10/11/2011 BBC Wales Today


10/11/2011

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Welcome to Wales Today. The top story tonight - Opposition parties

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say they will reject the government's budget plans. Is it

:00:07.:00:17.
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Our other headlines this evening - The big squeeze for rail passengers.

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The former transport minister questions the �170 million handout

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to Arriva Trains Wales. Cardiff's direct flight to

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Switzerland will have to stop off in Bristol. More worries about the

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capital's airport. One of motorsport's big events, the

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Wales Rally GB gets underway. North Wales gets its first taste of world

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rallying since the mid-90s. A star attraction. The Mini is back

:00:56.:01:06.
:01:06.:01:07.

after almost 50 years with a Good evening. Labour faces a

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deadlock in the Welsh Assembly over its budget after the three

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opposition parties lined up to oppose its proposals. The Tories,

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Plaid Cymru amd the Lib Dems are refusing to back the Welsh

:01:18.:01:24.

Government's spending plans unless ministers make major changes. It

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increases pressure on First Minister Carwyn Jones if he is to

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get the majority he needs to pass a budget. Our Welsh affairs editor

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Vaughan Roderick is in the Senedd. The budget is due to return to the

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Assembly next week, what is likely to happen?

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It is difficult to say. Labour said this was a Budget that showed their

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priorities for the people of Wales. What we have seen today is the

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opposition parties saying your priorities are not our priorities.

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They have been meetings going on so the draft budget was published.

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Labour were hoping to do a deal with one party but what we have had

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is the opposition parties doing a deal with each other, and to

:02:09.:02:13.

attempt to block -- block the budget with the votes that they

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have. The Conservative finance spokesman, Paul Davies, explained

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why the opposition parties are so unhappy. We have been talking with

:02:25.:02:30.

the added -- the other opposition parties for some time and we feel

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the draft budget presented by the Labour government is not fit for

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purpose. It will not meet the needs for the Welsh people and we decided

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to jointly table an amendment to be constructive and in order to hold

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his government to account on behalf of the people of Wales.

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Whatever happens next week I don't suppose that is going to be the end

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of the matter? In a sense what happens next week is important but

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it is a shot across the Government's's Bowers. The

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important votes will come on December sixth. The government has

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to reach an agreement and get hold of those boats. Even after December

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sixth the talks could continue to take place. It will be difficult

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for the public organisations that get their cash from this place to

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draw up their own budgets without knowing how much they are going to

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get. There is a certain amount of urgency but those talks are certain

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to continue. Any inkling of what the government will do? Look at it

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this way, the government is faced with a shopping list. All the

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opposition parties want different things. The Conservatives want more

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money on health, the Lib-Dems want money for this is funded schools

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and Plaid Cymru wants money for economic development. It is

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difficult to say which Labour will go for. I suspect it will not be

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the Conservatives. They could be a deal with either live or Liberal

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Democrat or Plaid Cymru. All week we have been looking in

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detail at the way the Government spends your money once it has been

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shared out between different departments. Tonight we focus on

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how much is spent on our railways. Every year the Welsh Government

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gives �170 million to rail company, Arriva Trains Wales. But the former

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transport minister Ieuan Wyn Jones says this deal is flawed and has

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led to a decade of overcrowding for passengers.

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The be the squeeze. Some rail services in Wales have seen a huge

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increase in passenger demand over the last 10 years. In many areas it

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there hasn't been the same growth in services. The former top spot

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minister says the blame lies squarely with the franchise

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agreement struck with Arriva Trains Wales. What was very obvious it was

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not a contract that recognised the substantial increase there has been

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in train passengers since 2003. You had the examples of many trains on

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certain services where you had severe overcrowding. All week we

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have been examining Government's spending and one of the big ticket

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items is the �170 million that goes to Arriva Trains Wales every year.

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It is a huge amount to help you travel for less. Passengers pay

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less for their tickets than they would otherwise have done because

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of a �170 million payment from the Welsh government. Nastier Arriva

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Trains Wales had the sire -- Hayat subsidy of Bennett rail -- of any

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rail company. Is there another way of delivering these rail services

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in Wales? One idea is that from 2018 the Welsh government takes

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over the running of the railways so that profits get reinvested in

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services. It will give opportunities to develop the

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railway more so than the fixed kind of franchise system that we have at

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the moment. That has not been able to provide cheaply any additional

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investment. People would see differences because they would see

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improvements. Any profit main -- made would remain in the company.

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we asked the last government and Arriva Trains Wales for interviews

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but they gave statements. The train service said they had invested

:06:48.:06:58.
:06:58.:07:01.

millions of pounds in passenger It might seem a long way away but

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with every pound of the Welsh budget under close scrutiny expect

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the idea to gain Stent real attraction.

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A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a

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woman from Bridgend seven years after she fell to her death while

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on holiday in India with her husband. No suspicious

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circumstances were found at the time 39-year-old Colette Davies

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died but following a review by South Wales Police a 50-year-old

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man, formerly of Bridgend, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

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Pembroke power station has been granted an environmental permit. It

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means the site could be fully operational within a year. But the

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Environment Agency says its owners, RWE npower will have to stick to

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tough standards. Environmentalists have claimed the site will waste

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After more than two years of construction this �1 billion power

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plant is almost ready. Earlier today it was granted its

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environmental permit following what the Environment Agency described as

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one of the most intensive assessments it has ever carried out

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in Wales. The Welsh Government had even stepped in to put the process

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on hold. Even now, RWE npower will have to meet strict standards.

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The conditions will control from the chimneys, the conditions

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will control noise to prevent nuisance to local people. Very

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importantly, it will control the discharges of cooling water into in

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Milford Haven. It was that discharge of water that was of most

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concern to environmentalists. Once it is up and running this plant

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will remove 3.5 million cubic metres of water from the Cledau

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Estuary every day to cool turbines before releasing water that is

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eight degrees warmer back into the waterway. One government adviser

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said that it may contravene EU law. There is an increase in temperature

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and increased chemicals going into the water away. Both in our belief

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are likely to have an impact which will change the ecological

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characteristics of the waterway. Under European law the development

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should not be allowed.. suggestion is that RWE npower

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should try to recycle more of the heat it generates. We will look at

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ways to improve and enhance their site. It is nothing new. If in the

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fullness of time something appears that we can re-use some of the low-

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grade waste heat that has left, we will look at it. As the building

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work draws to a close here the next step is to begin the

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decommissioning process. RWE npower hope to be generating enough

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electricity for three million homes Still to come on the programme -

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Fed up with the traffic and noise. Local people say they were not

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warned this road would be the main route to a wind farm building site.

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They are off. The Wales Rally GB gets underway. The best of the

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Wales needs a direct air link with America and the Middle East to

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boost business. That's the message tonight from Cardiff Council. Its

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deputy leader has told Wales Today the routes are crucial to the

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success of the business district planned for the capital. The call

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comes on the day it was announced flights to Zurich from Cardiff

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airport will stop in Bristol to ensure enough passengers keep using

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These are tough times for Cardiff airport. It lost a third of its

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passengers between 2007 and 2010. Then last month its main budget

:11:00.:11:05.

airline BMI baby left too. In the capital itself �160 million has

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been earmarked to develop business district plans, encouraging more

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firms to set up shop but the council says that vision needs

:11:10.:11:20.
:11:20.:11:22.

direct links to destinations like New York and Dubai. I know with New

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York there is a deal on the table. I am very concerned that you are

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going to get to places like Birmingham, Bristol beating Cardiff

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to the pence. There is a deal to be then so let's nail it and get it

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done. Let's get jobs and prosperity in to Cardiff. The airport says

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there are new places to fly from Cardiff; a route to Barcelona will

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start next year. Flights to Zurich started in March. At the moment

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that three day a week route to Switzerland goes directly from

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Cardiff, taking around two hours. But from next month it'll be

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stopping in Bristol en route, adding about an hour to the journey

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time. It is very sad news for Cardiff. It will take opportunities

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for business away from Cardiff. Stopping in Bristol will not

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encourage people to visit Cardiff. The Welsh Government said it was

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working closely with Cardiff airport to identify potential new

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routes into Wales. We have the possibility of government support.

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But support these to be directed to those aliens who can offer the best

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choice of routes out of Cardiff and government support, although it

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can't be provided for all airlines, can be targeted at those that are

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most important. No-one from the airport was available for interview

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but they said they were pleased to have started two new routes in

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tough economic times. They said it was down to the public to support

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:12:56.:13:04.

CBI Wales says the Welsh government should be encouraging companies to

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locate outside the eurozone to new markets if they are to improve

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trade. It comes on the day the EU downgraded its forecast for

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economic growth in the region. You can see more on that story tonight

:13:15.:13:25.
:13:25.:13:29.

A man believed to be from Barry has died after an incident at the

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former prime Fry's Cadbury Satan Bristol. The site closed earlier

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this year and contract as were brought in to dismantle machinery

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and fittings. It is thought the accident involved the bigger.

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Health and safety and are investigating.

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Work on an access road for a new winter -- when firemen

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Carmarthenshire has started. Many people living near by a say they

:13:52.:14:02.
:14:02.:14:15.

There are plenty of trucks on the road. It is used for an open cast

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mine, a landfill site, and now many more lorries are here. The sentence

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to the building site is directly opposite this man's Farm way home.

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:14:40.:14:41.

This is continuous, all day long. Lorries going, low loaders deliver.

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Thousands of vehicles are going in here.

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As well as the construction traffic, there are concerns about the safety

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of the road. In one year, turbine blades, heavy machinery, and big

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towers will have to negotiate the road, as well as getting to the

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town centre before the wind farm is build on the hillside. The council

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says work on the hill was completed. Most of the town and many county

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councillors say that local people have not been properly inform.

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Because it's in Carmarthenshire, there has been no consultation of

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the feeling of the people who are going to be directly affected. The

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people in the town will not be affected by the wind farm, it is

:15:32.:15:36.

the access route and 12 months of chaos and destruction that will

:15:36.:15:45.

affect en. Turbines will be built here. The developer, owned by the

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:15:55.:15:56.

Irish government, says it has followed to the policies...

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In the summer we had a series of public information road shows, and

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invited more than 18,000 dwellings across Port Talbot. We agreed

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access was a fundamental part of the exhibition. There is anger that

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four roundabouts and a set of traffic lights will have to be

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temporarily removed to allow the abnormal loads to navigate the road.

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But the council refute allegations have not consulted residents.

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It is important to remember contractors and developers are

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engaging with the local community and elected representatives. That

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process is ongoing. I would except we can always do more. But I would

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not accept the assertion there has been no consultation.

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In the meantime traffic is expected to increase on the road, as the

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work -- the work is not expected to be completed until 20th January 13.

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A writer from Belfast won the University of Wales Dylan Thomas

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Prize last night. Lucy Caldwell won 30,000 pounds for her novel, the

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meeting point. The award was founded in 2006 to encourage

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creative talent in writers under 30 years of age.

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Great Britain's Olympic football teams will play some of their games

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at the Millennium Stadium next year. The men's team will play their

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final group match in Cardiff, and the women's side will see their

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first two games here. Any international games staged in Wales

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has to be sanctioned by the Welsh FA, who currently oppose the idea

:17:33.:17:38.

of Welsh stars like Gareth Bale and Allan Ramsay appearing for Team GB.

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It is the common Asian of the World Rally Championship, and Wales's

:17:43.:17:46.

biggest moment in the motorsport calendar.

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The Wales Rally GB started today, and we can start Ashleigh Crowter

:17:50.:18:00.
:18:00.:18:02.

who is in Conway. -- Conwy. Tonight there is a chance to

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celebrate the arrival of the world's best rally drivers, with

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the official opening ceremony. The Wales Rally GB has not come to

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North Wales for 15 years, so it is a big moment for the area. It seems

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to have been embraced by local people. Thousands turned out to

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watch the opening stages earlier this afternoon.

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The tranquillity of a beautiful afternoon was replaced by the roar

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of engines. 74 of the world's top drivers arrived for the start of

:18:38.:18:41.

Wales Rally GB. This is the final event of the World Rally

:18:42.:18:45.

Championship, with the overall winner to be decided. It could come

:18:45.:18:50.

down to the final stage on Sunday. Today the drivers tackled stages

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here, where one false move on the cliff side roads could spell

:18:54.:18:58.

disaster. It is tricky. I have never driven

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across it before. Organisers wanted to include the whole of Wales and

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the rally, but some changes to the route were forced upon them. A few

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of the usual stages, in the forests of Neath and Port Talbot were

:19:17.:19:23.

cancelled, to try to stop spectators spreading fungal disease

:19:23.:19:31.

in the trees. But times have benefited from the arrival of

:19:31.:19:34.

spectators to. Their coming in their hundreds and thousands. I

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imagine they have got to spend money eating, drinking, and buying

:19:38.:19:48.
:19:48.:19:49.

presents to take home. Another driver to look out for his elder --

:19:49.:19:59.
:19:59.:20:00.

Elivan Evans. He is a key part of the team, and is invaluable. Three-

:20:00.:20:05.

stage is down, 20 still to go, before the new world rally champion

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can be crowned at Cardiff Castle on Sunday.

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-- three stages. Let us have a word with the man who

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brought the rally to Wales. It is the chief executive. Why did you

:20:16.:20:24.

decide to start the rally here? is all around us, the enthusiasm we

:20:24.:20:32.

have seen while planning this. It has been fantastic. Huge crowds

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have been here today. The enthusiasm is what it is about.

:20:38.:20:42.

These television pictures are going around the world, and it helps

:20:42.:20:46.

Poetry Wales and a positive light. How difficult was have to pick the

:20:46.:20:52.

route this year? I understand there were problems with the disease and

:20:52.:20:56.

the forest, and that meant some stages could not be included. How

:20:56.:21:00.

difficult was it to pick out a writ? We have been lucky because

:21:00.:21:08.

there is a large disease in South Wales, but we wanted to come to

:21:08.:21:15.

North Wales for a few years. The route is much extended this year.

:21:15.:21:21.

It stars here in North Wales, ending in Cardiff on Sunday. We

:21:21.:21:25.

have four full days of rally, including my crop -- iconic forest

:21:25.:21:30.

stages that have not been used for perhaps 30 years. It has been a

:21:30.:21:34.

real pleasure, and I am sure the drivers will be appreciated --

:21:34.:21:40.

appreciative of their challenge. Will you come back? What stage as

:21:40.:21:45.

negotiations at to bring the rally by Q? We're close to making an

:21:45.:21:49.

announcement, and we will hopefully do that within the next few days.

:21:49.:21:54.

This event has been in Wales now for 12 years, and I think it has

:21:54.:22:02.

got underneath the skin of many people, in evidence tonight. Thank

:22:02.:22:08.

you for joining us today. For the first time, the Mini team

:22:08.:22:12.

have entered some cars to race in the world rally championship. The

:22:12.:22:16.

man behind their team is Dave Richards, who is the boss of the

:22:16.:22:26.
:22:26.:22:27.

team. He is hoping that the new Mini could become a classic.

:22:27.:22:31.

Testing in the forest of the Neath valley last week, the Mini was back

:22:31.:22:34.

in the World Rally Championships after nearly half a century. Trying

:22:34.:22:39.

to live up to the illustrious record of the original. The

:22:39.:22:45.

turbocharged engine enables the new prole drive car to reach 60 in 2.7

:22:45.:22:51.

seconds. But the strength was its handling that led it to dominate

:22:51.:22:56.

rallies in the 60s. Famous wins in Monte Carlo assured his place in

:22:56.:23:03.

motorsport history, sealing its place in the icons of sporting

:23:03.:23:13.
:23:13.:23:16.

history. It is 50 years since we saw ninnies winning the Monte Carlo

:23:16.:23:23.

Rally -- Minis. Would ever be going the world, there are fans

:23:23.:23:29.

everywhere, in Spain, France and Germany. Kris Meeke from Northern

:23:29.:23:35.

Ireland this his first professional rally in Wales, and sees it has his

:23:35.:23:40.

home turf. He hopes this car will propel his career to new heights.

:23:40.:23:45.

The brand has an image and I want to be part of that, it is pretty

:23:45.:23:49.

special. It is the first year in the sport, and we have seen that

:23:50.:23:54.

the chassis of the cad is exceptionally good. It is important

:23:54.:24:01.

to fight for podium places in the first year, which was beyond our

:24:01.:24:10.

expectation is. If a standard Mini Cooper is too tame for you, Mini

:24:10.:24:20.
:24:20.:24:23.

fans can buy adult legal version of the -- a legitimate version of this

:24:23.:24:27.

prole drive car. The original Mini had phenomenal

:24:27.:24:30.

success in the 60s, now the Pro Drive team will hope they can

:24:30.:24:40.
:24:40.:24:53.

emulate that success in the Welsh The rally heads back tomorrow, and

:24:53.:24:57.

we're not sure if the weather is going to hold out for that. What

:24:57.:25:06.

There is rain on the way. It turns dampen drizzly for Armistice Day

:25:06.:25:12.

tomorrow. This low-pressure heads towards us, bringing wet and windy

:25:12.:25:17.

conditions. It then clears northwards, and turns more settled

:25:17.:25:21.

for the weekend. A few clear or breaks and the West, but

:25:21.:25:25.

increasingly cloudy, with hill fog and drizzle further east. Another

:25:25.:25:31.

very mild night, thanks to south- easterly winds. Temperatures

:25:31.:25:35.

staying in double figures across Wales overnight. Tomorrow, some

:25:35.:25:40.

early mist and fog, with the odd bright spell. A band of green

:25:40.:25:44.

pushes into Pembrokeshire, and spreads north-east words for the

:25:44.:25:51.

rest of the day. A few heady pulses of rain. Up to 10 mm, just under

:25:51.:25:59.

half an inch of rain expected. Top temperatures between 12 Celsius. It

:25:59.:26:04.

is mild, but hard to appreciate that in the wind and rain. The rain

:26:04.:26:07.

should clear overnight, with still a few showers on Saturday morning.

:26:07.:26:12.

Brighter spells in the afternoon, and then for the rain arrives in

:26:12.:26:17.

the south-west by early evening. Staying mailed, as we head into the

:26:17.:26:25.

weekend, no frost for the weekend. A milder day on Saturday, eight

:26:25.:26:35.
:26:35.:26:37.

degrees above average. But turning a touch cooler later next week. He

:26:37.:26:43.

has a beautiful photo. One item to tell us about, at Christmas Bazaar

:26:43.:26:49.

he is taking place on Saturday afternoon. Don't forget, you can

:26:49.:26:53.

keep up-to-date with what is happening and checkout the latest

:26:53.:27:03.
:27:03.:27:04.

video forecast online on the A reminder of the main stories: For

:27:04.:27:08.

the first time, the EU's economy Commissioner has admitted Europe

:27:08.:27:14.

could be in danger of a double-dip recession. In Wales, Wales faces

:27:14.:27:17.

deadlock and the National Assembly over its budget, after three

:27:17.:27:20.

opposition parties lined up to oppose its proposal.

:27:20.:27:26.

The Tories, Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems are refusing to back the Welsh

:27:26.:27:29.

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