17/01/2014 BBC Channel Islands News

welcome to the programme. Our top Mikaeel Kular's community.

welcome to the programme. Our top stories tonight.

?4 million to pay off States workers in Guernsey. But, with the majority

of those leaving teachers, are students set to suffer? It is a real

shame we are losing so many teachers but I cannot blame them.

Also, plans for more offices, and a car park for over 500 cars, are

given the green light. And, shelling up: One of Jersey s

oldest tourist favourites goes on the market.

They absolutely loved it. It was hard sometimes to get them away

because they wanted to sit in there and admire it all.

More than ?4 million will be paid out in leaving settlements to States

workers in Guernsey. Nearly 250 employees applied for the voluntary

severance scheme. 68 of them have been accepted. The aim is to save

the government money in the long term. But, what about the short`term

consequences for States' finances and services? Penny Elderfield

reports. Just like her pile of marking,

Caroline's days as a teacher are almost done. Just one of 68 States

employees to be given voluntary severance.

Decided to apply because, knowing that I had only three years worth of

teaching in me, it might be a good time to change.

Out of the 68, 22 are leaving Education. 17 of them are teachers.

12 are going from the Home Department. 11 from Housing. And ten

from the Health Department. Each is getting five weeks' pay for each

year they've worked for the States. It'll cost ?4.3 million. But,

ultimately, it will save ?1.8 million a year.

The managers on the ground believe that, by accepting those people for

voluntary severance, they can continue the service, in Niger `` a

Niger criteria, and improve the way it is delivered if they reorganise.

And reorganising is how Education says it'll manage to keep standards

at the Islands' schools. It won t say which school teachers will be

leaving, but says parents shouldn't be concerned as, if more are needed,

more will be recruited. It is not about taking teachers out

of the classroom and not replacing them. It is about doing things

differently for the improvement of our children.

But there is surprise at the numbers. Caroline's also concerned

it'll mean younger and cheaper teachers end up taking on the jobs.

There can be some benefits, they bring more energy to the job. New

ideas. But the difference is you lose a lot of experience which is

sad. Teaching has become an incredibly stressful job. It is a

real shame we are losing so many teachers but I cannot blame them.

This is part of the drive to save millions within the government. And

it will help achieve those targets. But there will be concerns about

whether the government can achieve the same level of service, with

fewer people. Staying with States' finances:

Guernsey needs to save another 8 million this year, to hit its ? 1

million savings target. That figure was set five years ago in the

Financial Transformation Programme. A little earlier, I asked the

Treasury and Resources Minister Deputy Gavin St Pier, where the next

cuts are likely to come from. Savings will come across `` from

across all ten programmes, there is an ongoing programme to deliver that

which will involve a lot of hard work.

What do you say to viewers who worry these cuts are chipping away at the

services they receive? There are many sceptics who said it

was not possible to deliver this programme without slashing services.

Last year, 80% of the servings were delivered by efficiencies rather

than by cost increases or cuts. So, it was always going to be

difficult, always going to be a painful process. Not everyone will

be happy with everything all the time. The Financial Transformation

Porgramme is scheduled to finish this year but that does not mean the

end of the cuts. The next phase will be an ongoing transformation more

about operating practices. Less emphasis on the numbers and more on

how things are done. Treasury Minister Gavin St Pier

speaking earlier. Plans for over 500 underground

parking spaces have been given the go`ahead in St Helier. It's part of

a new finance centre being developed on the current Esplanade car park

site. So, will this extra parking silence the projects critics? Emma

Chambers reports. Jersey is one step closer to having

this, turn into this. A multistorey office development on the Esplanade,

and that step has been taken by the Planning Minister. He's approved a

second building in the new finance centre application, and a new

520`space underground car park, as long as the developers meet with his

conditions. Parts of the requirements set out in

the conditions is that a temporary car park is released across the road

from the Esplanade on the lad just north of the hotel. That land itself

will be used for temporary car parking, whilst the multistorey

underground car park is constructed. This has pleased those that were

against the development. I have been working to make sure

what we do build that meets our expectations. In particular, the

parking is replaced during construction and afterwards. We know

that will be the case. To make sure the car park that is built will be

well lit with a good number of lists, toilets and someone.

And, after concerns the underground spaces would be reserved for the new

office workers, Planning confirm it will be open to the public.

Housing, travel, and an increase in the cost of food in Jersey led to a

rise in inflation last year. Inflation, as measured by the Retail

Prices Index, rose by 1.9% in the 12 months till December. But, once you

remove housing and mortgage costs from the equation, prices of goods

and services in the island rose by 2.1%.

Football clubs in Jersey are being invited to apply for development

funding, after the One Foundation donated ?20,000 to the island's FA.

The money will help clubs send coaches on training courses, carry

out CRB checks, or set up events like football festivals.

It will mean the clubs can make sure we can run all the sides, and we

have long`term business plans to allow football have a sustainable

future. As you grow, their growing pains. These are aimed at that which

is why it is really helpful. This weekend, you could buy a piece

of Jersey tourism history. The Shell Garden was, for decades, a popular

stop on island tours. It closed two years ago and, now, the house and

garden is up for sale, and could be redeveloped. Will it be missed?

Here's Christina Ghidoni. The Shell Garden was first covered

in shells in 1957 and was very popular with tourists in the 19 0s.

One person who used to bring visitors here is former coach driver

John Trafford. What did visitors think when you brought them here?

They absolutely loved it. Every Sunday afternoon, for the last ten

years, I had a country drive are used to do on Sunday afternoons I

would bring anything from 30 to 40 people here. They absolutely loved

it. It was hard sometimes to get them away to keep to my timing

because they wanted to sit in there and admire it. What was it about the

Shell Garden they liked so much It is so unique, so many types of

shells. John who used to run it he knew the history of it all. He knew

the names of all the different shells. People hadn't seen anything

like it. Will you be sad to see it go? Personally, I will, it was one

of my favourite stops, to be honest. It is very sad. When I look at it

now, you can see it has been affected by the weather, the shine

has gone, shall we say. The Shell Garden is up for sale and there is

an open viewing tomorrow morning at 10am.

Guernsey's Animal Shelter is looking for fish donations to feed two baby

seals. Trinity and Eden, filmed here by the GSPCA, were found on

different parts of the island's coastline last week. And, according

to the shelter manager, as they are growing stronger, so are their

appetites. To survive in the wild, they have to

eat huge numbers of fish. As such, we are going through massive numbers

of fish, tens of kilos every day. That means that we are appealing for

any mackerel, herring, or donations towards getting fish to feed them.

They will be in a shelter for at least two months before they can be

released back into the wild. Time now for the weather.

It looks promising for Sunday. Monday is not too bad. Tomorrow we

have more wet weather, also quite windy. For the weekend, the better

of the two days. If you are heading to the beach for fishing, Sunday is

a pretty good day. The details, a fair amount of cloud tonight

generating a few showers. More persistent rain tomorrow. On Sunday,

drier and brighter, turning colder. The possibility on Saturday night of

chiefly a touch of frost. There is an area of low pressure and brain

drifting over us during the course of the day tomorrow. That train will

arrive in the middle of the day and be persistent. Moving steadily. We

are between weather systems on Sunday. Most of the day will be fine

and dry with morning sunshine. Cloud in the afternoon with the risk of

showers. Showers are still possible for the first half of the night

fading away, returning towards dawn. Overnight temperatures similar

to last night. The winds from the south`east. Tomorrow, briefly, some

bright weather. The cloud will bring outbreaks of rain. The middle of the

day is wet. The rain band moves away steadily in the afternoon and by

evening, the rain band peters out. The winds will become Westerleigh.

These are the coastal waters forecasts.

And here are the times of high water.

The outlook is for Sunday and Monday, at last, mainly dry. Have a

great weekend. Coleridge's housekeeper. She brought

the artist breakfast in bed after a night of watching the famous Ottery

St Mary tar barrels in 2001. Waterlogged fields are causing major

problems for some vegetable farmers across the region. Crops such as

cauliflower and swede are worst affected with reports of increased

leaf disease. The wet soil is also having an impact on harvesting.

Three weeks ago, this crop was free of disease. Now the leaves look like

this. These black spots is what is affecting the crops. It is due to

the amount of rain that we have had will stop it is not just the purple

sprouting broccoli that is affected by the black spot.

The cauliflowers have also been affected.

The worst`case scenario would be whole crops being written off, which

will have a financial effect on us. We hope it won't come to that, but

if it continues, we will have quite severe problems. It is really

worrying. Sometimes we have to write complete fields off and it can get

very upsetting. Another issue facing farmers is the

practicality of getting in and out of the fields to harvest crops. Some

say that they are ten or 15% down to what they should be. The ground is

now saturated and there is significant erosion. The fields are

unable to absorb the moisture and it is running off this this `` of this

surface and running down the fields. When the fields are glistening with

water, that have a serious effect on the land stop Somerset is the worst

hit region, with in some form is 90% of land and water.

The biggest product is grass, and if grass is underwater, you have a big

problem for the perceivable future. What will the animals eat? But with

the cauliflower harvest on the way, it is hoped that a letter in the

rain could save the cauliflower from further disease.

Unfortunately no letup tomorrow. Also still to come, a look at the

sport, including a skeleton bob rider from Devon who is looking for

Olympic glory. And singing for survival, male voice choirs in

Cornwall reach out to younger singers in hope of a harmonious

future. A type of grass found in parts of

Devon and Cornwall could hold the key to solving many of our flooding

problems. New research by the University of Exeter and the Devon

Wildlife Trust has discovered that culm grass could be more effective

than costly man made flood defences. That is a good sign. It is storing

water stop could this squelchy ground provide an answer to our

flooding problems? According to research is at the Devon wildlife

trust, it could. What is important is, as this is

decomposing, they are building up this organic matter in the soil and

that is what is boring the water. `` storing. The water is being stored

above the rest level. The grass is found in these areas.

Two areas immediately next to each other have been seen for a year and

a half. The culm grass area has been storing more water. The professor is

monitoring six sites in the culm grass areas, with sensors giving a

detailed picture of what is happening. We can teach people to

manage their landscapes at the culm grass is there, and we could be

storing the water in the landscape stop Simon Berry, who farms here,

says that even he is surprised at how well culm grass soaks up rain

will stop if you look at the old way of farming, the water tended to soak

away more naturally. As you can see, the cattle are not

going into the ground after two days of rain stop using culm grass seems

to offer an attractive way of storing water.

Time for the sport and Dave's here with a possible debut for a South

West man in the Winter Olympics. Torquay United's new manager Chris

Hargreaves could take the Gulls out of the bottom two relegation places

in League Two. That's if they beat the team immediately below them,

Northampton Town, at Plainmoor tomorrow and if other results go

their way. Winger Jason Banton returns for Plymouth Argyle at

Rochdale after he was ineligible for the midweek FA Cup replay. The

Pilgrims are unbeaten in five league games. Exeter City have won only

twice in the league in their last 13 outings, as Morecambe visit St James

Park and Championship strugglers Yeovil Town go for their first win

in seven league meetings at Birmingham City.

Exeter Chiefs have one last crack at sneaking into rugby's European

Challenge Cup. They go to Cardiff Blues knowing only a bonus point win

and their opponents failing to pick up any points at all could push them

into Europe's second top competition.

Also, other results have got to go in head coach Rob Baxter's favour if

that's to happen. He brings back five first team players, including

goal` kicker Gareth Steenson and the captain, lock forward Dean Mumm.

A Devon man is hoping to be included in the Great Britain skeleton team

for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, which starts in three weeks time.

It'll be 29`year`old David Swift's debut in the Games after four years

of hard work and preparation all over the globe.

He will travel. David goes everywhere with his prized

possession, this board costing ?10,000. He is back home in Newton

Abbot after competing in salt lake city. Its stage the 2002 Olympics.

Just one part of his build`up to Russia. He will know next Wednesday

whether he has made the team in his discipline, the skeleton.

Four years ago, I was very inexperienced and was a outsider.

Push start wise, I am in the top three in the world. But my driving

has moved on tremendously. So, I have put all the pieces in place to

be in the best position I am now. He is a former student at Torquay

Grammar School. Now he is a full`time skeleton driver,

travelling at 90 mph offers top speed is the outcome, and if you

have done everything, knowing your way down the track and being relaxed

and aerodynamically relaxed, then the speed will come.

It is a combination of all of those things stop if he does make the

Olympic team, he will be very ploughed `` proud to do what he can.

Winter sports are picking up and they are moving on. It is not a

wait. It is a motivation and a drive for every winter sport.

And Taunton stages its first ever Saturday meeting tomorrow, with

seven races starting at 12:30. But there is a precautionary inspection

of the track at 7:30 in the morning. BBC Radio Cornwall and BBC Radio

Devon have been celebrating their 31st birthdays today. To mark the

occasion in Truro, presenters have been selling off unwanted presents

to raise money for the station's charity appeal. While in Devon, a

time capsule was buried to represent 'life in the county' in 2013.

There is everything here from chocolate is to cuddly toys.

Unwanted gifts are being sold to raise money for local charities.

There will be ?2000 raised today in a short time.

On the other side, this presents buried a time capture all, which

listeners voted was in the centre of the country. There are two points

here locally, and the two owners of the houses have argued about where

is the centre of Devon. But I am told that the spot that we are in is

the centre. The flask was full of recordings of people throughout the

years. It is designed to show the lives of people in 2013. It will be

dug up in years time, and though copy has been given to a museum in

case this one does not last. Male voice choirs are often the

domain of the 'silver singer', but it seems some younger men are

finally being drawn into the world of close harmony singing in

Cornwall. And that's music to the ears of the

county's federation, which wants to see choirs increasing their appeal

to the more youthful vocalists. There are 65 years between the

eldest member of this Male choir and the youngest, but when it comes to

camaraderie, you would not notice the difference. I think it brings

you into a new level of maturity. Singing in a school choir, you are

around your friends and to enjoy it in a different wave stop here, you

are mixing with older people. You develop more as a person. You

grow. The ageing population of Cornwall's

male voice choirs has been on the mind of the official director. We

need to get youngsters into the movement, otherwise we will find

ourselves choirs with holes in them over the next few years. . There are

people going into schools and moving into the movement there, being shown

that singing is enjoyable. The choirs are hoping that the

unique atmosphere will inspire more people to join.

I started at 14 years old, and I enjoy the banter between the

baritones and the tenors. The federation hopes that there will be

a revival in the choirs. And Music Week is on BBC Radio

Cornwall from tomorrow. Now, here is the weather. There is

tomorrow, but it will get better. There is more rain in the forecast,

it is not what we want to hear, but we have to get through it. There

will be dry weather to be had. The rain will clear, it will be called

on Sunday. There could be a frost and some fog patches. But the main

threat to the rain is early tomorrow morning and through the day

tomorrow. By the end of the day, we could have 25 to 30 millimetres of

rain. Now, the cloud that is bringing in that rain is still

capturing across the Bay of Biscay and France at the moment. The

weather will move across slowly overnight, to bring more rain and

cloud and give us a change in the wind direction stop we will see the

winds coming in from the North West. Head of it, quite breezy, especially

tomorrow morning. This highlighted area is where we think the rain will

be the heaviest. It is mainly East Devon, Somerset and Dorset and

southern parts of Wales. At the moment, the showers have faded away,

so for some of tonight it will be dry stop some patchy rain, and it

will be chilly before the cloud and rain moves in. By the end of the

tonight, it will be quite windy with those southerly winds. Those are the

overnight temperatures, five to seven degrees. We should have no

frost. And tomorrow, the rain will be off and on, and it will begin to

clear out in the afternoon most of the area will be clear. Cornwall

could have some sunshine. But rain and temperatures struggling because

of it. Eight or 10 degrees. It will get cooler in the afternoon as the

colder air follows the rain will stop for the Isles of Scilly,

probably some of the best weather. Some fresh winds in the second half

of the day. Here are the times of the high water for the top four hour

service, the waves messed up for the strong winds, but it should be

around four or six feet. For the coastal waters forecast, the

wind will change direction. Rain or showers and visibility occasionally

moderate because of the rainfall. There are still flood warnings in

Somerset and Dorset. If you need more information, you can ring this

number. Of course, you can listen to your local radio tomorrow to find

out where the rain will begin to affect some of our rivers and

streams. Tomorrow `` Sunday will be brighter,

mainly dry on Monday. That is it for this week. We will be

back on Sunday with Sunday Politics. Have a good weekend. Goodbye.