21/12/2016 Channel Islands News

Welcome to BBC Channel Islands on Wednesday 21st December.

Warnings a proposed levy on developers could be a disaster,

stalling new building projects and ruining local businesses.

All eyes on the skies - Christmas travellers wait to hear

whether Storm Barbara will change their plans.

The problem with fog and whether is that it is a very busy time of year

these planes are fully utilised so any knock-on has an impact on slots

and slows down the whole process. Shivering in silence -

Age Concern tells pensioners to swallow their pride and apply

for the fuel allowance Jersey's building trade will be

ruined if a new charge is introduced That's the warning tonight

from Jersey's Chamber of Commerce which claims the proposed

Community Infrastructure Levy, which would allow government

to raise funds from developers, This builder is working in one of

Josie's biggest recent project. In the UK, some developments like this

attract a levy. Developers pay a charge towards infrastructure

improvements such as green spaces and safer road schemes. Now, a

similar scheme may be introduced here, and the island's chamber of

commerce says it will be a disaster. It will actually prevent builders

and developers from developing sites. There are limited site

available in Jersey for development. There are projects that need to go

ahead. There are large areas of town that have not been developed, so if

they are looking to get people incentivised to develop those sites,

then another tax on top of what they are already paying is not going to

give them the incentive to do that. In Jersey, deconstruction Council

agrees. It said its members are worried about a potential new tax.

Work like this, the new Co-op at York Street, would come with a

charge. The minister behind the idea says it is only fair that companies,

rather than communities, foot the bill for changes to the surrounding

area. I want more green space, more places for people to enjoy a and in

town is important and we need a mechanism to pay for that. Yes, we

can ask big schemes to contribute, but I think it is only fair if you

benefit from an approval of a planning application, a very small

amount of that money can go towards St Helier looking better. The

minister says the plans are at the consultation stage, and he welcomes

the views of the building trade before he makes a decision.

Do you know a pensioner in Guernsey who is shivering in a cold home,

The charity Age Concern says although many people receive

the winter fuel allowance, there are some who are too proud

On a chilly, damp day, people huddle inside the Salvation Army cafe

to keep warm on the shortest day of the year.

This woman used to struggle to heat her home, but last year

applied for Age Concern's winter fuel allowance.

She says it's worth ?250, and if people are eligible then

It has been a great help, absolutely a great help. Just get the phone

number and ring it, just do it. Definitely, the help is there. Go

for it. Although many people have

applied for the allowance, Age Concern says some people are too

proud to ask for help. There is obviously a stigma that has

always been apparent when people are trying to claim for the benefit, and

we clearly don't want them to feel that. Word of mouth is working

really well for us. Is it a case of pride for some people? Absolutely.

But from our perspective, we don't want them to be cold. As I say, the

weather is starting to get cold, but it is also damp. This can cause

problems for a lot of older people. The fuel allowance is available

to all pensioners, not just So the advice is, don't sit

there shivering this winter. A Pitbull type dog that was taken

away from its owners nearly a year ago in Jersey has been reunited

with them in time for Christmas. After a lengthy legal battle

and online campaign, a court had ruled Mr Bronx

was a dangerous and illegal breed, Today, the Assistant Home Affairs

Minister decided the dog could be returned to his family,

as long as "stringent" Guernsey's first ever referendum

could give the public up to five electoral reform options

to chose from. Islanders have been promised

a referendum on island wide voting before the next general election

in 2020, but it's not yet clear whether or not the result of that

vote will automatically be turned into law, or just used

as a guide of public opinion. A backbencher has brought

a vote of no confidence in Jersey's States Employment Board

after it was found to have unfairly treated a hospital eye surgeon

by withdrawing his contract before Deputy Mike Higgins says

Amar Alwitry's experience wasn't an isolated case,

believing several States employees have been badly

treated over the years. The vote of no confidence is due

to be debated in mid-January. Around 50,000 people

are expected to travel to and from the Channel Islands

in the run up to Christmas. Although there won't now be

disruption on the airlines as strike action in the UK was called off,

bad weather could still cause The great Christmas getaway, as many

leave and arrive in the islands. I am going to Spain to see my mum

for Christmas. We will spend the day with our family in Spain. My family,

my sister lives down here, that we have come for a break over

Christmas. How was the flight over? Good. Fun.

But concerns over potential travel disruptions have now turned

Condor is advising passengers to reschedule their booking

on the Liberation this Friday to another of their boats

But, keen to get somewhere, some may choose to find another way.

It is a busy time of year, so there is some capacity on the flight. We

have not had verification about any cancellations for Friday, but the

important thing is that there will be a bit of capacity left in the

aircraft but it is a busy time of year. If you are going to make

changes, make them now. With thousand wanting to spend

the festive period with loved ones, it's one of the busiest times

for the ports, especially It is about 2000 higher than we

would have seen in an average period in December, nearly as many as we

would see in the back holiday weekends. It is about the third

busiest time at the airport with Easter and the banker day weekends

topping. As the current forecast looks OK

for the planes, a final decision on whether the Liberation will help

bring families together this Now, there's only three days left

of shopping before Christmas, so are you, like me,

dashing around the shops looking Well, if you're stuck for an idea,

don't fear as we've found a rather unusual gift available right

here in Jersey. It has a 105 millimetre gun,

weighs 17.5 tonnes, has a cabin designed for a crew of three,

and can be yours for ?22,500! There is no elegant way of doing it.

You has to just drop down onto the seat.

After ten years, Richard is putting this up for sale to let someone else

experience the joy of driving a piece of British military history.

For the 60th anniversary of the Liberation of Jersey

we were doing a big show in 2005, and I decided that a piece like this

I was able to crush cars with it and show it in the arena,

and really it was a bit of a spectacle.

We don't have that sort of show any more, so I thought

Although it's too big for Jersey's roads, and the gun

has been deactivated, Richard says it still has

It has got its own motors to do that.

Unfortunately, you need extra batteries, so at

Let's face it, if you were presented this for Christmas, I think most men

You can't argue with that, although you may need some extra

So, while there are lots of children wanting to hear news of the weather

for Father Christmas, many travelling are more

David Braine can tell us whether she's likely

Very bad for those living a long way away from the Channel Islands,

across parts of the far north of Scotland and the Northern Isles,

which is as about a far away from the Channel Islands as you can get.

They are looking at gusts of overnight as per hour. We are the

furthest from it, and on Friday it will be a blustery day and then

maybe some big waves through the Indus Channel, so the ferry may well

be affected. Tomorrow is a quiet day, any early showers hearing, a

little bit colder with light winds for much of the day. This line of

cloud that stretches right across the Atlantic has colder on this side

of it, and milder air on this side of it, and it will go through data

onto night, especially first thing tomorrow morning. Once it does go

through, it will feel fresher, but also a brighter day to enjoy

tomorrow. This is a new area of low pressure, and this has been called

Barbara. This raises up towards the far north of Scotland. So it is a

long way away from us, but the wind through the Indus channel will be

strong to gale force, particularly towards the end of the evening --

English Channel. Christmas eve is going to be a blustery day, but

bright with some sunny spells and eight view showers will stop

Christmas Day is likely to be mild and rather grey. Overnight tonight,

a view showers around, more persistent rain likely for a time

this evening. That should begin to play in the small hours of the

morning. Quite a bit of cloud left behind, the wind falling light, and

temperatures starting the day around 8 degrees. Once the rain goes in the

morning, be sun will come out and it will be a right and largely dry day

with a top temperature of 10 Celsius. Reasonably clean surfing

conditions. Have a good evening. That's it from

the team here in the Channel Islands. If you have missed

anything, you can watch our programme on the iPlayer. I leave

you now with the rest of Spotlight. Good evening.

the weather with David, plus:

Welcome aboard the spotlight Express on the South Devon Railway.

With carols in the carriages, we head on a journey bringing

In new prison Abbott a thousand birds are going under back hammer,

including turkeys, and they are all being gobbled up.

Sport now and Andy's here on a big night for Argyle.

Plymouth Argyle kick off their FA Cup second round replay with Newport

The teams couldn't be separated at Home Park more

than a fortnight ago, despite Newport playing most

There's a lot at stake as a lucrative trip to Anfield

to take on Premier League giants Liverpool awaits the winner.

Argyle's form has picked up again since the first tie and they go

There is an awful lot riding on any game.

It is something we want to try and progress.

The reason we are here in this next round is because we were good

enough to beat Mansfield in the round before.

And we'll have highlights of tonight's match in our

Some cricket news, and Somerset have named Tom Abell as their new captain

The 22-year-old, who's from Taunton, becomes the youngest skipper

Abell, seen here on the left, takes over from Australian Chris Rogers

who retired at the end of the summer.

Jim Allenby will continue as one-day captain.

You may remember we showed you some pictures of the Cribbar wave down

As impressive as that was it's nothing on what you're about to see.

This was the Nazare Challenge in Portugal and the moment

Tom Butler, who's from Newquay, came a cropper on a

He was helped from the sea and taken to hospital after this,

Get well soon is all I can say after that. A terrifying force of nature!

Time now to jump back on board the Spotlight Express.

All this week we're journeying around the South West on some

Tonight Johnny Rutherford is riding with the South Devon railway,

where there is a real community feel, as people who like to belt out

a tune or two get together to sing Carols Down The Line,

raising money for charity as they travel along the tracks.

Welcome aboard the Spotlight Express on the South Devon Railway.

This is no ordinary train ride, this is the chance to

Yes, you have to be willing to sing your socks off

I started Carols Down The Line along with my wife about 20-odd years ago

and we've run it virtually every year since.

We love Christmas, it's a lovely celebration and we're going

to have a good singsong when we get to Totnes

and the Exeter Railway Band have come to provide the music.

Carols Down The Line is a return fare

running between Buckfastleigh and Totnes, stopping at stations for

We ran it to support various charities over the

years and National Children's Homes and Action For Children and

there's a lady runs a charity for the Gambia and we have supported

We have raised, I don't know, ?20,000 or ?30,000 over that time.

A few tunes by the track and then it's on to the next stop.

The train, as always, must run on time.

The whole community, not only from Buckfastleigh,

but from all over South Devon, and even beyond, come

together and various organisations, various groups, churches, history

groups, car groups, anybody, the whole group come together to

We will sing number 30, In The Bleak Midwinter.

Even with the constant rain, in tune with the song, the

We've been about three or four times and we love the atmosphere.

It really is fantastic and I love singing carols

Make new friends and see old friends.

The atmosphere was really, really nice and friendly.

Brussells sprouts, parsnips, pigs in blankets,

Whether you like a goose, or nut roast, many will buy

the traditional turkey this year, but if you haven't already ordered

one, as luck would have it there are hundreds going under

the hammer tonight in Newton Abbott in a bidding tradition that

We can go live now to our reporter Clare Woodling.

Good evening. Bidding is going on around the clock and certainly

farmers who have reared these turkeys will be delighted as there

is a rip roaring trade going on with the bird being sold about every 20

seconds. It is a vegetarian 's nightmare but for the rest of us it

is a festive foodie fantasy, as I have been finding out. Come foul or

fair weather for some foodies there is no ducking out of a big day like

this. Flocks of people have landed here in Newton Abbot for the annual

dead poultry auction just before Christmas. The main auctioneer has

taken me under his wing and show me how it works. The turkeys and birds

arrived here from about 6:30am on the unloaded the front and the birds

are carried down and put on trolleys and we put them on the tables, all

laid out like this and later on we come along and we weigh them, write

the lot number which is pre-written on a card there and we write the

weights on, that is ?14.5 and the kilo equivalent. Good evening

everyone, hope you have your cheque-books ready. The mayor of

Newton Abbot ceremonially launched proceedings with the first auction.

They will start the bidding? It was summer she had never done before and

she told me she was winging it. It is daunting but I have watched

someone recently toured auction so I took my tips from them and I hope I

can start it off in a good manner as it could be. Sold at 28! It is

another feather in her cap. This is the heaviest turkey for sale here

today and it should feed 20 people and it weighs ?30.5. It will go for

about ?2 pound so that is an easy some! These people came from Wales

to bid on a bird. We have never had a Devon turkey before but we will

see what the taste is like on Christmas Day. It is usually from

Pembroke. I'm looking at the size and the colour and the plumpness of

the breast and I'm taking into consideration how well it has been

plucked. We had a turkey from Newton Abbot last year and we really

enjoyed and thought the flavour was exceptional and so we decided we

would come back and see if we could get as good a turkey again. Those

people in from Cowbridge are among 450 bidders here tonight and come

what may every bird must be sold. I am joined from Clive Morgan from the

auctioneers, why is it tradition so important? We are having an

excellent sale here tonight, it is very important to keep the sales

going. There's poultry using tonight has all been reared locally and it

has been well fed and it has been running out on grass and killed

locally to produce excellent meat and the sale also brings a lot of

people into the town and the town enjoys a spin off from it and it is

very good to see these traditions going. In fact these traditional

sales are improving and people are tending to go for locally produced

food which is one very good thing. Marvellous, thank you very much

indeed. From all of this turkey -based action it is back to you!

Thank you very much. That was a very busy night and we are staying with a

Christmas theme. It's only a few more sleeps

until Santa heads out on his sleigh to deliver presents on Christmas

Eve. Now we all know he's

picked which reindeer will be helping him,

but he could soon A baby reindeer born near Whimple

in Devon defied the odds to survive after her shock arrival

in the summer. She's now become the star

attraction at Cotley Farm, as Emma Thomasson has been finding

out. Sound at the cute animal alarm. This

baby reindeer was born earlier this year and she came as a bit of a

surprise to everyone on the farmers bethought her mum was too old to

conceive. I looked across the field and I thought I saw a baby rabbit

and the reindeer, but when we came close it was a baby reindeer. It was

just amazing. It turns out she had been born prematurely so had to be

hand reared. Mum didn't have any milk and she was so tiny, even if

she had been able to drink she wasn't tall enough to even reach the

teats. Luckily, because we farmers, we had a cow that had carved that

day so she got fell from the coward rather than the reindeer to get her

started. She has grown a lot since then and has now been weaned away

from her mum but there was just one thing missing. She doesn't have a

name. I can think of plenty. How about -- and dancer and brands are

and fix? -- dancer, France and vixen. A local schoolgirl one a

local competition with the suggestion of the name Willow. I had

my new baby cousin born and my uncle and my auntie decided to call her

Willow so I thought it would be really generous to name the baby

reindeer Willow. What better name could a girl reindeer ask for full

Christmas? That's a good choice. Sweet. We will

now see what the weather is doing in the

run-up to Christmas. Edwin Poots for San Siro? We are trying to work out

what way he comes across? He will come from eastern Europe but he

might end up a bit late but he will be their own time despite the

headwind. We have unsettled weather as we move into Christmas. There is

a lot of wind around but thankfully we are a long way from the low

pressure in the north of the country which now has a name. Tomorrow is a

quiet day for all of us with a few showers away and feeling a little

bit cooler. We will have sunshine but the winds pick up overnight.

This was earlier today in Teignmouth, where our cameraman got

a glimpse of sunshine, hazy sunshine, on today, the Winter

solstice, the day where we have the least number of minutes of daylight.

From now on the nights will be shorter and the days will get better

with a bit more sunshine. Today is very unsettled and the pattern of

weather doesn't change much in the next few days. It does get better

next week. This line of cloud has the boundary between colder air on

one side of it and mild moist air along its boundary. It will

eventually move away from us and lie across the middle of Europe. Coming

out of Canada, like an express train is a new area of low pressure that

is racing up to the far north of Scotland. We will see some pretty

lively winds associated with it on Friday. The weather front is

bringing heavy rain through the afternoon on Friday afternoon and as

we move into Christmas Eve it is south-west winds for both Christmas

Eve and Christmas Day and with the winds on the south-west it means

pretty mild air for Christmas Day. We could see temperatures of 14 or

15 so we are pretty sure there is no chance of a white Christmas. The

cloud and the rain in the last few hours is becoming too clear from the

North. With slightly colder air and clearing skies it could turn a bit

chilly overnight with a risk of a touch of frost and a few showers on

the north coast by dawn tomorrow morning. Quite a few places getting

down to zero or 1 degrees. Tomorrow will be predominantly dry with

showers that are fairly isolated with spells of sunshine in between

and generally much light winds that we have seen recently. Temperatures

down on what we have seen recently. Nine or ten or 11 in the far west of

Cornwall. The Isles of Scilly are bright and breezy with sunny spells.

Here are the times of high water. This is how it looks right through

and including Christmas Day with windy conditions and for all of us

it will feel quite mild. Have a good evening. Thank you. The wind has

nothing to do with the cauliflowers, then David! That is all from all of

us The roads we walk have demons

beneath them... ..and yours have been waiting

for a very long time. What is this? We can't do this.

Is this supposed to be a game? I thought this was some

kind of... What? ..trick. Of course it's not a trick.

It's a plan. What's the very worst thing

you can do... Celebrating 20 years of one of

Britain's best-loved comedians,