and belief, with respect to the Accounting Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025, that:

Agreed
	Yes	No	‘Yes’ means that this authority:
1. We have put in place arrangements for effective financial management during the year, and for the preparation of the accounting statements.	Y		prepared its accounting statements in accordance with the Accounts and Audit Regulations.
2. We maintained an adequate system of internal control including measures designed to prevent and detect fraud and corruption and reviewed its effectiveness.	Y		made proper arrangements and accepted responsibility for safeguarding the public money and resources in its charge.
3. We took all reasonable steps to assure ourselves that there are no matters of actual or potential non-compliance with laws, regulations and Proper Practices that could have a significant financial effect on the ability of this authority to conduct its business or manage its finances.	Y		has only done what it has the legal power to do and has complied with Proper Practices in doing so.
4. We provided proper opportunity during the year for the exercise of electors’ rights in accordance with the requirements of the Accounts and Audit Regulations.	Y		during the year gave all persons interested the opportunity to inspect and ask questions about this authority’s accounts.
5. We carried out an assessment of the risks facing this authority and took appropriate steps to manage those risks, including the introduction of internal controls and/or external insurance cover where required.	Y		considered and documented the financial and other risks it faces and dealt with them properly.
6. We maintained throughout the year an adequate and effective system of internal audit of the accounting records and control systems.	Y		arranged for a competent person, independent of the financial controls and procedures, to give an objective view on whether internal controls meet the needs of this smaller authority.
7. We took appropriate action on all matters raised in reports from internal and external audit.	Y		responded to matters brought to its attention by internal and external audit.
8. We considered whether any litigation, liabilities or commitments, events or transactions, occurring either during or after the year-end, have a financial impact on this authority and, where appropriate, have included them in the accounting statements.	Y		disclosed everything it should have about its business activity during the year including events taking place after the year end if relevant.
9. (For local councils only) Trust funds including charitable. In our capacity as the sole managing trustee we discharged our accountability responsibilities for the fund(s)/assets, including financial reporting and, if required, independent examination or audit.			N/A	has met all of its responsibilities where as a body corporate it is a sole managing trustee of a local trust or trusts.

*For any statement to which the response is ‘no’, an explanation must be published

This Annual Governance Statement was approved at a meeting of the authority on:

05/06/2025

Signed by the Chairman and Clerk of the meeting where approval was given:

Chairman

Clerk

and recorded as minute reference: 31/25

Other information required by the Transparency Code (not part of the Annual Governance Statement)
The authority website/webpage is up to date and the information required by the Transparency Code has been published.	Yes

www.gittisham.org.uk

Section 2 – Accounting Statements 2024/25 for

Gittisham Parish Council

	Year ending
			Notes and guidance
	31 March 2024 £	31 March 2025 £	Please round all figures to nearest £1. Do not leave any boxes blank and report £0 or Nil balances. All figures must agree to underlying financial records.
1. Balances brought forward	21,935	17,489		Total balances and reserves at the beginning of the year as recorded in the financial records. Value must agree to Box 7 of previous year.
2. (+) Precept or Rates and Levies	9,307	10,139		Total amount of precept (or for IDBs rates and levies) received or receivable in the year. Exclude any grants received.
3. (+) Total other receipts	1,119	4,127		Total income or receipts as recorded in the cashbook less the precept or rates/levies received (line 2). Include any grants received.
4. (-) Staff costs	3,590	3,541		Total expenditure or payments made to and on behalf of all employees. Include gross salaries and wages, employers NI contributions, employers pension contributions, gratuities and severance payments.
5. (-) Loan interest/capital repayments	0	0		Total expenditure or payments of capital and interest made during the year on the authority’s borrowings (if any).
6. (-) All other payments	11,282	5,657		Total expenditure or payments as recorded in the cashbook less staff costs (line 4) and loan interest/capital repayments (line 5).
7. (=) Balances carried forward	17,489	22,557		Total balances and reserves at the end of the year. Must equal (1+2+3) – (4+5+6).
8. Total value of cash and short term investments	17,489	22,557		The sum of all current and deposit bank accounts, cash holdings and short term investments held as at 31 March – To agree with bank reconciliation.
9. Total fixed assets plus long term investments and assets	33,844	33,986		The value of all the property the authority owns – it is made up of all its fixed assets and long term investments as at 31 March.
10. Total borrowings	0	0		The outstanding capital balance as at 31 March of all loans from third parties (including PWLB).
11. (For Local Councils Only) Disclosure note re Trust funds (including charitable)	N/A	N/A	N/A	The Council as a body corporate acts as sole trustee for and is responsible for managing Trust funds or assets.
	N		N.B. The figures in the accounting statements above do not include any Trust transactions.

I certify that for the year ended 31 March 2025 the Accounting Statements in this Annual Governance and Accountability Return have been prepared on either a receipts and payments or income and expenditure basis following the guidance in Governance and Accountability for Smaller Authorities – a Practitioners’ Guide to Proper Practices and present fairly the financial position of this authority.

Signed by Responsible Financial Officer before being presented to the authority for approval:

Date 05/06/2025

I confirm that these Accounting Statements were approved by this authority on this date:

05/06/2025

as recorded in minute reference: 32/25

Signed by Chairman of the meeting where the Accounting Statements were approved

Explanation of variances 2024-25

6 June 2025 by Fiona

Name of smaller authority: GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

County area (local councils and parish meetings only: DEVON

Please provide full explanations, including numerical values, for the following:

variances of more than 15% between totals for individual boxes (except variances of less than £200);
a breakdown of approved reserves if the total reserves (Box 7) figure is more than twice the annual precept/rates & levies value (Box 2).

Section 2	2023/24 £	2024/25 £	Variance £	Variance %	Detailed explanation of variance (with amounts £)
Box 2 Precept or Rates and Levies	9,307	10,139	-832	-8.94	n/a
Box 3 Total other receipts	1,119	4,127	-3,008	-268.8	GPC received two VAT rebates in 2024-25 totalling £833.20, but no VAT rebates in 2023-24. GPC was reimbursed in 2024-25 by EDDC through S106 funding for an outdoor ping pong table, £3,079. The table was purchased in 2023-24.
Box 4 Staff costs	3,590	3,541	49	1.36	The NALC recommended salary scales for the previous tax year were delayed, and then implemented and backdated in 2023/24.
Box 5 Loan interest/ capital repayments	NIL	NIL	NIL	NIL	n/a
Box 6 All other payments	11,282	5,657	5,625	49.86	In 2023/24 GPC paid for an outdoor ping pong table, £3,694.80 inc VAT. The cost (minus VAT) was reimbursed in 2024/25 by EDDC through S106 funding. GPC did not make any major purchases in 2024-25.
Box 9 Total fixed assets & long term investments & assets	33,844	33,986	-142	-0.004	n/a
Box 10 Total borrowings	NIL	NIL	NIL	NIL	n/a
Explanation for ‘high’ reserves

Box 7 is almost twice Box 2 because the authority held the following breakdown of reserves at the year end:

£7,257.61 Contingency
£6,493.32 CIL

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL PAYMENTS OVER £100 1 APRIL 2024 TO 31 MARCH 2025

6 June 2025 by Fiona

DATE	PAYMENT – Vendor	PAYMENT – Description	Payment Type	ITEM	AMOUNT INC VAT	VAT

04.04.2024	Clerk	Clerk’s salary & expenses	Clerk salary & expenses	6	£254.34	0
04.04.2024	34SP	Website hosting	General administration	7	£119.40	£19.90
04.04.2024	Devon Assoc of Local Councils	Annual membership	Memberships	10	£400.50	£52.50
04.04.2024	Len Abbott	Lengthsman work	Lengthsman	11	£101.50	0
02.05.2024	Clerk	Clerk’s salary & expenses	Clerk’s salary & expenses	16	£271.19	0
02.05.2024	Alvian Ltd	Play area annual inspection	Play area	19	£102	£17
02.05.2024	Community First	Annual insurance policy	Play area & assets	20	£420.44	0
06.06.2024	Clerk	Clerk salary & expenses	Clerk salary & expenses	22	£264.47	0
06.06.2024	Michael Poll	Grass cutting	Maintenance	32	£130	0
06.06.2024	Bluechip Payroll	Annual audit	General admin	27	£145	0
11.07.2024	Clerk	Clerk salary & expenses	Clerk salary & expenses	29	£264.47	0
11.07.2024	Len Abbott	Lengthsman work	Lengthsman	30	£210.25	0
11.07.2024	Michael Poll	Grass cutting	Maintenance	32	£130	0
11.07.2024	Greentech	Matting	General administration	33	£585	£97.50
11.07.2024	Websites Ahoy	Website maintenance	Website maintenance	34	£239.17	0
11.07.2024	Clerk	Clerk salary (August)	Clerk salary	36	£254.34	0
02.08.2024	Gittisham Parish Hall	Gittisham Fete	General administration	40	£500	0
05.09.2024	Clerk	Clerk salary	Clerk salary & expenses	42	£276.60	0
03.10.2024	Clerk	Clerk salary	Clerk salary & expenses	45	£264.47	0
07.11.2024	Clerk	Clerk salary	Clerk salary & expenses	50	£276.88	0
07.11.2024	RhinoPlay	Replacement equipment	Play area	53	£166.80	£27.80
07.11.2024	Community Heartbeat Trust	Defibrillator maintenance subscription	General administration	54	£324	£54
05.12.2024	Clerk	Clerk salary & expenses	Clerk salary	56	£276.88	0
05.12.2024	Laps Lawns	Hedge trimming	Play area	58	£185	0
05.12.2024	Websites Ahoy	Migration, website maintenance & purchase of hosting for two years	Website maintenance	59	£221.50	0
09.01.2025	Clerk	Clerk salary	Clerk salary & expenses	61	£276.88	0
06.02.2025	Clerk	Clerk salary	Clerk salary & expenses	72	£285.88	0
06.02.2025	Community Heartbeat Trust	Defibrillator (Hayne Farm) maintenance subscription	General administration	73	£162	£27
06.03.2025	Clerk	Clerk salary	Clerk salary	78	£280.25	0

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL RECEIPTS AND PAYMENT ACCOUNT FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

6 June 2025 by Fiona

RECEIPTS	2024	2025
Precept	£10,139.08	£0
VAT	£833.20	£0
Community Infrastructure Levy	£0	£0
S106	£3,079	£0
Grants	£0	£0
Other	£0	£113.57
Interest on business reserve	£0	£100.73
TOTAL RECEIPTS	£14,051.28	£214.30

PAYMENTS	2024	2025
Clerk’s salary	£2,412.42	£800.25
Clerk’s expenses	£89.76	£42.76
Clerk’s pension	£243.62	£84.24
HMRC / PAYE	£0	£0
Parish room / village hall hire	£82	£35
Subscriptions	£348	£60
Audit	£145	£0
VAT incurred	£284.20	£27
Lengthsman	£398.75	£0
Lengthsman expenses	£8.73	£0
Maintenance	£965	£0
Donations S137	£0	£400
Website & related	£572.67	£0
Defibrillator (Hayne Farm)	£0	£135
Defibrillator annual maintenance x2	£270	£0
Insurance	£420.44	£0
Insurance (lengthsman)	£0	£0
Gittisham Gazette printing	£60	£15
Other miscellaneous expenditure	£1,297.60	£0
TOTAL PAYMENTS	£7,598.19	£1,599.25

TOTAL PROFIT / LOSS FOR THE YEAR

£6,453.09

-£1,384.95

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS SUMMARY
Balance b/f	£14,489.30
Gross income and reserves	£17,265.58
Less total payment	£9,197.44
TOTAL	£22,557.44

BANK BALANCES 31.03.2025
Nat West Business Reserve	£7,257.61
Nat West Current Account	£15,461.83
Unpresented payments	£162
TOTAL	£22,557.44

2025-03 Parish Council meeting minutes 6 March 2025

12 March 2025 by Fiona

Held in Gittisham Parish Room

Present:

Village ward: Cllr C Hall (Chair), Cllr A Rowe (Vice Chair), Cllr D Valentine, Cllr A Powell

Vale ward:

In attendance: Fiona Clampin (clerk)

Apologies for absence: Cllr P Orchard, Cllr Phil Twiss (DCC), Cllr Alasdair Bruce (EDDC), PCSO Darren England

160/24 To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted.

161/24 To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 6th February 2025

The minutes of the meeting held on 6th February 2025 were confirmed and signed by the Chair.

162/24 To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

There was no update on the police website from December’s figures.

163/24 To receive declarations of interest

None.

164/24 To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

None.

165/24 To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

In his absence Cllr Twiss sent the following report: “I’m delighted that spring appears to have sprung and we have largely avoided a cold, but unfortunately wet winter, where this has a detrimental impact on our highways network. Repair teams are now busy catching up with repairs, white line renewals etc.

Keeping our young people safe online

https://saferdevon.co.uk is running a free webinar to explore digital spaces that young people engage with, how these may influence their choices and expose them to risks and practical tips and guidance to support young people to keep safe.

The free webinar will explore:

why the digital world is a valuable space for many neuro-divergent young people
how the online content young people interact with can shape their choices and may expose them to risks and harmful behaviours
practical tips and guidance on creating safe and supportive online spaces for young people

This session will be led by Alistair Barfield, who is AuDHD [a term used to describe people who have both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)], and a leading expert in neuro-divergence and digital harms. It will take place online on Thursday 27 March at 7pm to 8pm.

Please visit the Safer Devon Eventbrite page to book your place at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lets-talk-keeping-our-young-people-safe-online-tickets-1263976671249?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Thousands more children to receive Bikeability cycle training

More than 9,300 schoolchildren in Devon are to benefit from Bikeability cycle training this financial year, see https://www.bikeability.org.uk/ That’s thanks to a Bikeability Funding award of just over £451,000 to DCC for 2025/26. The funding is part of £3.9 million of funding recently announced by the Government and Active Travel England (ATE) for cycling and walking projects in Devon, which was the largest settlement for any South West authority. Bikeability cycle training provides schoolchildren with lifelong road safety skills while also improving their health and wellbeing.

Over the past 19 years, DCC has provided Bikeability cycle training to almost 120,000 young people across the county. Adult cyclists are reminded that they can also book free confidence sessions through Active Devon at https://activedevon.org/adult-cycle-training/ The sessions, delivered by qualified bike instructors, can cater for up to three people at a time and can be tailored to suit all abilities and goals, from first-time riders to regular cyclists looking to improve their skills. For more information on cycle training for children and adults please visit the Travel Devon webpages at https://www.traveldevon.info/cycle/cycle-training/

Councils collaborate on devolution plans

The leaders of Devon County, Plymouth City and Torbay Councils are working together to explore the creation of a Mayoral Strategic Authority. A part of the Government’s new devolution plans, this is a once in a generation opportunity to take power out of Whitehall, bring decision-making closer to the people of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay and unlock unprecedented opportunities for growth and innovation.

A Mayoral Strategic Authority promises to supercharge the region’s ability to access greater powers and unlock additional funding for economic growth and infrastructure development, such as housing and transport. By working together, the councils aim to ensure that Devon, Plymouth and Torbay are ready to seize this unique opportunity when the government calls for further submissions of interest. The councils also emphasised that Cornwall Council is welcome to join their discussions at any time, should they choose to reconsider. This inclusive approach highlights the commitment to regional cooperation and shared prosperity.”

In his absence, Cllr Bruce sent the following report: “At the full council meeting last week the devolution bill was raised, particularly around the fact that no mention is made in the White Paper of parish and town councils. Councillors expressed concern that very little, if any, consultation has filtered down to parish and town council level. We were told that the officers are working ‘at pace’ to get a draft ready for councillors before 21^st March deadline. We were also told that information would be disseminated to parish and town councils as soon as practical. I raised my concerns that we were in danger of ignoring the legal requirement to go out to consultation in order to satisfy the government’s deadline, purely for political expediency. I did not get a satisfactory answer to the above. We are having an extraordinary council meeting on 19^th March, when more details as to how and what shape our local democracy is planned to be, will be discussed. I will push for more interaction from council officers with town and parish councils as to how this will impact the level of responsibilities that will emanate from these changes.

“On which subject the request from Gittisham parish council for a senior planning officer to attend has been passed to them. As yet there has been no response. In fact, whereas before I could just ‘phone or email an officer, I am now required to fill in a form so that my query/question gets to the right person. This is plain bonkers, as I know who I need to speak to, and about what. So much for reducing red tape!

“At a planning meeting last week, a major application was passed despite a large number of objections raised by myself, Feniton parish council and members of the public. Whilst many of the committee were swayed by these passionately presented arguments, they were ultimately persuaded (a member of the public behind me described themselves as being brow beaten) by the officers into approving it. Many were left wondering precisely what is the point of turning up with first-hand information on the flooding in the village and the appalling state of sewerage spills, when the committee is directed by officers that these points cannot be defended if an appeal against refusal goes to the planning inspector. I tried to advocate that they should test it in front of the inspector, but to no avail. Personally, I found it completely unacceptable to see elected councillors in a flap trying to come up with valid reasons to support their conviction to object. I believe it is for officers to help councillors find reasons if the councillors are minded to refuse against officers’ recommendations. They have the professional background to do this. Councillors, however well trained, cannot have the same level of experience. I have raised my concerns with the chair of planning, as this is not the first time I have witnessed this scenario in the council chamber.”

166/24 To receive a report on the EDDC Local Plan and consider contracting a planning consultant

Cllr Valentine said EDDC’s Local Plan is now out for public consultation until 31^st March. Members resolved to continue for now with the parish council’s consistent objection to the allocation of sites, particularly development west of Hayne Lane.

ACTION: Cllrs Rowe and Valentine to work on drawing up a template letter that residents can fill in if they share the parish council’s position.

167/24 To note the following planning application:

1. 25/0375/PRETDD – Allotment opposite Garlands Gittisham EX14 3AJ – notification of tree works considered an exemption to 25/0012/TPO Holm Oak: removal of windblow.

Councillors noted the tree had come down, and EDDC’s recommendations for new planting.

168/24 To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

To consider the provision of superfast broadband in the parish (Cllr Powell)

Members discussed an email from Cllr Twiss suggesting there could be talks underway with a company planning to roll out plans for fibre broadband for Gittisham. Cllr Twiss indicated the parish council has a key role to play in requesting residents sign up for a voucher scheme now approved by BDUK. Cllr Powell said some newspapers had printed his article about Gittisham’s broadband issues, and the Chair encouraged him to keep up the current level of activity.

ACTION: Cllr Powell to email Cllr Twiss to ask about next steps.

To note the latest planning decision notices

23/1631/MFUL Coastguard Road Ltd Devonshire Road Heathpark Industrial Estate Honiton EX14 1SD – Development of 17no commercial units. Approval with conditions.

24/1420/MRES Land Off Hayne Lane Gittisham EX14 3PD – Reserved matters application in respect of matters of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the construction of 37 no. residential dwellings and associated garages, infrastructure and landscaping all in association with outline permission 22/1322/MOUT. Approval with conditions.

To receive an update on Highways

The roadworks planned through Alfington 03– 08 April have been suspended.

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

Nothing to report this month.

To receive an update on public transport

Nothing to report this month.

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

Members were delighted to hear from Cllr Rowe that the village hall has solar panels on battery storage. He agreed to arrange some publicity once the other works on renewable energy are complete.

To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said the Gittisham CLT AGM will be held on 11^th March. He reported that the display with revised plans for the development had been well received. EDDC has given a deadline of the end of May, but this conflicts somewhat with the requirement for an additional ecology survey which is seasonal and would take several months to carry out.

ACTION: Clerk to enquire with EDDC when GPC can expect to receive notification of the revised planning application.

To consider the creation of a footpath linking Hayne Farm with Gittisham village

Cllr Rowe reported that a Hayne Farm resident had offered to start a petition requesting more footpaths in the parish. Cllr Powell said he would be happy to discuss this with the person.

To consider the refurbishment and maintenance of the village play area

The clerk said the annual safety inspection had been carried out, and the first grass cut had been done.

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

The clerk agreed to continue finding other lengthsmen, and also a contractor for one-off ditch clearing.

ACTION: Cllr Rowe to send his recent videos of flooding at Iron Bridge to DCC’s Highways officer, and arrange another on-site meeting.

169/24 To receive a report from the Chair

Members noted that Gittisham PCC has permission from Combe Estate to install a clothing bank near the parish room to raise money for the church.

170/24 To approve the March payments and to note the current bank balance

F Clampin £266.75 clerk’s salary + £13.50 expenses (travel Ottery – Gittisham 7.5-mile round trip x 4 for agendas, minutes, vacancies & February meeting @0.45p / mile)

NEST £28.08 (clerk’s pension)

Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £22,773.36 (which includes approximately £7,156.88 in the business reserve account).

171/24 To consider the casual vacancies in Gittisham Village & Gittisham Vale

The clerk said EDDC had not received any requests for an election by 25^th February deadline, so GPC can proceed to co-opt two people to the vacancies – one to represent Gittisham Vale and the other to represent Gittisham Village.

Cllr Rowe said he had applied to LCIU for former councillor Maggie Walker to be recognised with a lifetime achievement award. Members resolved to purchase a £50 voucher from Perkins pet supplies in Ottery St Mary for former councillor Janet Twist, and £50 in book tokens for Maggie Walker from the Curious Otter bookshop.

ACTION: Clerk to advertise vacancies.

172/24 To consider the level of ward representation

The clerk said DALC had advised her to contact EDDC’s Electoral Services about this matter, and she is awaiting a response.

173/24 To consider the parish council’s grant-giving policy, publication scheme, complaints policy, anti-fraud & corruption policy, Freedom of Information Scheme and code of conduct

It was resolved to approve the above policies.

174/24 To consider the Parish Council’s Statement of Internal Control, Financial Regulations and Risk Management

It was resolved to approve the above policies.

175/24 Clerk’s report

The clerk said she would be away for work for the next scheduled parish council meeting, so members resolved to meet at the earliest possible opportunity on her return. See minute ref. 178/24.

176/24 For information only; items for the forward agenda

Lengthsman recruitment; casual vacancies and Ward representation.

177/24 To consider any late entry correspondence

Cllr Rowe said the light in the village telephone box may soon need replacing.

Members noted with pleasure that the broken railings at Riverside had been replaced.

Cllr Rowe asked if the parish council would be marking VE Day in any way. The Chair replied that the coffee & cake event in the village hall in May would have a VE Day theme.

ACTION: Cllr Powell to arrange another meeting with Combe Estate to discuss parish council activity.

ACTION: Cllr Rowe to ask lighting contractors at the village hall if they will look at the telephone box.

178/24 Date of next two meetings

Thursday 17^th April and Thursday 8^th May 2025 at 7.30pm.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2105 hrs.

Chair…………………………………….

17th April 2025

Gittisham Village Hall Committee March 2025

9 March 2025 by Alex

Date	Tuesday 4^th March 2025
Present	Nick, Damian, Claire, Alex, Steve, Maggie, Toni Observing: Kadence
Apologies	Bill, Stella
Next meet	Next meeting: Tuesday 8^th April, 19:30, Village Hall AGM: Tuesday 13^th May, 19:30, Village Hall

Item	Details	Actions
All actions	New actions: Nick to purchase presents for Hamish and Sue. Stella to send round next iteration of the governance document, plus historic governance document, before AGM. Carol/Claire to advertise the date and location of the AGM in the Gazette. Damian to organise for the annual interest from the Redwood savings account to be transferred to the current account. Maggie to combine the next graveyard tidying group with a Village Hall ground force group and to coordinate both activities for the village. Alex to tweak the boiler setup to ensure that the water heats up a little more quickly. Stephen to paint bare patch on the front of hall. Claire to coordinate roles for the March Bingo. Alex to share details of the free Microsoft Office tools. Old actions: Stephen to advertise the hall as a flexible workspace on booking portals, also to speak to Jess. Damian and Carol to agree a process to reconcile booking income to list of bookings – Nick to also join the meeting. Damian continues to chase the installation of a smart meter. All to review emerging lottery grant application and comment on google doc. Bill to plaster and paint around the boiler.
Committee members and	The meeting welcomed Kadence who was observing her first meeting – great to have you on board Kadence! The number of trustees continues to swell. Agreed trustees are Alex, Nick, Stella and Claire, Bill and Damian have also been put forwards. The settled

governance	position on trustee numbers will be finalised at the upcoming AGM. Stella continues to coordinate the construction of a new governance document for the Parish Hall committee. As part of this the committee has received the original governance document from the charity commission. Stella will circulate this plus a final version of the new document for ratification at the AGM, which we agreed would take place on Tuesday 13^th May, 19:30, at the Village Hall. Carol/Claire to advertise in the Gittisham Gazette. Damien to prepare end of year accounts for this date.	Stella
Finance	Damian presented the accounts for the year to date (see attached annex). We held a detailed discussion about the money forecast still to come and the expenditure that must go out in March. The latter is very large, as payments for all the works on the windows, doors and electrics must be paid this month. Some of these payments will be refunded by Devon County Council via our grant award but unless these repayments are made promptly the Parish Hall is at risk of running a deficit for the financial year – something that it wishes to avoid at all costs. Should all re-imbursements be made promptly, and should our ingoings and outgoings match the forecast levels, the committee agreed that it should post a profit for the financial year, especially if sales for the April cabaret are pushed at the March bingo event. Damian will coordinate our efforts through March to navigate this complicated situation – thank you Damian. Also to support these efforts, the committee agreed that Damian was authorised to organise the withdrawal (if time-limits allow) for the annual interest from the Redwood savings account to be transferred to the current account. Re booking reconciliation, we discussed various options for ensuring closer alignment between bookings and payments, including various online purchase options or bank account access for a wider number of parties. The action is for Damian to schedule a meeting for he, Nick and Carol to meet together and propose a way forwards. Damian is still sorting out primary user and secondary user access to online banking. Until Damian has primary user status he cannot administer banking access for others. Thank you Damian for ongoing efforts here. We agreed that at the AGM we will confirm who the other bank signatories should be, which should be more obvious once committee positions are agreed.	Damian Damian
Grants	Grant works are progressing at great pace! It is extremely exciting to see the improvements coming so thick and so fast. The solar panels and batteries were installed on the 4^th and 5^th or March and the LED lighting will follow shortly. The hall is out of action w/c 17^th March with no bookings available whilst the upgraded windows and doors are installed. The maintenance schedule (see annex) has been updated to reflect the new priorities for the Village Hall, now that so many of the initial targets

	have been met. We continue to compile another grant for the National Lottery. The action remains for all committee members to review Alex’s initial grant application and propose comments where they can. We are as yet not working to a deadline but we should set one at a subsequent meeting.	All
Maintenance	Claire has donated a coffee machine the Village Hall – thank you Claire. We noted the importance of improving the condition of the gardens, especially in advance of the two wedding bookings made for later in the year. To this end Claire has organised for a Combe gardener to come and offer advice on planting and improving elements of the grounds – thank you Claire. Maggie also offered to combine the next graveyard tidying group with a Village Hall ground force group and to coordinate both activities for the village. Thank you Maggie. Likely date end of March. We discussed the need to repaint the toilets – no action as yet but Kadence might have a lead. Nick has plumped for everglade misted glass as the bathroom window frosting effect. There have been some comments about the time it takes for hot water to come through the system. Alex confirmed that the system is working as intended, nevertheless he will tweak the boiler setup to ensure that the water heats up a little quicker – thank you Alex. The bare wall on the outside of the hall needs painting. Stephen offered to paint – thank you Stephen.	Maggie Alex Stephen
Bookings	Bookings for March are set out in the annex.
Future events	Upcoming events: Saturday 29^th March, March cake sale – Sue Fallows organising. Saturday 29^th March, Easter Bingo, Claire leading. Help from the committee is needed on the day decorating the hall, blowing up carrots. Alex needs to bring his fridge on the Friday night. Kadence offered to do teas, Stephen on door, Toni a poster for children’s drawing competition. Sparkly bunny ears are happening. It is clear that Claire is doing an enormous amount to organise another fantastic and lucrative event – thank you Claire! Friday-Saturday April 25^th–26th, Gittisham cabaret. We agreed pricing of £10 a ticket, £5 for minors, with a free drink on arrival. Pierre is creating a poster. Claire and Damian offered to run the bar. Nick to advertise on the village WattsApp. Alex is making a fairly substantial paper ticket that can be sold at Bingo on March 29th. Sunday 15^th June, Father’s Day BBQ
	Potential future events: Hardy talk / gardening talk / astronomy talk Spanish event
AOB	Alex has signed us up for free Microsoft Office.	Alex

Booking for March

Accounts for March

See annex published separately.

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Long term maintenance list, for progression when funds allow. Rough hierarchy order.

Sewerage and drainage pipe replacement

Re-fit audio visual capabilities

Rewiring of cabling, particularly in the loft

Extractor fans in kitchen

(Rising) damp in southern elevation

Internal repaint including / especially ceiling

Loft insulation

Bin Store

Gittisham Gazette March 2025

7 March 2025 by Alex

A parish newsletter brought to you by Gittisham Parish Council and St Michael’s Church

What’s On At the village hall

Pierre’s Kitchen
Sunday 9^th March

Community Land Trust AGM 11^th March 7pm

Finley’s Bird Club
Saturday 15^th Mar 2-3pm

Village hall closed
w/c 17 March

Yoga Retreat Day
Saturday 22^nd March
Coffee & Cake
Sat 29^thMarch, 2.30-4.30

Easter Bingo
Sat 29^th March                   __

Weekly Fitness class                        Tuesday mornings

Folk Dancing
   Wednesday evenings

Community Kitchen
Thursday evenings

Yoga
          Friday afternoons

Gittisham Fete 2025 Will be held on the 30th August, please come forward if you have any ideas for a theme for this year’s s fete or if you would like to get involved with supporting the event. Thank you, Alex

St Michael’s Church Services in March

Sunday March 9th Holy Communion at 11am                                                                                                                 Mothering Sunday
March 30th Holy Communion at 11am – with distribution of posies

Lent Lunch Fridays 12.30pm March 21^st, April 4^th a simple Lent Lunch of soup and bread at St Michael’s Cottage or in the Parish Room                                                                                                                  Church 200 Club

February Draw Results
1st Una Wakley-Beddows
2nd Ernest Wensley
3rd David Valentine

Allocation of sites for new houses and employment
Do you have an opinion about the expansion of housing and employment land towards Gittisham village? Yes? Then you need to be involved in the EDDC Local Plan Public Consultation. The deadline for comments is the end of March. If you find the EDDC online portal too much then please contact a Parish Councilor who will be happy to help you pass your views on to East Devon.

Solar Powered Village Hall This week’s community kitchen was 100% powered through what was generated on the sunny Thursday.

In November of 2024 the Hall committee applied for the East Devon District Council – Carbon Action Fund. This is a grant funded by EDDC via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. We applied for the installation of a Solar Photovoltaics system along with upgrades to the lighting internally and externally to LED. This grant covers nighty percent of the cost of these works with the Village Hall paying the other ten. The grant required many documents including carbon footprint calculations and quotations from 3 separate companies. On March 5^th 2025, the 8kW solar array and 20kWh battery storage system was installed meaning now during the summer months the Hall will be self-sufficient! But will also reduce our cost during the winter, allowing the committee to focus funds on other projects to continue future proofing the Hall as a community space. LED light upgrades are due for completion too within the next couple of weeks.

Natter & nibbles at Gittisham farmhouse on Saturday 15th March Everyone welcome entrance donations towards for the upkeep of our beautiful church! 10-12 noon. Garden to wander round overlooking the animals!

Saturday 15^th March 2-3pm

Lenten Reflections from St Michael’s Gittisham

Julia Barratt Traditionally Lent begins on Ash Wednesday when Christians are marked by the sign of the Cross in ashes on their foreheads, as a sign of the fragility of our lives as human beings. A reminder of our dependence on God, the Creator, the source of Life and Love from whom we come and to whom we return. I wonder how you might choose to keep Lent this year? Within the Church, Lent is traditionally observed as a time of fasting and living more simply. Increasingly, I’ve come to be grateful for the ‘soul’ work of Lent. The invitation to be less dependent on instant gratification, but to pause, to reflect, to live more fully in the moment –‘ Lentamente’ – slowly. Living Hope Lent Group. ‘Living Hope’ is the Church of England’s Theme for Lent this year and I will be leading a Lent Group using the ‘Living Hope’ booklet’ which invites us to explore the hope offered by God – not wishful thinking but something real, robust, alive and needed more than ever in our world today. The booklets with short daily reflections will be freely available from Ash Wednesday in the church. And each week we will look at the idea of hope from a different angle as we journey in the way of the Cross and beyond to the transforming hope of Easter Day. Wednesdays 7.30pm March 12^th, March 26^th,April 9^th and Fridays 12.30pm March 21^st, April 4^th with simple Lent Lunch of soup and bread. At St Michael’s Cottage or in the Parish Room depending on numbers. For further information contact Julia at Tel 07763 111367

Pierre’s Café 9th March

Pierre’s cafe coincides with the nationwide Day of Reflection to remember those we lost during the pandemic, and mark all the amazing work done by NHS staff. Anyone coming to Pierre’s Cafe that day on presentation of a valid NHS ID card will receive a free hot drink. Two new vegan recipes of vegan Danish, I just sorted out: Apple and cinnamon swirls and
Suisse chocolate style will complete the vegan raisin swirls, vegan apricot Oranais, butter croissant and pain au chocolate. Lunch at 12.15, gluten free and vegan option.
Bring your own alcoholic drink. Café open 10am to 4pm.
Booking 07545 214940

Mother’s Day at Gittisham Church

The Mother’s Day Service is on Sunday 30^th March and everyone is welcome to join in, to admire the flower arrangements and mothers will receive a scented posy. “THANK YOU” to Paul Wakley for tending the churchyard. As some of you may have seen snowdrops & primroses are looking beautiful!

Four councillors met for the March meeting. Cllrs Twiss (DCC) and Bruce (EDDC) sent

reports in their absence.

Staying safe online. Phil Twiss said Safer Devon is running a free webinar to explore digital spaces that young people engage with, how these may influence their choices and expose them to risks and practical tips and guidance to support young people to keep safe. The free webinar will explore:

• why the digital world is a valuable space for many neuro-divergent young people

• how the online content young people interact with can shape their choices and may expose them to risks and harmful behaviours

• practical tips and guidance on creating safe and supportive online spaces for young people

This session will take place online on Thursday 27 March 78pm. Please visit the Safer Devon Eventbrite page to book your place at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lets-talk-

keeping-our-young-people-safe-online-tickets-1263976671249?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Finance. Members agreed the finances.

Crimes. The clerk said the Police UK website was not showing any change since last month’s reported crime statistics (December 2024).

Planning, Feniton. Alasdair Bruce reported that a major application in Feniton had been passed last week, despite a large number of objections raised by him, Feniton parish council and members of the public. Whilst many of the committee were swayed by these passionately presented arguments, he said they were ultimately persuaded by the officers into approving it. Alasdair explained that those who objected were dismayed that their first-hand information regarding flooding problems in Feniton and sewerage spills was irrelevant, if officers direct the decision-makers that these points cannot be defended if an appeal against refusal goes to the planning inspector. Alasdair said he had raised his

concerns with EDDC’s chair of planning.

EDDC Local Plan. David Valentine said EDDC’s Local Plan is now out for public consultation until 31st

March. The consultation provides an opportunity to review the final draft of the local development plan, with all submitted comments to be passed directly to the Planning Inspector for examination. Residents, businesses and other interested parties are invited to review the proposed policies and site allocations, understanding that your feedback will form part of the official submission to the independent planning review process. Councillors decided to continue for now with the parish council’s consistent objection to the allocation of sites, particularly development west of Hayne Lane. Alex Rowe said he and David Valentine would work on drawing up a template letter that residents can fill in if they share the parish council’s position. Keep an eye on the Gittisham website and social media channels. You can have your say by visiting https://eastdevonlocalplanreg19.commonplace.is/

Climate change measures. Councillors were delighted to hear from Alex Rowe that the village hall now has solar panels on battery storage. He agreed to arrange some publicity once the other works on

renewable energy and window replacements are complete.

Councillor vacancies. The clerk said the parish council can proceed to co-opt two people to the vacancies – one to represent Gittisham Vale and the other to represent Gittisham Village. If you are

interested in representing the parish, please contact

Next meeting. Thursday 17 th April at 7.30pm in the parish room.

Grain to Cheese (formally cream) Russell Hayman Spring is on the way not that it looks much like it at the moment though the rabbits are out and there is more bird song around. The winter routine of feeding and mucking out is still ongoing the cows are milking well, calves popping out and the cows getting back in calf on time the only problem with that is we are up to capacity with animals this winter (never see a satisfied farmer!) So the next stage of our calf rearing will be getting a new shed soon it was planned to happen before but as always there are other priorities at the time but the foundations are in have been for a while; just awaiting the frame. This will generate some more and better accommodation for the animals which will be better for all. (Might have to rethink the pumpkin parking) We have a routine vet visit to help keep all this on track and also analysis areas for improvement. This has shown the alterations we made at the end of 2023 have worked but as ever with farming it will be another year before we see financial reward but we do get a buzz from seeing things going well. The weather did dry up a little and we managed to roll some grass fields (the ones done will have stripes no stars; Donald’s not in control of all he thinks!) still a little damp but last year it was so wet we did not get to roll any which did not help the silage quality. Still got some fencing and with the winds we have had branches to clear up also had a bit of a shed blown away which landed on another damaging the roof there. We are getting ready for our visit from Feniton school reception class, we had our first last year which seemed to go well. So, some tiding up to do! Helen has been busy organising activities; it ties in with their science week which is adapt and change. I do believe I could well be given the roll of poo professor! Well for Christmas I got Edmund a poo sieve with which we can analysis the poo to see how the digestion is going on for the cows. Helen seems to think watching me do some poo sieving will be right up their street I get all the glamorous jobs it was Edmund present! I usually like to end my piece on a cheerful note but I think I should say something about the tax changes that are to come about. I get what they are trying to achieve as agricultural assets are a good way of avoiding inheritance tax if you are in the position of having lots of spare money you do not need to earn a lot of income from. But it will not get to these investors who are not actively farming. Under the proposed changes if I died suddenly the business would have to be sold to pay the tax and I’m a tenant. Yes I can take some precautions but they will cost money, meaning less to invest in the business as it will be another risk to insure for; is this really what they want to achieve? The new rules come in force in April 26 which could well be a dark day for UK agriculture if you are of an age where there is little prospect of living long enough to bring about changes that will ease the burden to the next generation. Some will take the decision to protect their children’s livelihood and all they and their family have worked for that killing themselves is the only option open to them; it has already happened and unfortunately it is highly likely more will. Farming already has the highest suicide rate of any profession I hope the government will listen to us and not add to it. They certainly are not at the moment rejecting proposals put to them that would generate the same tax take but ease this cliff edge. Edmund does say farmers can be really negative which it true and this does not make the sector attractive to go into or show us in a good light. It does have loads to offer directly on the farm and in the many support industries there are lots of rolls many are highly technical and rewarding in lots of ways and like I said earlier I still get a buzz trying to do a bit better every year and have no intention of pushing up daisies for quite a while.

Mary Bramley celebrated her 90^th birthday

Gittisham Village Hall

This is a very exciting month for the hall. We have lots of lovely and much needed upgrades going on to the hall w/c 17th March. Following a long period of grant applications being declined, our efforts have been rewarded with 2 successful grant applications. One from Devon County Council and another from East Devon District Council. We have had solar panels and batteries installed with roof insulation, new windows, doors and LED lights incoming. We expect to go live on the National Grid on 9th March. Huge thanks to the fantastic grant application team.

Upcoming events. We have our much-loved cake sale on March 29th 2.30 -4.30. We welcome cake donations but also your company. Invite your friends. And do remember we have the very eggcelent Easter Bingo on March 29th. 7pm for eyes down at 7.30pm. As well as a cracking raffle we have great Bingo prizes including cash flyer. Our bingo events draw people from far and wide and we don’t want you to be disappointed, so come early to be sure of entry.

Calling all young budding artists. Get your pens, paints and pencils out and bring us your best Easter picture for a chance to win a prize! Pictures need to be brought to the hall on or before March 29th 11.30 am to be exhibited for all to admire and an independent judge will choose their favourite! 2 classes, under 10’s and over 10’s. All pictures need the child’s name, age and contact number on the back (so not visible on the image) and indicate if you give consent for us to post on our social media channels. We are really looking forward to receiving your creations and having an opportunity to celebrate young creatives in the parish.

Dates for your diary:

Gittisham Cabaret 25th and 26th April 7pm. £10 to include a drink from the bar.

The Hall AGM is set for May 13th, 7pm. We would like to invite you to come along, see how we do business and consider joining the committee.

RETREAT DAYS FOR WOMEN in Gittisham Village Hall A day of retreating from your everyday life and outer world, to enter your inner world and connecting with the rhythms of the natural world, through The Medicine Wheel. These retreat days will be a small group of women and spaces are limited. We will focus on Emotions, Mind, Body and Spirit through the elements of Water, Air, Earth and Fire. AIM: to let go of old energy and welcome and embrace where you are and bringing in the new energy. To feel more connected to your body. To find some inner peace. To learn some practices to use at home. To connect with the change of seasons and the year. To connect with the Moon cycles and inner feminine self. DATES: 22^nd March (Spring Equinox), 21^st June (Summer Solstice), 20^th September (Autumn Equinox) and 20^th December (Winter Solstice). MICHELLE CORRIGAN – 07833 558253 www.headtoheartcounselling.com

A new venture was established last year in Broadhembury – Wood Lane Flowers – a flower farm run by Sally Harris. Here, Sally tells us a little bit about herself and her farm.

My obsession with flowers started as a child. When I look back on my life I have always been connected to gardens and growing, and would always favour being outside in nature. I have never lost the fascination of watching a tiny seed bloom into something beautiful. It has been a slow progression into recognising that flowers I grow bring considerably more pleasure to me than buying imported flowers. Flowers that have travelled for miles offer no scent, and very little movement, having been chemically treated and chosen for their long straight stems. The imperfection of a wonky stem or petal is attractive to me as it fits perfectly with my wilder, romantic arranging style. Using seasonal foliage brings an arrangement together, and is so commonly left out of bouquets; it always feels like something is missing without it. I have particularly enjoyed reflecting on my floral arrangements, learning by mistakes (there have been many!), celebrating successes, listening to feedback, and understanding that growing and arranging flowers will continue to evolve for me. I grow a selection of perennial, biennial, and annual flowers alongside foliage between two spaces in Broadhembury, offering different growing conditions despite their proximity. Gaining an understanding of the soil type, wind direction, drainage, and types of wildlife has been a large feature of last year. 2024 was a particularly harsh year for developing a flower farm, with an incredibly wet winter and spring, an unprecedented volume of slug damage, and a rather indifferent summer of weather. Despite this, with plenty of help from family and friends, I’m proud to have created these beautiful spaces. I have numerous people to thank for supporting me and feel so lucky to be part of such a wonderful community; the support really has meant a great deal to me. It has been wonderful to sell flowers from Sally’s snug in Broadhembury, and now from Joshuas Harvest store in Ottery St Mary. My flower season runs from late March through to October, but this is dictated by the great British weather. Throughout the growing season I harvest flowers to dry, and then create a range of everlasting arrangements. These remain available until they sell out, and then it’s time to start drying again. I loved running wreath workshops last year at Joshuas, and plan to offer these again this Christmas, perhaps in Broadhembury, if anyone is interested. I offer wedding, funeral and event flowers, bouquets for any occasion, and hope to offer flower field tours in the summer. Come and immerse yourself in flowers, learn about different varieties to grow and how, enjoy a glass of wine with a group of friends. Take away a posy of flowers with advice on conditioning, and extending their vase life. People often ask what there is to do on a flower farm in winter. February is a time for reflection on what grew well, and what didn’t, starting to sow some seed on windowsills and in the polytunnel, pruning, clearing beds from last years growth, weeding, checking irrigation pipes for leaks, mulching perennial beds, and planning for the coming year. I used to lift my dahlias at home during winter and store them, but have decided to leave most of them in the ground this year, mounded high with compost. It’s a topic of much debate amongst gardeners, and there is no right or wrong. It very much depends on how many you have, the soil you grow on, whether you have the perfect place to store them, and how willing you are to take risks! Once lifted they are at risk of disease and rot, so it’s not the perfect option. All will be revealed in spring as to whether or not they have made it through the winter. Let’s hope we don’t have the persistent rain we had last year. Despite early slug damage I had buckets of dahlia blooms last year, flowering well into November. I have loved watching the snowdrops and hellebores emerge through January, it always lifts my spirits during the days of less light, a sign that spring isn’t too far off. I have alliums up already and muscari are showing. The anemones have been confused and flowered in January, so I’m yet to see what they do later in the year. I haven’t grown tulips this year in any quantity. I have focused more on perennial bulbs, so I should have a good quantity of narcissi, alliums, muscari and anemone. Every year I decide that ranunculus are too much work, and that I won't bother, and then I can't resist! This year I pre-sprouted them in the dark, and then decided not to put them in the polytunnel, but to plant them out in the beds with low tunnels for some frost protection. They are actually quite hardy. They have previously grown very well in the polytunnel, if they are resisted by mice, but come spring, the tunnel gets too hot and they can wilt at the final hurdle. As I write this, it reminds me of the uncertainty of growing flowers, and that you never know quite what will reward you with blooms, and what will fail. It makes for a tense wait, but there are always memorable years of certain crops. I'll have some fresh flowers for Mother’s Day at the end of march all being well! If you want to get in touch, call me, Sally Harris 07966873048, or email me Follow me on insta/FB at woodlane.flowers I’ll be doing a monthly newsletter soon which you can subscribe to from my website. I hope to write some ramblings of what I’m doing on the flower farm!

2025-03 Parish Council agenda 6 March 2025

1 March 202528 February 2025 by Fiona

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

Ms Fiona Clampin

Clerk to the Council

28th February 2025

Members of Gittisham Parish Council

You are hereby summoned to attend the March Parish Council Meeting to be held in Gittisham Parish Room on Thursday 6th March 2025 commencing at 7.30pm to discuss items on the Agenda and to make resolutions as appropriate.

Prior to the start of the meeting a period of 15 minutes is allowed to permit any resident to bring appropriate matters to the notice of the Council. Please contact the clerk if you would like to do this, preferably by email in advance of the meeting, with a question you wish to be raised with Councillors on your behalf.

To accept and approve apologies
To confirm the Minutes of the meeting held on 6th February 2025
To receive the Beat Manager’s report
To receive declarations of interest
To consider actions from last meeting not otherwise on the agenda
To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives
To receive a report on the Local Plan (Cllr Valentine), and consider contracting a planning consultant
To note the following application:
- 25/0375/PRETDD – Land at Garlands Gittisham EX14 3AJ – Notification of Tree works considered an exemption to 25/0012/TPO Holm Oak: removal of windblow
To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

To consider the provision of superfast broadband in the parish (Cllr Powell)
To note the latest planning decision notices (Cllr Orchard)
To receive an update on highways (Cllr Orchard)
To consider plans for expenditure in the parish under the Community Infrastructure Levy and S106, including the 2nd tranche of funds from Hayne Farm (Cllr Orchard & Cllr Hall)
To receive an update on public transport (Cllr Orchard)
To consider climate change measures within the parish, including proposals for rewilding land off Old Elm Road (Cllr Twist / Cllr Rowe)
To consider limited residential development in the parish (Cllr Valentine)
To consider the creation of a traffic-free amenity route linking Hayne Farm with Gittisham village (Cllr Rowe / Cllr Powell)
To consider the refurbishment and maintenance of the village play area
To consider the scope of future lengthsman work and recruitment

To receive a report from the Chair

To approve the March payments and to note the current bank balance:

F Clampin £266.75 clerk’s salary + £13.50 expenses (travel Ottery – Gittisham 7.5-mile round trip x 4 for agendas, minutes, vacancies & February meeting @0.45p / mile)

NEST (clerk’s pension) £28.08

To consider the casual vacancies in Gittisham Village & Gittisham Vale
To consider the level of Ward representation
To consider the parish council’s grant-giving policy, publication scheme, complaints policy, anti-fraud & corruption policy, Freedom of Information Scheme and code of conduct
To consider the Parish Council’s Statement of Internal Control, Financial Regulations and Risk Management
Clerk’s report
For information only; items for the forward agenda
To consider any late entry correspondence
To note the date of the next two meetings, April tbc and Thursday 1st May 2025 at 7.30pm.

F J Clampin – Clerk

Gittisham Parish Council

Annual Internal Audit Report 2024/25

www.gittisham.org.uk

Section 1 – Annual Governance Statement 2024/25

Gittisham Parish Council

05/06/2025

Section 2 – Accounting Statements 2024/25 for

160/24 To accept and approve apologies

161/24 To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 6th February 2025

162/24 To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

163/24 To receive declarations of interest

164/24 To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

165/24 To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Keeping our young people safe online

Thousands more children to receive Bikeability cycle training

Councils collaborate on devolution plans

166/24 To receive a report on the EDDC Local Plan and consider contracting a planning consultant

167/24 To note the following planning application:

168/24 To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

169/24 To receive a report from the Chair

170/24 To approve the March payments and to note the current bank balance

171/24 To consider the casual vacancies in Gittisham Village & Gittisham Vale

172/24 To consider the level of ward representation

173/24 To consider the parish council’s grant-giving policy, publication scheme, complaints policy, anti-fraud & corruption policy, Freedom of Information Scheme and code of conduct

174/24 To consider the Parish Council’s Statement of Internal Control, Financial Regulations and Risk Management

175/24 Clerk’s report

176/24 For information only; items for the forward agenda

177/24 To consider any late entry correspondence

178/24 Date of next two meetings

Booking for March

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Time