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.

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 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

Gittisham Gazette January 2025

13 January 2025 by Alex

Gittisham Parish Council JANUARY 2025 REPORT

Four councillors met for the January meeting. One member of the public was also present. DCC Highways. In his report Phil Twiss (DCC) said that Devon has been allocated £83.6m from the government funding for repairs fund, more than any other council in the UK. This is broken down as £61.7m in 2025/26 and £22.5m in 2026/27. He said 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. Councillors also discussed the regular flooding at Iron Bridge on the old A30. The Chair said she would contact Phil Twiss to see if anything can be done, as cars often get stuck there following periods of heavy rain. EDDC Local Plan. David Valentine explained that East Devon District Council’s Strategic Planning Committee had approved 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. According to EDDC’s policy document, “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.” This is part of East Devon’s Local Plan, which will have to go to a public enquiry. Finance. Members agreed the budget for 2025/26 and the parish precept was increased to £10,927.25; as the population of the parish has increased, this should not represent a rise at the individual level. Crimes. 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 Donations. Members agreed to donate money to Force, Diabetes UK, TRIP, Citizens Advice and Hospiscare. Road closures. 16 January: Lane to Catshayes Farm closed for installation of South West Water sewer level equipment. 03-08 April: road closed through Alfington again for SW Water. Peter Orchard said he would ask Phil Twiss to enquire as to why it’s felt necessary to close the road during term time, with corresponding disruption to school transport. Casual vacancies – new councillors wanted. 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. Next meeting. Thursday 6th February at 7.30pm in the parish room.

Gittisham Village Hall Committee January 2025

19 February 202513 January 2025 by Alex

Date	Tuesday 7^th January 2024
Present	Nick, Damian, Claire, Alex, Steve, Maggie, Bill, StellaObserving: Toni
Apologies	Pierre
Next meet	Next meeting: Tuesday 21^st January – 6pm, Village Hall – specifically on governance Next full meeting: Tuesday 4^th February – 7.30pm, Village Hall

Item	Details	Actions
All actions	*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. *Damian* continues to chase the installation of a smart meter. *Maggie* to cut four new keys using Maggie’s key as a template. *Stella* to send round next iteration of the governance document before 21^st January. New actions:All to send Chair leaving present ideas to Nick. Damien to remove Hamish from current account once trustee situation resolved. Damian to undertake a further analysis of projected total income vs projected total expenditure to guide decision-making at the upcoming January 21^st meeting.Damian to renew insurance contract with existing provider for three-year term, also considering hazardous activity. Alex to alert the Combe Estate to the imminent installation of solar panels, advertise EDDC CO grant success and meet terms of grant application. All to review emerging lottery grant application and comment on google doc. Stella to progress £3231 of kitchen works with further investment discussed on 21^st. Stella and Alex to co-ordinate payment and timing of fuse box upgrade works. Stephen to write a card to Ed Fuller to say thank you for talk. Claire to lead stepped up marketing initiatives. Nick to buy haggis. Maggie to coordinate with Sue and committee on Burns Night catering. Damian to advertise Joanna Southcott talk and make poster. Alex to change wi-fi network and passwords.
Committee members and governance	Committee members to send ideas for Hamish leaving gifts to Nick. Stella continues to iterate the initial governance document / constitution, adding in details on the charity’s affiliations and drawing on examples from other VH governance documents. The meeting agreed that a dedicated meeting was needed to consider further: this will take place on Tuesday 21^st January at 6pm at the Village Hall, with draft document circulated in advance by Stella. As acting Chair Nick suggested that once the governance arrangements were clarified a Special General Meeting was needed in order to re-establish key committee roles. A date for this could be set at the 21^st. However, the committee noted that Nick’s continued presence as Chair may be beneficial for the coming months whilst a number of complicated issues remain in play.	All Stella
Finance	Damian presented the latest financial reports – see summary in Annex. Thanks to substantial fundraising efforts and generous grant donations, year-to-date income (£13.7k) is significantly outstripping outgoings (£5.2k). Further significant income opportunities before the end of the financial year are Burns Night and the Easter Bingo. Significant outgoings remain to be paid in this financial year in relation to a) the Carbon Offset EDDC grant (£2565), b) the new cooker and associated kitchen improvements (£3231-£7014), and c) insurance renewal. As previously agreed by the committee, in-year outgoings must not exceed in-year income, as this would entail a third successive year of loss-making which would be detrimental to the charity and its chances of success in future grant applications. The committee agreed that spend may need to be sequenced carefully in the coming weeks to prevent this from occurring. Damian will undertake a further analysis of projected total income vs projected total expenditure to guide decision-making at the upcoming January 21^st meeting. The committee approved the Treasurer’s recommendation to renew the insurance contract with the existing provider over a three-year term. Damian to look into the provision of bouncy castles and other potentially hazardous equipment in the terms of the contract.	Damian Damian
Grants	The committee congratulated Alex on the great success of securing over £13k of funding from the EDDC Carbon Offset Fund for the installation of LED lighting, solar panels and battery storage. This is a significant investment in the Village Hall which will reap financial and sustainability benefits for decades to come. Well done Alex! In due course the battery storage may enable the VH to sell electricity back to the grid – we shall see what’s what once the installation is complete. Alex is liaising with all parties on the installation and is confident that this will all be completed in advance of the end of the financial year. The batteries will be stored in the boiler room, and the solar panels will not be installed on the section of the rear roofing that has caused problems in recent months. Alex took the actions to inform the Combe Estate of the upcoming installation, calculate how the installation has improved our sustainability (to satisfy the terms of the grant agreement) and to make sure that the improvements are publicised in the Gazette and beyond. We have still not heard back from the DCC grant – we should hear imminently. This grant requires payments to be made in advance of works being completed. Should we be successful we will need to consider quickly our options and how manageable this is within our financial envelope, Perhaps another thing to return to at the 21^st January meeting. Alex has circulated the lottery grant document to the committee over email. All to review and suggest amendments. No imminent deadline on this application (?) and we can return to this at subsequent meetings.	Alex All

Maintenance	Stella presented an update on the cooker and a series of quotations for installation and associated works, as well as recommended options to pursue. The committee thanked Stella for her excellent work. Further to discussion the committee agreed that Stella should in the first instance progress the £3,231 of works to install the cooker and three shelves, with further installation to be discussed on the 21^st in the light of Damian’s updated cashflow analysis. There is the potential for the fuse box upgrade works to be covered by Alex’s solar panel grant. But the sequencing of this is complicated. We do not want it to delay cooker installation. Alex and Stella to liaise on the timings and costings and report back. The rear roof has not leaked since Hamish and Alex sorted it out. The committee expressed its thank to both for their work sorting out this significant problem!	Stella Stella and Alex
Bookings	The Ed Fuller talk on 3^rd January was well-attended and a great success. Stephen to write a card of thanks from the committee. Bookings for December are set out in the annex. It was noted that a better system is needed to reconcile bookings with payments, perhaps through use of invoice numbers – Damian and Carol will meet to review.	Stephen
Future events	We discussed the marketing of future events. We could be more rigorous and systematic about this, using more space in the gazette to talk about Village Hall events and ensuring that Baker Estates WhatsApp groups are also informed. Claire kindly agreed to lead the marketing of future events along these lines – thank you Claire. Future events schedule agreed as follows: Saturday 18^th January, Burns Night, Mary Marker is booked, tickets are selling well. Sue is doing the food – thank you Sue. Nick will buy haggis. Maggie to co-ordinate with Sue over what food needs purchasing (potatoes from Vinnicombes) and how committee members can help. Steve to take the money on the door. Setup from 5.30pm. Raffle so please bring prizes. Saturday 25^th January, next monthly cake sale – Gary is leading. Friday 7^th February, Damian’s Joanna Southcott talk. £4 on the door, Damian to do poster and advertise. Saturday 22^nd February, cake sale, no nominated lead. Friday 7^th March, next evening talk, 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:Hardy talk / gardening talk / astronomy talkSpanish event	Claire Nick Maggie Damian
AOB	Alex to change the wi-fi network name and the wi-fi passwords so that there is a private committee network – thanks Alex.	Alex

Booking for January

Accounts for November

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

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

New large range cooker

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

Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2024 to 31 March 2025

INCOME				EXPENDITURE
	2023/24	76.4% of 2023-24	1.04.24 – 03.12.25		2023/24	76.4% of 2023-24	1.04.24-03.12.25
Balance b/fwd			£3,627.91	Insurance	£690.38	£527.45	£0.00
				Non-domestic rates	£0.00	£0.00	£0.00
Hire of Hall	£5,588.85	£4,269.88	£3,971.97	Cleaning/grass cutting	£1,019.62	£778.99	£1,492.59

Social Events	£1,371.36	£1,047.72	£3,368.38	Maintenance/Equipment	£5,840.55	£4,462.18	£684.24

Interest	£0.00	£0.00	£0.00	Water/Gas/Electric	£3,031.87	£2,316.35	£1,753.08

Miscellaneous	£2,005.91	£1,532.52	£6,381.90	Miscellaneous(inc. bank charges)	£1,014.59	£775.15	£1,297.52
	£8,966.12	£6,850.12	£13,722.25		£11,597.01	£8,860.12	£5,227.43
				Balance			£12,122.73

Total			£17,350.16				£17,350.16

2025-01 Parish Council agenda 9 Jan 2025

7 January 20252 January 2025 by Fiona

GITTISHAM PARISH COUNCIL

Ms Fiona Clampin

Clerk to the Council

2nd January 2025

Members of Gittisham Parish Council

You are hereby summoned to attend the January Parish Council Meeting to be held in Gittisham Parish Room on Thursday 9th January 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 5^th December 2024
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 remuneration

9. To receive a report from the Chair

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

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 annual membership £35 (direct debit)

Gittisham Gazette printing costs, December 2024 £15

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

NEST (clerk’s pension) £28.08

To agree the budget for 2025-26
To set the precept for 2025-26
To consider donations to organisations under S137 and Transport
To discuss future projects requiring parish council involvement
To consider the casual vacancy in Gittisham Village
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 6th February and Thursday 7th March 2025 at 7.30pm.

F J Clampin – Clerk

2024-12 Parish Council meeting minutes 5 December 2024

26 December 2024 by Fiona

Held in Gittisham Parish Room

Present:

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

Vale ward: Cllr J Twist, Cllr P Orchard

In attendance: 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, the Chair said the parish council sent its condolences to Michael Harris at Combe Farm and the family of Mike Newcombe, following the fire on 29^th November 2024.

107/24 To accept and approve apologies

Apologies were received and accepted.

108/24 To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 7th November 2024

The minutes of the meeting held on 7th November 2024 were confirmed and signed by the Chair.

109/24 To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

October 2024:

Hedge Field Close – 3 anti-social behaviour

Hamlett Close – 1 x violence and sexual offences

Meadow Acre – 1 x other theft

Village Hall area – 1 x violence and sexual offences

110/24 To receive declarations of interest

None.

111/24 To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

The clerk said she had cancelled the former lengthsman’s insurance (which had been provided by GPC). Mark Sexton from Baker Estates has not yet replied to an email requesting another walkabout at Hayne Farm.

112/24 To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

In his absence, Cllr Twiss sent the following report:

Local Government Funding Reform

“The ‘big ticket’ item for DCC (as across England) currently is funding reform, which is causing great concern among many, including DCC. The concern focuses particularly on the phrase about how following a reset, funding will be sent ‘where it is needed most” and to areas of deprivation. Devon is not widely regarded as being in that category. Being a largely rural county with a low-cost economy and a significantly large elderly population on fixed incomes, we know that not to be the case.

On 28th November 2024, the Government issued a Local Government Finance Policy Statement, providing an update on local government funding following the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget in October stating that it is committed to funding reform. A Fair Funding Review Consultation is expected to be published, alongside the

Provisional Settlement in December. The Government intends to ‘reset’ the business rates retention system, as was originally intended when the system was introduced in 2013/14. A reset will further allow Government to match funding to where it is needed most. The reset will apply nationally.

The Government will consult and engage councils about reforms to the funding system, including an initial consultation on the objectives and principles of the government’s proposed approach, launching in December alongside the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26. Government will consult on the technical detail of resetting the business rates retention system in early 2025.

Impact on the Authority’s 2025/26 Budget Setting

The actual impact on DCC funding will not be known until the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement is announced, anticipated to be in the week commencing 16^th December as Parliament breaks up for Christmas recess. However, based on our finance officers’ best interpretation of the information currently available, coupled with uncertainty around council tax income projections, it is estimated that DCC could be worse off by approximately £13 million, possibly more and very bad news across all services. As a consequence, and pending the provisional settlement, further work is underway across DCC to ensure a balanced budget can be set in February.

Open consultation on enabling remote attendance and proxy voting at local authority meetings

This is one of those items, where the devil is likely to be in the detail. The pandemic forced us all to work in different ways, and this applied very much to carrying out the functions of local government. The Government is currently consulting on introducing powers for local authority members to apply to the relevant authority for a dispensation to attend formal council meetings remotely and vote by proxy in certain circumstances. The aim is to support local government to modernise democratic engagement, raise standards and widen the range of candidates standing for council by removing unnecessary barriers.

It is with this in mind that the Government intends to amend the law to introduce provisions for remote attendance at local authority meetings. The consultation seeks views on the detail and practical implications of this proposition to inform ongoing policy development. Responses have been invited from local authority elected members, all types and tiers of authorities, and local authority sector representative organisations. My personal concern is that we have seen a significant tail-off in physical attendance by some elected members at council meetings since the lifting of restrictions, for no particular reason other than their convenience, and that any changes should be for the better with clear rules. We otherwise run the risk of having people elected who rarely or never attend meetings, instead issuing a proxy vote. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Communities urged to check grit bins

As we approach that time of year and have already had a dose of the ‘white stuff’, now is a good time to prepare in case of further. More than 3,500 grit bins are strategically placed by DCC for public use during severe weather. Towns and parishes are encouraged to check grit bins before the winter season starts, rather than during it. Once winter service starts, the amount of resource that can be diverted to filling grit bins is limited.

Grit bins are an expensive asset in terms of maintenance. Where new requests for grit bins are received, the preference initially will be to see if it is possible to re-site an existing bin if there is evidence to suggest it is not being used. Please liaise with your Neighbourhood Highways Officer who will be able to investigate if this is an option. Where there are no options to re-site existing bins, and we are content a new bin is justified then this needs to be funded through the local councillor budget (where locality budgets are not available then funding may need to come directly from the Parish or Town Council). The cost remains at £350 which covers the installation, filling and ongoing maintenance costs for the life of the grit bin.

Forms to request salt and update contact details can be found at https://www.devon.gov.uk/devonhighways/self-help Snow Wardens can request access to the online training by emailing . “

In his absence, Cllr Bruce said he noted the report on the news regarding the feedback from councils on housing numbers now before the Government. Anything stemming from this may have implications for our strategic plan nearing completion.

113/24 To receive a report on the EDDC Local Plan and consider contracting a planning consultant

Cllr Valentine said there was no update on this. The clerk has emailed Cllr Valentine’s complaint to EDDC regarding the site allocation process and its flaws. This will be circulated to other East Devon parish councils in the manner of a similar letter by Lympstone Parish Council.

ACTION: Clerk to distribute letter to all East Devon parish clerks.

114/24 To consider the following planning applications:

21/2741/VAR – 1 Hamlet Cottages Weston EX14 3PB – Variation of Condition no.2 (approved plans) on planning permission 21/2741/VAR (Variation of conditio no.2 (approved plans) of application 21/1295/FUL (Demolition of existing workshop to be replaced with a new self-build dwelling) – modified design
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.
24/2270/FUL – Rapshayes Farm Gittisham EX14 3AB – Remove all external render and re-render with a lime-based mortar and construct enclosed front terrace, retaining walls and gate
24/2271/LBC – Rapshayes Farm Gittisham EX14 3AB – Replace door on front elevation, replace windows on ground floor on south west, north east, north west and south east elevations. Remove all external render and re-render with a lime-based mortar and construct enclosed front terrace, retaining walls and gate

Councillors resolved to have no objection to b, c and d. Regarding a), councillors resolved to object to the application as previously agreed. Granting permission would establish a new residential unit in the countryside without agricultural need being sought, and it will act as a precedent for other opportunities in the future which would be detrimental to the overall policy-making of EDDC. Parish councillors also raised concern about the proposed materials in terms of the roofing.

115/24 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)
- Councillors heard that Damian Furniss and David Fallows have met to discuss the way forward on an Openreach quote to take fibre to Town Farm Buildings. Cllr Powell is working with them to draw up a number of questions they will submit to Openreach. He has also spoken on the phone to Justin Lascelles regarding routes for fibre. Justin is open to discussing different approaches to the village. The parish council succeeded in getting some publicity in the press for the poor broadband issue, and local MP Richard Foord mentioned Gittisham in Parliament as illustrating the challenge facing some parts of his constituency in accessing superfast broadband.
- ACTION: Chair to contact Voneus to see if there was any possibility of increased coverage with additional infrastructure.
To note the latest planning decision notices
- 24/0539/LBC – 2 Riverside Cottages Gittisham Devon EX14 3AE Replace existing porch with enlarged lead flat roof porch on south elevation; replace existing extension on north elevation to create bedroom and bathroom and glazed canopy over rear door. Approval.
- Cllr Rowe added that the village hall committee would be putting in a planning application for the replacement windows and doors.

To receive an update on Highways

16 January – road to Catshayes Farm closed for installation of South West Water sewer level maintenance 0800-1700

09 Oct-23 December Sidmouth Road 100m uphill south of Tesco roundabout. Temporary traffic signals. Guarding collapsed culvert causing water damage to road.

Until 10th December approximately: all roads in Gittisham Vale, installation of ducting for Virgin Cable. A cabinet has been added by the grass at Old Elm Road turning circle.

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

Cllr Orchard said Honiton Town Council would be meeting mid-January to discuss projects. Cllr Valentine added that a parishioner had suggested creating an area for sports where the old cricket pitch used to be in the village.

To receive an update on public transport

Cllr Orchard said there was only one late running bus noted this month on the clipboard in the village bus shelter. However, buses have not been serving the village over the past week due to engineers digging a hole in the road and attempting to find a suspected leak.

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

Cllr Rowe said the village hall committee was applying for grants towards the cost of replacing windows and doors, and separate funding for solar panels, insulation and replacement of lighting.

ACTION: Clerk to ask DALC if the parish council is able to apply for an interest-free loan to cover costs. Grant aid is paid in arrears.

To consider limited residential development in the parish

Cllr Valentine said he would be discussing the changes to the proposals requested by English Heritage with Combe Estate next week. Any redesign would need approval again from the community. Housing associations are waiting to hear what the Government’s intentions are for their funding. The result of that consultation won’t be known until March / April 2025.

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

Cllr Powell said Justin Lascelles had been interested to learn of the role DCC can take in establishing and maintaining new footpaths.

To consider the refurbishment and maintenance of the village play area

Cllr Twist reported that RoSPA had carried out a safety inspection on the Hayne Farm play area. The dog bins there have now been emptied.

ACTION: Clerk to check that the wild area has been fully cut and the grass clippings taken away to promote wild flower growth.

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

Members discussed possible candidates for the lengthsman work but did not reach any conclusion. Cllr Walker said the timbers at the base of the bus shelter are rotten and need to be replaced. Cllr Valentine reported that the river in the village has nearly breached the overflow channels and these are therefore not fit for purpose. It needs heavy equipment to remove the debris and could easily become a serious flooding event. Cllr Rowe said the ditch at Truances is now high enough that when the water fills, it comes over the top and threatens the house. It was agreed to add this to a future lengthsman’s list.

ACTION: Chair to contact Tom Buxton Smith at EDDC.

116/24 To receive a report from the Chair

The Chair said there was nothing to report this month.

117/24 To approve the December 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 & November meeting @0.45p / mile)

Michael Poll, play area grass cutting £65 (inv. ref. 10377)

Laps Lawns £185, hedge trimming play area

Websites Ahoy, £221.50 migration, website maintenance & purchase of hosting for two years (inv. ref. W24-GPC-2)

NEST £28.08 (clerk’s pension)

Cllr Rowe explained that Websites Ahoy would be migrating the parish council’s website to a different host provider (from 34SP to Krystal), which will be cheaper and emails should arrive quicker from everyone’s preferred email client.

Members were informed that the current bank balance stands at £24,228.89 (which includes approximately £7,156.88 in the business reserve account).

118/24 To discuss future projects requiring parish council involvement

Members resolved to defer discussion to the next meeting, and particularly when setting the budget.

119/24 Clerk’s report

There was nothing to report.

120/24 For information only; items for the forward agenda

Future projects; budget 2025-26; precept 2025-26.

121/24 To consider any late entry correspondence

After 20 years of service, Cllr Walker said she had decided to resign from the parish council. She said it had been a privilege to serve the community, and a rewarding experience. Councillors joined the Chair in thanking Cllr Walker for her commitment and enthusiasm over the past two decades on the council.

122/24 Date of next two meetings

Thursday 9th January and Thursday 6th February 2025 at 7.30pm.

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

Chair…………………………………….

9th January 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.

	Gittisham Gazette	January 2025
	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 12^th January Burn’s Night Supper and Dancing Saturday 18^th January Coffee & Cake Saturday 25^th January Evening talk about Joanna Southcott Friday 7^th February __ Weekly Fitness class Tuesday mornings Folk Dancing Wednesday evenings Community Kitchen Thursday evenings Yoga Friday afternoons Gittisham Cabaret April 25^th & 26th	A little piece of what might have been Paul Wakley Go past the entrance to Putts Corner caravan park, and you come to the gate of the back drive to Combe House. To the right stood Higher Lodge, a ground floor with four square rooms, diamond paned windows and thatched roof, the plot was surrounded by a white paling fence. It was demolished after becoming derelict. To the left of the gate is a piece of woodland where I found the piece of pillar, it is thought to have been a stone mason’s sample from when Combe (the Pig) was going to be rebuilt in the Palladian style. The pillar is fluted on one side and plain on the other. The great rebuilding by Tom Putt of apple fame, would have made Combe three times the present size. The brewery and bakery were demolished (the flat area to the right of the front) the facade taken down, in readiness to be refaced in stone. Unfortunately (or fortunately) Tom Putt died before the project got any further, because his heirs found there was very little money. So the facade was rebuilt much as it had been. Home Grown Gold A real superstar visited the hall in December to tell a devoted audience of fans about his journey to a gold medal in Paris 2024. Ed Fuller explained all about his interest in rowing, taking it on at national and international level and finally being picked for the Paralympic team at Paris 2024. When asked what it was that gave him the edge on his American rivals, he had to agree that knowing he had the support of Gittisham made all the difference. There were several youngsters in the audience, so who knows what this will inspire them to do? And some of the older ones!
St Michael Church Services in January Sat Jan 11th from 3pm Christingle Making in the Parish Rooms Sunday Jan 12th 11am Holy Communion with presentation of Christingles Sunday Jan 26th 11am Morning Worship A message from Pierre: Happy New Year to you and your family’s. On the 12th mains will be Mediterranean Beef Slowpot with vegetables and couscous. Vegan pancake rolls gratin with salad. Price don’t change £9.50. French king cake. All the team wish guest a Happy New Year. Church 200 Club December Draw Results 1st Aurora Wakley Beddows 2nd Catherine Wakley 3rd Will Wolsey And the Christmas Draw for £125 to Nick Chapman	St Michael’s Church Fundraising meeting – 10am Sunday 19th January in Parish Rooms An open invitation to all friends and residents to attend a short meeting on Sunday 19th January to be held at 10am in the Parish Rooms. St Michael’s Church is under considerable financial strain as our running expenses are now exceeding our income. The meeting will start with a brief presentation to explain our financial challenges after which we will have a discussion and invite ideas to help raise more income from both regular giving and events. We are particularly keen to welcome anyone who does not wish to attend church but is still interested in helping us raise funds to care for the building and grounds. Fresh coffee and pastries will be available from 09.45 and the meeting will finish at 11.15. If you are interested in coming along then do please let me or Julia Barrett know. We are particularly keen to welcome anyone who does not usually wish to attend church services but is still interested in helping us raise funds to care for the building and grounds. James Fuller Gittisham Village Hall The committee would like you to wish you all a great new year. We are busy working on an exciting program of events to bring you over the next 12 months. Now that new calendars have been started we would like to invite you to make a note of some of our upcoming events: Coffee&Cakes4AKitchen last Saturday of the month throughout the year with the exception 24th May, 19th July, 23rd August The regular programme of exciting evening talks continues on 7th Feb with *Joanna Southcott: from maid of Gittisham to mother of God* starting at 7pm Burns Night supper and dancing 18^th JanuaryEaster Bingo March 29^thFather’s Day BBQ June 15^thGittisham Village Fete August 30^thChristmas Bingo November 29^th The coffee and cake afternoons we began last year proved very popular and so we plan to run them throughout 2025 in order to raise funds specifically to renovate the kitchen. If you wish to run one on our behalf this year, do please get in touch. They are lots of fun! you are guaranteed a large crowd and some fantastic fare from the bakers in the parish! Let us know your preferred month and we will do our best to accommodate this. RIP Mike Newcombe who lived at Combe Farm and tragically died at the end of November.

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

107/24 To accept and approve apologies

108/24 To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 7th November 2024

109/24 To receive the Beat Manager’s Report

110/24 To receive declarations of interest

111/24 To consider actions from the last meeting not otherwise on the agenda

112/24 To receive reports from County Council and District Council representatives

Local Government Funding Reform

Impact on the Authority’s 2025/26 Budget Setting

Open consultation on enabling remote attendance and proxy voting at local authority meetings

Communities urged to check grit bins

113/24 To receive a report on the EDDC Local Plan and consider contracting a planning consultant

114/24 To consider the following planning applications:

115/24 To receive reports from councillors on areas of responsibility and actions since the last meeting:

116/24 To receive a report from the Chair

117/24 To approve the December payments and to note the current bank balance

118/24 To discuss future projects requiring parish council involvement

119/24 Clerk’s report

120/24 For information only; items for the forward agenda

121/24 To consider any late entry correspondence

122/24 Date of next two meetings

Time