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

2025-01 Parish Council meeting minutes 6 February 2025

14 February 2025 by Fiona

Held in Gittisham Parish Room

Present:

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

Vale ward: Cllr P Orchard, Cllr A Powell

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

Apologies for absence: PCSO Darren England

142/24 To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted.

143/24 To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 9th January 2025

The minutes of the meeting held on 9th January 2025 were confirmed and signed by the Chair.

144/24 To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

December 2024:

Meadow Acre – 1 x anti-social behaviour

Hedge Field Close – 1 x violence and sexual offences

Hayne Lane – 1 x violence and sexual offences

145/24 To receive declarations of interest

Cllrs Hall and Valentine declared an interest in minute ref. 149/24 b). The Chair lives in a neighbouring property and Cllr Valentine uses the allotment.

146/24 To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

None.

147/24 To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Cllr Twiss said that as DCC moves in to the budget-setting month, it has been just as difficult as in previous years to be in a position to present a budget to full council later this month which balances and provides the best taxpayer value for council services.

He outlined where the £784 million council payer money goes; 79 per cent alone goes to Adult and Children services, which greatly reduces the amount available for other things that matter most to residents, such as roads and public transport. The DCC part of the council tax bill is proposed to rise by 4.99 per cent, which includes 2 per cent for social care, but is less than some other councils. DCC is the least well-funded county council in England and the next increase in what is termed ‘core funding’ for 2025/26 is 2.6 per cent, around the current rate of inflation.

This is set against a period of uncertainty in terms of Local Government, which is likely to see the end of district councils and the county council in Devon, replaced by unitary authorities, after the Local Governance Review is completed and the Government decides on the way forward. A far more detailed breakdown of how the budget is compiled can be found at https://democracy.devon.gov.uk/documents/s50974/Budget%20report.pdf

Schools in all districts across Devon now covered by Mental Health Support Team

Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) is proud to announce that schools across all districts in Devon are now able to access support from the Mental Health Support Team in Schools (MHST). This milestone achievement ensures that from 2025, nearly 70 per cent of children attending schools within Devon and Torbay can access early intervention that supports children and young people with their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

MHST’s initiative represents a significant investment in the future of children and young people across Devon and Torbay, bringing specialised mental health support to the classroom. With this rollout, MHST is not only levelling the playing field for students across all backgrounds but is also providing educators with powerful tools to create an enriched and mindful learning environment.

The Mental Health Support Team in Schools (MHST) is an NHS service commissioned to work with a number of schools across Devon and Torbay and in the community. MHST offers early intervention to help children and young people with their mental health and emotional wellbeing. MHST offers individual and group low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Li-CBT) evidence-based interventions. We additionally work in schools to support their ‘whole school approach’ to mental health by offering:

- workshops and training to children, families and education staff

- consultations

- Mental Health Ambassador Programme

- Mental Health Audits and much more.

For more information on The Mental Health Support Team in Schools (MHST) or Children and Family Health Devon, visit the Children and Family Health Devon website at https://childrenandfamilyhealthdevon.nhs.uk/

Free energy efficiency support for your home on offer

Householders who want to make their homes more energy efficient but are unsure of what steps to take next can get free impartial advice from trusted local experts at https://www.energysavingdevon.org.uk/

The Energy Saving Devon Advice Service provides personalised consultations, helping residents to make informed decisions about improving energy efficiency in their homes. This could include a free home visit from a local energy advisor to help you understand which energy saving measures are best suited to your home, advice on grants you may be eligible for as well as solutions to issues such as damp and mould, condensation or under heating.

Energy Saving Devon is a partnership of all the local authorities in Devon, local community energy organisations and other strategic partners, administered by Devon County Council. The Energy Saving Devon team will be able to advise you on the suitability of your home for measures such as insulation, energy efficient windows, heating and hot water systems and renewable energy systems like solar panels. Retrofitting these measures can make your home warmer and more comfortable as well as providing healthier living conditions, lower energy costs and lower carbon emissions.

To find out more, or to book your free home visit, contact your local community energy organisation by ‘phone or WhatsApp on 0800 999 1439, or email The Chair said she would contact the service to see if they would be interested in holding an event in the village hall.

Cllr Bruce said he noted with some dismay the BBC story about charging being introduced to use public toilets in our area, and concur with the anger of those interviewed. He has argued many times that, despite it being viewed as a non-statutory obligation by the council, in a civilised society it should be. Many would argue that we pay enough in rates as it is, he said, and we have an ageing population when unhindered access to toilets becomes a very relevant issue. Indeed, many of our residents and visitors of every age may need these facilities urgently and not have the means to pay. Sadly, he said, this appears to be yet another blow to the beleaguered pensioners in our district. Figures to clarify whether it would be more cost effective to keep some of the venerable toilet blocks, like those at Seaton, Budleigh and Honiton, rather than replace them with an ugly new edifice did not materialise in debate at EDDC. So Cllr Bruce said he was none the wiser as to how long the bill for the new would have covered maintenance of the old.

The strategic plan will have passed an important milestone by the time this report is submitted, said Cllr Bruce. A decision will have been made on the date for the start of public consultation, which will have to be before March 25th. The implications of this plan are profound and wide ranging. He encouraged all residents to take part in the consultation, as this plan will shape our area for many years to come. Already, despite having gone through the torturous journey to get to the allocations provisionally agreed, the goal posts have moved, and we find that the process has only produced 2.9 years of housing allocation instead of the government target of 5. So it’s going to be somewhat concerning to see where any further allocation will come from. Cllr Bruce said he remained hopeful that the hard reality that we cannot keep building housing on valuable land will eventually hit home. We shall see.

148/24 To receive a report on the EDDC Local Plan and consider contracting a planning consultant

Councillors discussed at length how the parish council should proceed in the light of the decision by EDDC’s Strategic Planning Committee to approve a policy which sees land west of Hayne Lane allocated for a mixed-use development to provide 310 homes and 14.6 ha to accommodate employment. The policy will still be subject to an examination in public by a planning inspector, but councillors were undecided on what could be gained by continuing to oppose what seems to be inevitable – particularly given Government targets for house building. It was agreed that Cllr Bruce should make enquiries at EDDC as to how much input the parish council can have in developing the masterplan for the area. This would be in order to represent the views of the parish and potentially influence the outcomes, especially when it comes to footpath links.

Cllr Twiss reported that the Clyst Valley had a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan in place (LCWIP), and the parish council should ask EDDC if something similar would be planned for this proposed allocation. He also suggested the parish council should ask if an infrastructure plan exists to support this mixed-use development.

Cllr Bruce left the meeting.

Cllr Twiss said he hoped residents would begin to see improvements in the condition of roads, as there is more money available to carry out repairs.

149/24 To consider the following planning applications:

1. 24/1420/MRES – Land Off Hayne Lane Gittisham Honiton 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

Cllrs Hall and Valentine left the meeting. Cllr Rowe took the Chair.

1. 25/0061/TCA – Allotment opposite Garlands Gittisham EX14 3AJ – G1 – a group of x1 Ash, x1 multi-stemmed Laurel and x1 multi-stemmed Holm Oak: – reduce the crown height and the crown spread of 1 x Ash tree, reducing the crown height by up 1.5 metres and reducing the crown spread by 2m on the trees eastern aspect, making natural target pruning cuts of up to 50 mm in diameter; – reduce in height, to approximately 2m above ground level the Laurel, pruning back all side branch growth from the eastern aspect, removing branch lengths of up to 3m and making natural target pruning cuts of up to 75 mm; – reduce the crown height and spread of the Holm Oak, reducing to approximately 3m above ground level and reducing the end weight and leverage of all stems; creating a new hedge line along this boundary.

Councillors resolved to have no objection to a). They asked if b) could be revised, following the recent storm damage to trees in the allotment.

Cllrs Hall and Valentine returned to the meeting and Cllr Hall retook the Chair.

150/24 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)

Cllr Powell outlined the options available at present to overcome the challenges so far experienced bringing superfast broadband to Gittisham village. He suggested linking up with other communities that have also been failed in the past. Cllr Twiss reported some recent discussions with his contacts, and asked Cllr Powell to draw up a summary of the history of attempts to bring superfast broadband to the parish.

Cllr Twiss left the meeting.

To note the latest planning decision notices

24/2260/VAR 1 Hamlet Cottages Weston Honiton EX14 3PB – Variation of Condition Number 2 (approved plans) on planning permission 21/2741/VAR (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) – modified design. Approval with conditions.

24/2200/FUL 1 Hamlett Close Gittisham EX14 3FR – Conversion of existing garage to living accommodation, with first floor extension over. Addition of external cladding. Approval.

To receive an update on Highways

17–19 February – road to Catshayes Farm closed for installation of replacement bridge railings. A diversion will be in place.

03– 08 April: road closed through Alfington again for SW Water.

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

Cllr Orchard said he had attended Honiton Town Council’s Sports Working Group meeting on 15^th January. There was no progress to report, as EDDC had not convened the meetings scheduled in October 2024.

Cllr Powell suggested the parish council would need to think about how CIL could be used, if there was further development in the parish. Members discussed the work identified following a walkabout of Hayne Farm with Mark Sexton from Baker Estates, and agreed a follow-up meeting should be arranged.

ACTION: Clerk to check with Baker Estates that missing safety fence near play area is included on the list.

To receive an update on public transport

Cllr Orchard said Network Rail would be carrying out work on the railway line between Salisbury and Yeovil Junction from Saturday 22 to Friday 28 February 2025. During the closure revised trains and replacement buses will operate.

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

Cllr Rowe said he had managed to speak to Paul at EDDC, but the council is waiting for a new staff member to join the team before any progress can be made. Members discussed purchasing a thermal imaging camera to investigate where leaks are.

The Chair said she had been in touch with DCC about potential solutions for the flooding underneath the Iron Bridge. During one week recently, flood water made it impassable on two separate occasions and a number of vehicles were stuck in the flood water. The Neighbourhood Highways Officer has suggested the parish council could fund a depth gauge to alert road users to the height of flood water. He visited the site and confirmed it is not an issue with the capacity of the drainage system or how it works, it is simply the amount of debris being washed into this area which is blocking the gully grates. There was some discussion about how effective a depth marker would be, but members agreed to pay for the gauge.

ACTION: Clerk to check how soon the gauge can be installed and whether the cost of £545 includes installation and VAT.

To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said the revised plans for the development would be on display in Gittisham Village Hall on Tuesday 11^th February, and also at the community kitchen during the same week. He reported that following comments by DCC’s ecologist, further survey work is required to be satisfied there will be no impact on populations of dormice and great crested newts. The Gittisham CLT AGM will be held on 11^th March.

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

Cllr Powell said he had been in touch with Tom Green at DCC, who said any new footpaths should be progressed through the planning system.

To consider the refurbishment and maintenance of the village play area

The clerk said she had requested the annual safety inspection.

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

The clerk said she had tried to contact other lengthsmen recommended by other parish councils, but so far to no avail.

151/24 To receive a report from the Chair

The Chair said she had received messages of thanks from the organisations in receipt of the parish council’s donations.

152/24 To consider joining the Blackdown Hills Parish Network

Members discussed the benefits of being members of the network, following an invitation from the Chair of Otterford Parish Council (and Chair of the BHPN). They resolved to join at an annual cost of £25.

153/24 To approve the February payments and to note the current bank balance

Members resolved to approve the following payments:

F Clampin £266.75 clerk’s salary + £19.13 expenses (travel Ottery – Gittisham 7.5-mile round trip x 3 for agendas, minutes & January meeting; travel Ottery – Cllr Twist’s house 10-mile round trip x2 @0.45p / mile)

DCC Highways £545 (ex VAT) depth gauge for Iron Bridge

Community Heartbeat Trust defib annual support package (Hayne Farm) £162

Blackdown Hills Parish Network annual subscription £25

NEST £28.08 (clerk’s pension)

Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £23,081.69 (which includes approximately £7,156.88 in the business reserve account).

154/24 To update the parish council’s bank mandate and add Cllr Rowe as authorised signatory

Members agreed to add Cllr Rowe to the parish council’s bank mandate as authorised signatory and account manager.

155/24 To consider the casual vacancies in Gittisham Village & Gittisham Vale

The clerk said if EDDC receives no request for an election at the end of a period of 14 working days from 6th February (ie by 25th), the Democratic Services Department will advise GPC that it may co-opt two people to the vacancies – one to represent Gittisham Vale and the other to represent Gittisham Village.

ACTION: Members to suggest gifts for former Cllrs Twist and Walker.

156/24 Clerk’s report

There was nothing to report.

157/24 For information only; items for the forward agenda

Lengthsman recruitment; casual vacancies and Ward representation.

158/24 To consider any late entry correspondence

None.

159/24 Date of next two meetings

Thursday 7th March and Thursday 3rd April 2025 at 7.30pm.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2145 hrs.

Chair…………………………………….

7th March 2025

Broadband

11 February 2025 by Alex

Getting fibre broadband to Gittisham – Cllr Adam Powell 2025

For last ten years or more, unsuccessful efforts have been made to connect properties in and around Gittisham village to fibre broadband; it has been promised and, in some instances, has come so close. Despite the surrounding localities of Honiton, Weston and Fenny Bridges, the later less than 2 miles away, being well connected to fibre, four independent companies contracted by CDS (Connecting Devon and Somerset) have run out of funds or capacity to connect Gittisham.

In 2024, Gittisham Parish Council (GPC), stepped up efforts to fight for a fibre broadband connection. GPC talked to the principal landowner, the Combe Estate, who had negotiated, at considerable expense, two routes to cross agricultural land. In early April, GPC met with our local MP, Richard Foord, he promptly wrote to Keri Denton at CDS, and he raised the issue of rural connectivity, mentioning Gittisham, in the House of Commons. Keri Denton advised that the resources of the current contractor, Airband, were running low, in autumn 2024 that proved the case; Airband cancelled 60% of its contract to Devon Villages including Gittisham. This happened a few days before Gittisham residences had scheduled a meeting with CDS in Gittisham Village Hall. Attended by over thirty Gittisham residents, they recounted how poor, erratic, or non-existent broadband speeds (generally less than 10 mbps) impacted their lives. Working from home, zoom meetings, studying and homework, accessing medical help, were all difficult or impossible. A villager working for Devon County Council said this meant travel by car to offices in Exeter, typically a one and a half hour round trip, when there is no congestion. The two representatives from CDS, apologised sympathetically, they explain the shortfall in resources, and pointed to possible grants available that might be combined between dwellings to achieve the true costs.

In late Spring 2024, GPC had written to Lisa Nandy’s office (Minister for Culture Media and Sport). The reply was swift and detailed, it also described the grants available and pointed to the government’s current initiatives to improve 4G and 5G mobile signal which could prove an alternative method of getting faster broadband.

GPC have investigated the grants available potentially up to £4500 being available per household, a quote given by Openreach recently to lay fibre to one property in the village came to £190,000 which makes this simply not affordable, even if grants are pooled.

The GPC have documented all of the above activity by writing to the press, three letters have been published. Many other Devon Parishes face a similar plight, many such as Broadhembury are not connected to fibre, others nearby such as Upottery and Offwell have shouted louder and achieved superfast broadband.

As long as market forces determine which parishes are worth connecting, those hard-to-reach areas will remain disadvantaged in a digital age advancing faster than we realise. This disadvantage contributes to rural isolation and rural poverty, making rural Devon a harder place to live for all generations and strata of society.

Previous History

To my knowledge over the last 10 years so far we’ve had,
BT Openreach – started putting in poles to string fibre to the village, however they had not got way leaves permission so they had to be removed. (circa 2017)

Gigaclear began installing ducting up to the the forge (2018) then went bankrupt
Voneus installed their point to point system for some homes in the village. (2019/20)

Jurassic Fibre approached the Parish Council with the intention of installing fibre to premises. (2021) They got quite far into developing the plan with the estate and was negotiating way leaves & were almost ready to start work in late (2022) when they sold out to Fern trading (2023) they then pulled the plan due to costs.

Air Band came again to a PC meeting with the intention of FTTP they even sponsored the fete (2023) but early this year they’ve also cut back on their build out as the connecting Devon and Somerset monies was not available.

Gittisham Gazette February 2025

10 February 2025 by Alex

WALK ON…

Surprisingly the beautiful Parish of Gittisham has one of the shortest lengths of footpaths and bridleways of any parish in Devon (less than 2km). That means there are fewer opportunities for Gittisham parishioners to simply get walking, by themselves, with their families, or their dogs, whether it be for recreation, or just going about our daily lives; work, shopping, visiting friends and relatives, and anything else not mentioned in the above (oh yes, running).

Here is the important point, that means we tend to use our cars more; well, that’s not good for our bodies or the environment. What’s more the lanes get more dangerous, and we all start moaning, as we drive along, that there are many more cars on the road than there used to be. Walking is a great way of relieving frustration and anxiety, using cars less is a positive contribution to reducing carbon emissions.

One of the projects Gittisham Parish Council has been busy with in recent years, is the establishment of safe walking routes within the Parish. The Parish Council has been focusing on establishing two functional routes. The first would follow existing farm tracks for about 750 metres from the Hayne Farm Shop, west around several fields, arable and pasture, to emerge on the lane into the village, just by a small pond. This is path would leave a walk of about the same distance into Gittisham Village on a lane, but it would enable residents of the new Hayne Farm Estate to access on foot the many community events at Gittisham Village Hall, visit the church or playground, and connect to walking routes far and beyond to Ottery St Mary, and even Sidmouth. Likewise, the route would provide a safer walking route for villagers to access Honiton facilities, or the local pubs. The second route under consideration would again use an old farm track from the Hayne Farm Estate, that went under a railway bridge traversing fields north and emerge, hey presto, at the entrance to the Combe Garden Centre, a total distance of less than 300 metres, but avoiding any traffic. The Garden Centre is a popular destination for Gittisham residents who, at the moment have to run the gauntlet along a busy single-track lane, dodging cars by hopping onto a narrow slippery grass verge, all rather treacherous.

Gittisham Parish Council has been in negotiations with the Combe Estate, Baker Estates, and Devon County Council. Understandably landowners are often reluctant to grant new rights of way, particularly when it may compromise farming. Devon County Council, in particular the highways department, has an interest in establishing new walking routes, as it believes in the well-being and environmental benefits. To that end DCC will negotiate new routes with landowners and, help fund maintenance once they are established. Historically, if one looks at old maps of the Parish around the 1900’s, there were many miles of functional routes for folk on foot. Farmers moved cattle, the postman, and doctor, and folk generally visited remoter dwellings by direct routes across the countryside. In recent times over the country, walking groups (like the Ramblers Association) and individuals, have tried quite legitimately to reopen such old routes by taking their legitimacy often as far as the courtroom. You may have heard in the last few weeks the present government removed the date of 2032 as the last date such disputed routes could be considered, there is now no time limit.

Anyway, before I start rambling on, this is an ongoing project that GPC are working steadily towards,

we have the support of the under resourced DCC, and we need to convince landowners of the huge

benefits that could ensue. If you support this project and, you might even want to get involved please get in touch, we could even form a small pressure group. Conversely, if you believe this is not the sort of activity the GPC should concern itself with, in the interests of democracy, please let us know.

Adam Powell – Gittisham Parish Councillor,

Norman Lockyer Observatory

GITTISHAM COMMUNITY LAND TRUST

There have been many changes to our village community over the past few years and perhaps the time is right to introduce to our new residents the work and objectives of the Gittisham Community Land Trust (GCLT) and at the same time to also update the rest of the community on the progress so far. The story is full of twists and turns!!!

The primary objective of the GCLT is to provide affordable housing to rent for people with a strong local connection to the village. The project has been 15 years in the making. It began with the identification of a housing need by the local community through the Parish Plan back in 2010. There were a number of practical obstacles to moving forward and nothing happened to investigate this perceived need until 2016. However, from these distant beginnings, the Community Land Trust emerged. Several events took place in 2016, including a Parish wide Housing Need survey, the outcome of which identified a need for 6 affordable homes to rent for the village community. The GCLT was formally registered as a Community Benefit Society in October 2018 and a Board of Directors was elected and accountable to shareholders within the Society. To meet EDDC Local Plan policy requirements the project must be a community led proposal. The GCLT then undertook a site selection process and a preferred site was identified at the former farm buildings serving Town Farm on Exeter Hill. The site was subsequently endorsed by the community at a public meeting in May 2019. The site lies outside the conservation area but it is washed over by the AONB. The proximity to listed buildings at Clyst Hayes and Town Farm House were recognised as important considerations to take into account in any design work. Other important considerations which needed to be addressed included access design, management of surface water, ecology, biodiversity, trees and landscaping.

Discussions with EDDC resulted in a mix of units, 4 x 2 bed and 2 x 3 bed, being agreed to provide the best balance of accommodation for the need identified and for subsequent ongoing need. A Housing Allocation Plan, which sets out the how the finished housing would be allocated with priority to persons with local connections, was prepared and agreed. A further check on housing need confirmed an ongoing need for 6 dwellings.

Throughout the project, the land owners, the Combe Estate, have been entirely supportive of this community project. They have provided the site at nil cost and will benefit by the provision of 3 serviced plots on the site for estate usage. Architect’s (ECA) were appointed and a Housing Association development partner, South Devon Rural HA (SDRHA) joined the development team in Spring 2020 together with a variety of site investigation consultants who were engaged to inform the design process. Inevitably the COVID lockdown periods (March 2020 to March 2021) created delays but a scheme emerged that picked up on aspects of the village in terms of layout, materials, setting and scale.

In February 2021 a pre-application submission was presented to EDDC and received a positive response with no additional information listed as being required. The details of the preferred scheme were put on display for public viewing and comment in the Village Hall in June 2021. The public exhibition was well attended and the vast majority of comments received were very supportive of the proposals that were presented. Further design work, together with options for managing surface water and ensuring an energy efficient development, were undertaken. At all times it must be remembered that there is a balance to be found between the cost limitations arising from the level of grant and capital funding available and

meeting every one’s expectation in respect of design, access, control of surface water etc., and of course, the core objective of delivering an affordable rented housing scheme. However, the initial costings indicated a significant overspend and consequently it was necessary to revisit the scheme to see where possible savings could be found without compromising the design concept as previously presented to the community. At this stage the SDRHA was confident that the scheme was viable. Unfortunately, we began to encounter a number of legal delays and negotiations with the Estate and the Housing Association became complicated.

In March 2023 SDRHA advised that it was unable to continue support the scheme. The loss of our HA partner at such an important stage was both disappointing and frustrating. The GCLT board in considering options for the way forward resolved that we should acknowledge the current difficulties but having achieved so much we should remain positive and proceed with the submission of the planning application

as soon as possible. A positive outcome to the planning application would provide a clear indication to any potential Housing Association partner of the wider merits of this proposal.

The planning application was submitted in February 2024 but legal issues involving the Land Registry delayed registration of the application by EDDC. Further delays in registration were encountered as a result of new legislation regarding Bio Diversity requirements. The planning application was finally registered as a valid application in June 2024. The planning application No is 24/0514/FUL. There was every reason to be optimistic that with a positive pre app consultation in 2021 and legal and site consultant reports completed, that the application would move smoothly to determination. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Despite the positive pre app outcome in 2021, English Heritage and the EDDC Conservation Officer raised design and siting objections to the proposed scheme. This was very disappointing and extremely frustrating given that the purpose of a pre app submission was to avoid such situations arising. The consequences of these new objections have been a need to review again of the design of the proposed dwellings together with some siting adjustments. The design changes to the development will show a different picture to that which was previously displayed to the community in 2021 and as a “community led” project it is important that continuing involvement of the community is maintained.

It is therefore planned that the revised drawings will be placed on display in the Village Hall on Tuesday 11^th February 2025 between 3.00pm and 8.00pm. Further viewing of the plans will be available at the Community Kitchen on Thursday 13^th February. Opportunities to comment will be available. The Annual General Meeting of the GCLT is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 11^th March 2025 at 7.00pm in the Village Hall. We would welcome any new members to the GCLT and application forms are available on the GCLT Web site (www.gittisham-clt.org.uk) and will be available at the commencement of the AGM. We would welcome new Directors to the GCLT Board and an application form will be circulated with the Notice of AGM papers.

David Valentine, Chairman GCLT

Gittisham Parish Council FEBRUARY 2025 REPORT

Five councillors met for the February meeting. Alasdair Bruce (EDDC), Phil Twiss (DCC) and one member of the public were also present. Energy saving. Phil Twiss said householders who want to make their homes more energy-efficient but are unsure of what steps to take next can get free impartial advice from trusted local experts at https://www.energysavingdevon.org.uk/ The Energy Saving Devon Advice Service provides personalised consultations, helping residents to make informed decisions about improving energy efficiency in their homes. This could include a free home visit from a local energy advisor to help you understand which energy saving measures are best suited to your home, advice on grants you may be eligible for as well as solutions to issues such as damp and mould, condensation or under heating. To find out more, or to book your free home visit, contact your local community energy organisation by ‘phone or WhatsApp on 0800 999 1439, or email Carol Hall said she was waiting to hear from the service to see if they would be interested in holding an event in the village hall. EDDC Local Plan. Councillors discussed at length how the parish council should proceed in the light of the decision by East Devon District Council’s Strategic Planning Committee to approve a policy which sees land west of Hayne Lane allocated for a mixed-use development to provide 310 homes and 14.6 ha to accommodate employment. The policy will still be subject to an examination in public by a planning inspector, but councillors were undecided on what could be gained by continuing to oppose what seems to be inevitable – particularly given Government targets for house building. It was agreed that Alasdair Bruce should make enquiries at EDDC as to how much input the parish council can have in developing the masterplan for the area. Finance. Members agreed the finances. Crimes. December 2024: Meadow Acre – 1 x anti-social behaviour Hedge Field Close – 1 x violence and sexual offences Hayne Lane – 1 x violence and sexual offences Planning applications. a) 24/1420/MRES – Land Off Hayne Lane Gittisham Honiton 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 b) 25/0061/TCA – Allotment opposite Garlands Gittisham EX14 3AJ – variety of tree pruning measures Councillors had no objection to a). They asked if b) could be revised, following the recent storm damage to trees in the allotment. Road closures. 17–19 February – road to Catshayes Farm closed for installation of replacement bridge railings. A diversion will be in place. 03-08 April: road closed through Alfington again for SW Water. Casual vacancies – new councillors wanted. The clerk said if EDDC receives no request for an election at the end of a period of 14 working days from 6^th February (i.e. by 25^th), the Democratic Services Department will advise GPC that it may co-opt two people to the vacancies. Co-option is the process by which the parish council selects a new councillor. Next meeting. Thursday 7^th March at 7.30pm in the parish room.

Gittisham Village Hall Committee February 2025

10 February 20254 February 2025 by Alex

Date	Tuesday 4^th February 2024
Present	Nick, Damian, Claire, Alex, Maggie, Stella, Toni & Bill Observing Kate & Jess
Apologies	Pierre & Steve
Next meet	Next meeting: Tuesday 4th March
Item	Details	Actions
All actions	New Actions Gary to be thanked by Claire for his Coffee and Cake afternoon Stephen to advertise the hall as a flexible workspace on booking portals. Damian and Carol to agree a process to reconcile booking income to list of bookings. Jess to research booking software/website plug-ins Damian continues to chase the installation of a smart meter. All to send Chair leaving present ideas to Nick. Damian to remove Hamish from current account once trustee situation resolved. Damian to meet with Alex and Nick to with it best cash flow All to review emerging lottery grant application and comment on google doc. Stella Kitchen worktops coming on 19th Feb Bill, Damian & Claire to become charity trustees. Bill, to plaster/paint around the boiler Damian to add further signatories to the current account, Nick and Stella Alex to communicate date on whatsapp to remove debris from the loft
Committee members and governance	The committee welcomed the observing members. Members met on January 21st to review the draft, ACRE recommended our document follow their model. If our current document meets the requirements then there is no need to adjust the current governance plan. Stella to continue to work with ACRE and DCT. To increase the number of trustees, see the actions above. It was proposed to move our AGM forward to the May 2025 date to be confirmed in the March meeting.	Stella
Finance	Damian presented the latest financial reports – see summary in Annex. The current balance is £24,771.56 The higher number is currently due to the successful EDDC grant application. Social events are ahead of last year due to the great efforts of the committee. Some expenses are larger year on year as payments were carried over from the previous year. Oven fundraising activity has been itemised. Still, some clarification is needed for bookings to be confirmed against payment history, Damian proposes to give Carol access to the bank accounts for easier reconciliation.	Damian Damian/Carol
Grants	EDDC Grant progressing, and Flexeco are progressing with gaining approval from the national grid to install the solar array. DCC Grant was also successful, the timeline needs to be confirmed by Damian as the grant is paid in arrears. Insulation to be fitted in early March Windows and doors to be fitted in mid-March. A decision was taken to make a retrospective planning should the need arise, for the new windows All to continue looking for grants and filling in the lottery grant	Alex

Maintenance	The consumer unit has been upgraded A new Lincat hob/oven has been installed! Repainting of toilets to be looked into. Plastering and repainting around the gas water heater in thekitchen	Stella Claire Bill
Bookings	It was noted that a better system is needed to reconcile bookings with payments – Damian and Carol will meet to review.	Damian/Jess
Future events	Future events schedule agreed as follows: Friday 7^th February, Damian’s Joanna Southcott talk. £2.50 on the door 7pm Saturday 22^nd February, cake sale, Clare to lead. Tuesday 4th March Tip Tip Toe 4pm. Friday 7^th March, next evening talk, Tales around the fire Maggie and Paul to lead a discussion on village history. Saturday 29^th March, cake sale, no nominated lead. Saturday 29^th March, Easter Bingo, Stella and Claire leading. Friday-Saturday April 25^th–26th, Gittisham cabaret. Sunday 15^th June, Father’s Day BBQ. Potential future events: A networking event for local businesses, children’s themed, Hardy talk / gardening talk / astronomy talk Spanish event	All
AOB	The Committee resolved not to charge the Church if they wish to book the hall for 3 of their future events this year.

Accounts to be published here when available.

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

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

New kitchen refurb: sink, worktop…or full kitchen

Replace two front windows

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

Replace all windows, not just front windows

Bin Store

2025-02 Parish Council agenda 6 Feb 2025

31 January 2025 by Fiona

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

Ms Fiona Clampin

Clerk to the Council

31st January 2025

Members of Gittisham Parish Council

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

To accept and approve apologies
To confirm the Minutes of the meeting held on 9th January 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 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 Twist & 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

9. To receive a report from the Chair

To consider joining the Blackdown Hills Parish Network
To approve the February payments and to note the current bank balance:

DCC Highways £545 (ex VAT) depth gauge for Iron Bridge

Community Heartbeat Trust defib annual support package (Hayne Farm) £162

Blackdown Hills Parish Network annual subscription £25

NEST (clerk’s pension) £28.08

To update the parish council’s bank mandate and to add Cllr Rowe as authorised signatory
To consider the casual vacancies in Gittisham Village & Gittisham Vale
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, Thursday 7th March and Thursday 3rd April 2025 at 7.30pm.

F J Clampin – Clerk

2025-01 Parish Council meeting minutes 9 January 2025

19 January 2025 by Fiona

Held in Gittisham Parish Room

Present:

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

Vale ward: Cllr P Orchard

In attendance: One member of the public, Fiona Clampin (clerk)

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

Before the start of the meeting, one member of the public living on the Hayne Farm development offered to be involved in any projects that would improve biodiversity in the parish. They said they’d already begun installing specific plants which encourage pollinators at their home and elsewhere. The member of the public said they’d like to see more appropriate plants and trees planted at Hayne Farm. Cllr Valentine observed that EDDC’s emerging Local Plan would have to adhere to biodiversity net gain principles, which means that whatever the biodiversity is in a given area, an equivalent amount plus ten per cent has to be achieved in new developments.

One member of the public left the meeting.

123/24 To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted.

124/24 To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 5th December 2024

The minutes of the meeting held on 5th December 2024 were confirmed and signed by the Chair.

125/24 To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

November 2024:

Hedge Field Close – 2 x violence and sexual offences

Hamlett Close – 1 x violence and sexual offences

Nether Close – 1 x violence and sexual offences

Parsonage Lane – 2 x violence and sexual offences

ACTION: Clerk to enquire what the descriptions mean in practice.

126/24 To receive declarations of interest

None.

127/24 To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

The clerk said Michael Poll confirmed he had cut the wild area grass in September 2024. The Chair said this should also be done in May, with the clippings left on the ground for two weeks and then removed.

ACTION: Cllr Rowe to contact Devon Wildlife Trust for advice on grass cutting in a wild area.

128/24 To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

In his absence, Cllr Twiss sent the following report:

Highways

“The subject of roads, drains and ditches is a very frequent topic in correspondence with constituents, where a lack of adequate funding makes it nigh on impossible to maintain the largest highways network in England at more than 8,000 miles to an acceptable standard. In large part this is because most of DCC’s funding goes on Adult and Children’s Services operations, much of it legally required, where demand has increased massively, without being followed by extra funding to cover the rising demand. It was possible to put an extra £12m in to pothole repair and patching which has had a positive impact on the network.

Just before Christmas, DCC received good news that Devon has been allocated £83.6m from the Government for repairs, more than any other council in the U.K. This is broken down as £61.7m in 2025/26 and £22.5m in 2026/27. This will have a significant impact on the quality of the highways network, but is subject to certain criteria being met including highways, bridges, cycle ways etc and is not just for fixing potholes. In the coming weeks and months, plans will be drawn up as to how this funding can be put to best use.

Stop smoking

The DCC Public Health Team is promoting the ‘Stop smoking, Stop for Life’ campaign. Devon’s free Stop Smoking Service can help people to achieve a smoke-free journey in 2025. The friendly team of expert coaches guide you through a personalised 12-week programme of behaviour change coaching, practical tools and nicotine replacement therapy. They’ll make quitting easier and more achievable than ever. Quitting smoking is one of the best decisions you can make for your health and wellbeing.

Here are some of the top benefits:

Improved Health: Your body starts to heal almost immediately. Within 20 minutes, your heart rate and blood pressure drop, and after just 72 hours, your breathing becomes easier. Long-term, you’ll reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.
Better Breathing: Your lung capacity improves, making it easier to stay active and enjoy daily activities.
More Energy: With better circulation and oxygen levels, you’ll feel more energetic and less fatigued.
Enhanced Senses: Your sense of taste and smell return, letting you fully enjoy your favourite foods.
Healthier Skin: Stopping smoking improves blood flow, giving your skin a more radiant, youthful appearance.
Financial Savings: Cutting out cigarettes saves you hundreds or even thousands of pounds a year.
Protecting Loved Ones: Quitting reduces second-hand smoke exposure, creating a healthier environment for family and friends. Everyday smoke-free is a step towards a longer, healthier life!

Start your smoke free journey today: https://stopforlifedevon.org/get-started/ or tel. 0800 122 3866. For general queries: and for referrals:

Cold weather and health

Whilst somewhat stating the obvious for much of this and circumstances clearly vary for a variety of reasons, but nonetheless worth repeating: exposure to cold weather can affect anyone, and some people are particularly at risk. These include:

older people (aged 65 years and over)
people with long-term health conditions such as cardiovascular or respiratory disease, or a mental health condition
pregnant women
young children (particularly those aged 5 and under)
people with learning disabilities
people at risk of falls
people who live alone and may be unable to care for themselves
people who are housebound or have low mobility
people living in deprived circumstances

Keep your home warm

You should heat your home to a temperature that is comfortable for you. Low indoor temperatures can have a serious impact on your health, especially if you have medical conditions or are older. Simple changes can help to keep you and your home warm. These include:

try to heat rooms you spend a lot of time in, such as the living room or bedroom, to at least 18°C
try to reduce draughts; you can fit draft excluders around doors cheaply
keep your bedroom windows closed at night
wear several layers of thinner clothing; this could keep you warmer than one thicker layer

Seek financial support

People in financial difficulty may find it more difficult to heat their homes sufficiently. This increases the risk of becoming unwell due to cold exposure. There are grants, benefits and sources of advice available to help you make your home more energy-efficient, improve your heating or help manage energy bills. There are also support measures in place to help with the cost of living, especially for those on low incomes. For example, if you claim certain benefits or tax credits, you may be eligible for an extra payment from the government to help with the cost of living. The government has published energy-saving tips to help save money on bills.

Look after yourself and others

There are other things you can do to reduce risks from cold exposure to yourself and others around you. You can get vaccinated to help reduce risk from respiratory illnesses during the winter. This is particularly important if you have certain long-term health conditions that mean you are more vulnerable to the effects of cold weather. You can check your eligibility for a flu vaccination or COVID-19 booster online. Contact your pharmacist or GP or visit the NHS England website to learn more.

You should treat minor winter ailments like colds or sore throats promptly. NHS England provides information on steps you can take to manage colds or sore throats yourself, and when it may be appropriate to visit your local pharmacist for further advice and treatment. If you are worried about your health or feeling down, contact your local pharmacist, NHS 111 or your GP, who will all be able to offer advice and support. In an emergency, dial 999.

When you are indoors, there are things you can do that will help keep you warm and reduce the risk of developing medical problems, for example:

try not to sit still for more than an hour or so
if you find it difficult to move about, stretching your arms and legs can also help keep you warm
if you have visitors, it can help stop the spread of germs to ventilate the room for a few minutes before and after they arrive; you might be more comfortable leaving the window open during their visit, if it’s not too cold.

When out and about, wear shoes with a good grip to avoid slips and falls on slippery or icy surfaces. If bad weather is forecast, plan ahead and check that you’ve got enough medication and food in case it’s harder to leave the house. If you cannot leave the house, try to identify others who might be able to help pick up food and medication on your behalf.

Other people around you, particularly older neighbours, family friends and neighbours, may need extra support during cold weather. To support others you can:

keep in touch with them and ask whether they are feeling unwell, or whether they need any practical help
if bad weather is forecast, see if they need any help stocking up on food and medication
if you are worried about someone else’s health, contact your local pharmacist, your GP or NHS 111, who will all be able to offer advice and support
if you think they may have hypothermia, contact NHS 111 for further assessment, and in an emergency dial 999; typical signs that someone may be suffering from hypothermia include shivering, slow breathing, tiredness or confusion and pale, cold skin.

In his absence, Cllr Bruce sent the following report: “It’s been relatively quiet over the Christmas period with much of the council work concentrating on weather-related work, especially our coastal towns.

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of where we are with the strategic plan, as there appears to have been a need to revisit sites previously deferred due to a shortfall in the achieved housing numbers. This whole process, in my opinion, has been poorly handled by the council. There has been limited, sometimes missing, public consultation on many aspects of the process, which I believe has left the public disconnected and disenfranchised with this important element of council work. It will be interesting to see what happens with some of these sites if they come before the planning inspector.

“Unfortunately the results of Thursday’s full council debate on the government’s devolution white paper will not be available for this Parish meeting. However, the direction of travel is evident by the recent statement from all the Devon district leaders. A view I share is that the proposals are detrimental to local democracy, and will lead to a drop in the delivery of services to our communities. Somerset’s example of this change is far from encouraging.”

Councillors also discussed the regular flooding at Iron Bridge underneath the A30. The Chair said she would contact Cllr Twiss to see if anything can be done, as cars often get stuck there following periods of heavy rain. Cllr Orchard added that the grill had been cleared from the balancing pond.

ACTION: Chair to contact Cllr Twiss re old A30.

129/24 To receive a report on the EDDC Local Plan and consider contracting a planning consultant

Cllr Valentine outlined the policy approved by EDDC in December, and quoted from Chapter 6: “Land to the west of Hayne Lane, on the western side of Honiton, is allocated for a mixed-use development to provide:

310 homes
6 hectares of land to accommodate employment and community uses.

“This allocation will need to come forward on the basis of an agreed masterplan for the whole site that clearly demonstrates how comprehensive development will be undertaken and implemented. Southern parts of the site are in the East Devon National Landscape and this area will require very careful design to take account of its landscape setting. On the western edges the site is close to the historic village of Gittisham and particular sensitivity will need to be attached to preventing adverse heritage impacts. These southerly and westerly parts will be best suited for open space uses.

“Commercial and employment uses will need to be concentrated to the north of the railway line bisecting the site with residential uses to the south. Community facilities, to include a shop or shops and a hall, will need to be provided within or next to residential parts of the development. There will be the need for attractive and safe pedestrian and cycle linkages between the southern and northern parts of the site (ideally utilising an existing passage under the railway that lies in a roughly mid-way point in the allocation).”

Cllr Valentine suggested the parish council should approach Cllr Bruce to find out if EDDC can offer any guidance on GPC being involved in any future discussions and plans to develop the area. He added that it may be too early at this point, as the Local Plan examination in public is not expected to take place until later this year.

The clerk said she had circulated GPC’s letter of complaint to EDDC to all East Devon parish clerks. Some had replied and said their own experience of the Local Plan site selection process had been similar.

ACTION: Clerk to ask Lympstone Parish Council if it has received any response from EDDC following LPC’s complaint.

130/24 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)
- ACTION: Cllr Rowe to draft some information for the Gittisham website outlining the story so far.
To note the latest planning decision notices
None.

To receive an update on Highways

16 January – road to Catshayes Farm closed for installation of South West Water sewer level equipment

03– 08 April: road closed through Alfington again for SW Water.

ACTION: Cllr Orchard to ask Cllr Twiss to enquire as to why it’s felt necessary to close the road during term time, with corresponding disruption to school transport.

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

Cllr Orchard said he would attend Honiton Town Council’s Sports Working Group meeting on 15^th January to discuss projects.

To receive an update on public transport

Members agreed to continue with the clipboard in the village & Vale bus shelters to note late-running services.

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

The clerk said she had received advice from DALC as to whether the parish council could apply for an interest-free loan to cover the village hall committee’s costs of replacing windows and doors, and installation of solar panels, insulation and replacement of lighting. This would be until grant aid is paid. However, DALC’s advice was as follows: “The council has a power to grant funds, and this might be an option in this instance. However, you do not have powers to take out a loan on behalf of a third party. A couple of additional points for consideration: firstly, once funds are in the council’s bank account, they become “councils’ funds”. Secondly, NALC’s view on “holding funds for a third party” is that it should not be done. You would, in effect be a “banking facility” and this is not within your powers.

“You could take out a loan and then “gift” funds to the Village Hall Charity, however, there are stringent rules about councils borrowing and a specific process councils must follow when applying for a loan, for any purpose. We would also suggest you appoint a solicitor for appropriate legal advice if you do consider going down this route.”

To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said the Gittisham CLT board would be meeting on 14^th January to discuss next steps.

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

There was no update on this.

To consider the refurbishment and maintenance of the village play area

The clerk said she had asked DALC for advice whether it was necessary to go out to tender every year for the maintenance work. DALC’s advice was that “if your financial regulations don’t require you to go out for tender, then there’s no need to do so, provided that the council is sure it is getting best value for money.” GPC’s financial regulations state: “where it is intended to enter into a contract: (1) exceeding £5000 in value for the supply of goods or materials or for the execution of works or specialist services other than such goods, materials, works or specialist services as are excepted as set out in paragraph (a) the Clerk shall invite tenders from at least three firms.” Therefore it is not necessary to tender for the maintenance contract while it still comes in under £5,000.

Members resolved to approve Michael Poll’s services for another year to maintain the play area, with a slight increase from £65 to £70 / cut.

ACTION: Clerk to contact Alvian Ltd about annual safety inspection.

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

The clerk said DALC had clarified that councillors cannot be paid for services provided to the parish council, such as lengthsman work. The parish council has budgeted for £1,600 for the year, which would equate to £20 / hr for 80 hours’ work.

ACTION: Clerk to contact lengthsmen suggested by other parish councils to see if they would be interested in tendering for the work.

131/24 To receive a report from the Chair

The Chair said there was nothing to report this month.

132/24 To approve the January payments and to note the current bank balance

Members resolved to approve the following payments:

F Clampin £266.75 clerk’s salary + £10.13 expenses (travel Ottery – Gittisham 7.5-mile round trip x 3 for agendas, minutes & December meeting @0.45p / mile)

Information Commissioner £35 Annual membership (direct debit)

TRIP £80 Donation

Force £80 Donation

Hospiscare £80 Donation

Diabetes UK £80 Donation

Citizens Advice £80 Donation

Gittisham Gazette printing costs, December 2024 £15

Gittisham PCC, parish room hire Oct–Dec 2024 £30

NEST £28.08 (clerk’s pension)

Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £23,378.93 (which includes approximately £7,156.88 in the business reserve account).

133/24 To agree the budget for 2025-26

The clerk circulated a spreadsheet showing forecast expenditure for 2025/26 and likely expenditure for the rest of the current tax year. Members resolved to set budget expenditure for 2025-26 at £10,730, with future projects a separate total expenditure of £12,200. There is VAT still to be claimed of approximately £1,704.32.

134/24 To set the precept for 2025-26

Councillors voted unanimously to increase the precept to £10,927.25, the balance of the budget to be taken from reserves. Members agreed that as the population of the parish had continued to increase, this does not represent a rise at the individual level.

135/24 To consider donations to organisations under S137 and Transport

Members agreed to donate £80 each to TRIP, Force, Hospiscare, Citizens Advice & Diabetes UK.

136/24 To discuss future projects requiring parish council involvement

Councillors agreed that other plants could be included in the money set aside in the 2025/26 budget for tree planting.

137/24 To consider the casual vacancy in Gittisham Village

The Chair said Janet Twist had resigned from the parish council. Councillors joined the Chair in thanking Janet for her dedication to the council and service to the local community. There are now two vacancies on the parish council, one to represent Gittisham Vale and the other to represent Gittisham Village. If you are interested in taking up one of these roles, please contact for more details. The posts will be advertised in due course.

ACTION: Clerk to check level of councillor representation as outlined in DALC email previously.

138/24 Clerk’s report

There was nothing to report.

139/24 For information only; items for the forward agenda

Lengthsman recruitment; bank mandate; casual vacancies.

140/24 To consider any late entry correspondence

None.

141/24 Date of next two meetings

Thursday 6th February and Thursday 7th March 2025 at 7.30pm.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2130 hrs.

Chair…………………………………….

6th February 2025

	A parish newsletter brought to you by Gittisham Parish Council and St Michael’s Church
What’s On At the village hall– Coffee & Cake Saturday 22^thFebruary 2.30-4.30 Community Land Trust Display of Plans Tuesday 11th February 3-8pm Tip Tip Toe Tuesday 4^th March 4pm __ 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	Tip Tip Toe, Tip Tip Toe, please for a penny and then we’ll go Tip Toeing is the name given to a house-visiting custom held every Shrove Tuesday in Gittisham. After a legendary tea, the children call at houses chanting “Tip Tip Toe, Tip Tip Toe, please for a Penny and then we’ll go!” and once their money is collected, they move on to the next house. The cash is collected in specially made antique wooden money boxes and is divided among the children at the end. It’s been a tradition in Gittisham for generations and some believe its origins may lie in a boundary marking custom but no-one knows for sure. Though this event is run for children it isn’t connected to school so always takes place on Shrove Tuesday even when that is during the half term holiday. It’s very much a small community event so don’t expect a crowd or a big fuss. In 2025 Shrove Tuesday falls on 4th March. Exact timing for this event is tricky – it depends how quickly the children wolf down their tea. Usually, the tea ends at around 5 o’clock, and the Tip Tip Toeing following it lasted until about 6.15. Reflections from St Michael’s Julia Barratt At last January has come to an end and slowly, slowly the light is returning, as the snowdrops, once more commonly known as ‘Candlemas bells’, signal that Spring is on its way. In fact Candlemas on Feb 2nd marks the mid-point of winter, halfway between the shortest day of the year and the spring equinox, Candlemas also marks the end of Epiphany as the last great festival of the Christmas Season, long after most people have packed up away their Christmas decorations! Candlemas was and still is in some churches, a time when candles are blessed for use in the year to come, to be lit as symbols of the Christ light revealed to the world. Holocaust Memorial day on Jan 27^th this year was a sombre reminder of the need to burn the candles of hope and peace brightly in a world where mass killing of unarmed civilians and destruction of whole cities is still viewed by some as acceptable “co-lateral” in armed conflict. In the coming days as we turn our thoughts towards Lent and preparations for Easter, the need to hold on to hope, to keep alive the light of the peace and joy of Christ in our hearts and minds is more pressing than most of us have known in our lifetime.
St Michael Church Services Sunday 9th Feb 11am Holy Communion Sunday 23rd Feb 11am Morning Worship Wednesday March 5th Ash Wednesday 7pm Ashing in Church Sunday March 9th 11am Holy Communion Mothering Sunday 30th March 11am Holy Communion with blessing and distribution of posies Church 200 Club January Draw Results 1st Mrs J Lovell 2nd Miss S Trumper 3rd Julie Broadhurst Natter & nibbles at Gittisham farmhouse Saturday 15th February & 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! No booking just turn up!	St Michael’s Church PCC The Church of St Michaels is a central and much-loved part of our village and community. Whether or not you are a regular church goer it offers a number of different benefits: a place of worship, a place for ceremonies and special occasions, a final resting place for loved ones, a meeting place, somewhere to go and sit and think or just a beautiful building and space to admire. The PCC who are tasked with overseeing the running of our Church needs to raise money to cover general running costs and forthcoming maintenance. One of the ways to give is through the Parish Giving Scheme which is done by regular direct debit and enables the PCC to claim the gift aid too. Please consider giving a regular amount no matter how small. Contact for further details. Gittisham Village Hall Dear Parishioners and Friends of Gittisham Parish Hall We need to thank you for all your support over the last 12 months which has led to the recent purchase, not just of the new cooker but also half a kitchens worth of units too! We are pleased to report that at last, the new cooker was installed on 29th Jan. We have needed some electrical upgrades which have now been completed and some shiny new stainless-steel units will also be installed mid Feb. Obviously we will be doing our best to reduce any impact to residents and hirers whilst work is ongoing. We are hopeful that with your support we will be able to complete the kitchen later this year with more units and perhaps even a fabulous new fridge! We would be delighted to hear from anyone who feels they might be able to help us either with the organisation of social events or by joining the friendly committee. Do get in touch. In the diary this month: Feb 22nd. Cake sale 2.30-4.30 March 29th, Easter Bingo 7 for 7.30pm Hope to see you at some or all of the above! From Hall Committee: Stella, Toni, Maggie, Claire, Alex, Bill, Stephen, Nick, Pierre and Damian.

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

142/24 To accept and approve apologies

143/24 To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 9th January 2025

144/24 To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

145/24 To receive declarations of interest

146/24 To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

147/24 To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Schools in all districts across Devon now covered by Mental Health Support Team

Free energy efficiency support for your home on offer

148/24 To receive a report on the EDDC Local Plan and consider contracting a planning consultant

149/24 To consider the following planning applications:

150/24 To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

151/24 To receive a report from the Chair

152/24 To consider joining the Blackdown Hills Parish Network

153/24 To approve the February payments and to note the current bank balance

154/24 To update the parish council’s bank mandate and add Cllr Rowe as authorised signatory

155/24 To consider the casual vacancies in Gittisham Village & Gittisham Vale

156/24 Clerk’s report

157/24 For information only; items for the forward agenda

158/24 To consider any late entry correspondence

159/24 Date of next two meetings

Previous History

123/24 To accept and approve apologies

124/24 To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 5th December 2024

125/24 To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

126/24 To receive declarations of interest

127/24 To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

128/24 To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Highways

Stop smoking

Cold weather and health

Keep your home warm

Seek financial support

Look after yourself and others

129/24 To receive a report on the EDDC Local Plan and consider contracting a planning consultant

130/24 To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

131/24 To receive a report from the Chair

132/24 To approve the January payments and to note the current bank balance

133/24 To agree the budget for 2025-26

134/24 To set the precept for 2025-26

135/24 To consider donations to organisations under S137 and Transport

136/24 To discuss future projects requiring parish council involvement

137/24 To consider the casual vacancy in Gittisham Village

138/24 Clerk’s report

139/24 For information only; items for the forward agenda

140/24 To consider any late entry correspondence

141/24 Date of next two meetings

Time

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