17/04/2012 East Midlands Today

This is East Midlands Today. Our top story, the great housing market

price drop. As property values hit the bottom, we meet the homeowners

who can't sell. I bought the property five years ago and it has

been on the market six months. I haven't been able to sell it yet.

Plus, a second day of strike action by some teachers in Nottingham.

Campaigning against plans for a five term school year. Also tonight,

we are in Japan, with adventurer Sarah Outen. It is cold, it is wet,

and she is in training to become the first woman to row the north

Pacific oaks. And from a shoe factory to Holloway Prison. How

Alice Hawkins helped change history. Hello. Good evening, welcome to

Tuesday's programme. First tonight, the dramatic fall in house prices

here in the East Midlands. Some homes in our region have lost more

than a quarter of their value since the economic downturn and it is

people in the cheapest homes who are facing the biggest losses if

they want to move up the ladder. Dominic has the statistics that

show how the housing bubble has burst. Well, Easter, traditionally

signals a surge in house buying but the last five years have been far

from traditional. Let us take a loot at what has happened in that

time. -- look. Here in 2007, the market was riding high, of course

the downturn hadn't yet started. Then, the average price of a house

in the East Midlands was �143,000. Today, according to the Land

Registry that has fall into �124,000. A drop of just over 13%.

Now within that drop, some types of home have fared worse than others.

For data on that we can turn to the Halifax, which issued its latest

figures the East Midlands a few days ago. These are average price.

Detached houses have seen the smallest drop in five years, at 9%.

A semi has seen prices drop by 17%. Bungalow, they have gone down by

about the same. Flats and maisonettes are down by more, round

21%. But over the last five years the biggest drop by far, has been

in the value of terraced houses. A staggering 26%. Serious number, but

what does it mean for homeowners? Hello I am Hayley, and I am a

schools arts administrator. This is my two bedroom property. I bought

the property five years ago. It has been on the market six months and I

haven't been able to sell it yet. I bought the property five years ago

and paid �138,000. I have been forced to put it on offers round

�130,000. This is my estate agent Mark. Mark, is my situation

unusual? Unfortunately it is not. Like yourself, a lot of people

bought five to six years ago at the peak. Now we are at the bottom so

people are struggling to get back their initial investment. Do you

see any improvement in the market? We are seeing early signs of

improvement. There is more buyers round than last year, and the sales

prices are beginning to increase but nothing substantial at the

moment. I would like to sell the house as soon as possible, because

me and my partner will looking to buy a house together. But I do

worry if I have to drop the price any lower I will fall into negative

equity. Well only today the Office for National Statistics said there

had been zero increase in East Midlands house prices in the past

12 months so what is being done to stimulate the market? Our reporter

has been to the unveiling of a scheme which uses tax payers' money

to get things moving. The town of ar nold. Buying a property here

will probably cost a first time buyer round �100,000. Now the

council's teamed up with a bank to offer first-time buyers a helping

hand. Help with one of the biggest hurdles. The deposit. And offer

this first time buyer has snapped up. When we found out we could get

this whole scheme involved, we had to go for it because there is no

way we could have done it. council has borrowed �1 million

from the Government. It will lodged with Lloyds and eastern money from

the council. First time buyer also have to get a deposit of 5%, up to

a limit of �120,000. The council will then guarantee up to 20% of

the cost. What it will give when you are saving and you think I just

need that little bit extra, that bit extra to give me the do po it

is. So where is it coming from? This this case you can turn to the

council is there a chance. I wouldn't be able to afford one. It

is nice for people to get a helping hand. It is council money. It

should be spent on other things. The only way I managed to get on

the ladder was with some inheritance, other than that I

would have found it very difficult. We recognise the challenges people

face, a lot of people will call on their parents, or just they might

be renting and are trying to save, and it is difficult to raise the

standard 10% deposit. There will be a big demand from first-time buyers

and there is only enough top help round 45 of them. -- to help. A

short time ago I spoke to Josh Miller. He is a senior economist,

at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. I began by asking him

whether the house prices were good or bad for the region. It depends

on who you are talking about. For those who are wishing to get on the

housing ladder it is probably a good thing, because it makes house

morgue accessible. For those wishing to get off the housing

ladder it is not such a good thing. When they sell they won't

necessarily receive as much. So it is more about a distribution of

wealth. Does this mean the market is static because nobody wants to

sell? I don't think the market is that static. It is certainly more

static than say at the peak of the boom, but sales levels have

recovered somewhat. But is it a reflection of the whole country or

are we worse. The trends have been similar over the last four years so

house prices are down about 20% below their 2007 peak and that is

the same for the UK as a whole. Over the last few years, in both

the UK and the East Midlands house prices have been bumping along the

bottom. That is how I would characterise it. What do you think

for the next 12 months? I think over the next 12 months we will see

more bumping along the bottom. The riskedst are skewed to the down

side. Beyond the next 12 month, I think that the picture is a bit

brighter. The economy should have gained a bit more traction, that

should feed through to the labour market and in turn the housing

market. Well, light at the end of the tunnel. That is a good place to

leave it. Thank you. Still to come. The ups and downs of the weather..

It has been one of those days where the brolly has been up one minute

and down the next. We have more rain to come this week, with slow-

moving showers for tomorrow. More for you towards the end of the

programme. In other news, eight people have admitted taking part in

an outbreak of violence that included the firebombing of a

Nottingham police station. Today 21-year-old Reiss Wilson pleaded

guilty to an arson attack, another man has admitted taking petrol

bombs to the building at Canning Circus. The six Hoare others who

admitted involvement include these men, Lucas Stapleton and Ashton

Alexander. Nottingham City Hospital has been ordered to pay at least �6

million in compensation to a boy left brain damaged. He was starved

of oxygen at birst. He can't be named for legal reasons. He suffers

from cerebral palsy, learning difficulties and problems with

speech and feeding T high court heard the hospital made a full and

unreserved apology. Plans to create a new football backed free school

in Derby will be discussed tonight. Derby County has been given the go-

ahead to run the academy along with Derby Moor Community School. It

will take up to 50 pupils who have been excluded from other schools.

Yuenjiens nearby referral units could suffer if peoples follow the

lure of football. Striking teachers in Nottingham marched into a

council's HQ demanding a meeting with councillors. Members of the

National Union of Teachers are angry about plans to introduce a

five term school year. The City Council insists that the move will

improve education. A second day of strike action by teachers unhappy

with plans for a shorter summer break in Nottingham, with a five

term academic year. The City Council say the strike closed 15

schools and affect my Lord than 30 others. -- affected more.

believe it would be a terrible thing for the schools. I am

concerned that the terms will be so long, they will be eight or nine

weeks, and we had an eight week half-term before Christmas, and the

children were so tired, it was a waste of time them being there.

They were beyond it. Parents are divide on whether a five term year

is a good thing. One problem for some families is the surrounding

council has no plans to adopt the same system, which could cause

problems for some. We think people, this is a better work life balance

for both those working in schools and for those learning in them.

you have any up-to-date evidence that is a good thing? We have

evidence from a number of places that the summer holiday is too long,

particularly for children in homes where there isn't a lot of money

round to go on holidays and children often spend the whole of

it in the street where they live, not being stimulate and go

backwards in their learning. Earlier there had been pickets at -

- pickets at school gates. Only two NUT members were on this picket

line before they joined the larger protest. They decided to go into

the council offices. In fact the councillor in charge of education

wasn't there. I don't think piling into reception is necessarily going

to make the case for them. Both sides in the dispute are due to

meet tomorrow. Next tonight motorists in Leicestershire and

Rutland are being warned to ex paegt -- expect delays ahead of a

rer her sal for the Olympic torch relay. It will take place on Friday

morning and simulate what will happen when the torch arrives here

for real in July. Victoria join us from the National Space Centre in

Leicester. Good evening Victoria. Good evening. It is all very quiet

here tonight, but at 7.10 on Friday morning, things will be really

different. Because this is where it will all begin. The rehearsal for

the him -- Olympic torch relay. Let me give you an idea of what things

will look like. There will be a rolling convoif 15 vehicles. Up to

450 Olympic organisers will come here and there will be more than

100 people who will walk or run with the flame over the 80 stretch.

Delays on the road are inevitable so let me give you an idea the

route it will take. From here, it will travel along the golden mile,

and head up to the great central railway where it will travel to

Quorn. From Quorn, it will head to Loughborough and on to the

university. Then, it is on to Melton, Oakham and across Rutland

Water by boat. The torch relay will head to Uppingham. Arriving at

Burghley House before finishing in Peterborough by Friday evening. Now

this is the only rehearsal of the torch relay taking place across the

country. The reason it is here is because of the complexities of the

route. It is a chance for the organising committee to put two

years of planning to the test.. have a range of transport modes

that are taking place and we pass through 12 communities along the

route before we arrive into Peterborough. So we have a train

moment taking place on the great central railway. We have a flame

exchange happening on Rutland Water and we are on the people in valley

rail way. It is challenging and there is a lot for us to be exposed

to. So look out for the yellow signs along the route warning about

delays and avoid them if you can. There won't be a flame on the day

and organisers are not encouraging people to line the route. It is a

rehearsal. We will cover the event and we will cover the event for

real when it happens on July 3rd. Traders in Market Harborough have

been given fresh hope they may not be forced to move. There have been

widespread protests about the council's plans to release the

market hall to a large retailer and to move traders out doors. Now a

report commissioned by the council says there maybe scope to keep the

market where it is, if it is made more commercially viable. Work is

getting under way to rebuild two schools in Leicester at a costing

of �48 million. They are Crown Hills Community College and the

city of Leicester school. The City Council is one of a handful to

secure the cash from the former Building Schools for the Future

programme. The UK's biggest industrial auction has been taking

place in less shire today. In total almost 700 lots have been going

under the hammer. Equipment on sale included trucks, forklift and other

plant equipment. Buyers have been coming to the sale from all over

the world. Extraordinary sight really. You are watching East

Midlands Today. An Sarah Outen is one year into her epic expedition

travelling round the world by bike, kayak and rowing boat. The Rutland

rower is in final preparation for the most dangerous part of the

voyage. She is about to row solo across the north Pacific

association oaks. She has been training in Japan and will set off

later this week. Sarah teal travelled to Tokyo to meet her. One

woman, and heroing boat. This is sar Sarah Outen at her happiest.;

just out for a paddle in rougher stuff which is good fuf fun. The

26-year-old is in final preparations for her record

breaking attempt to solo row the north Pacific Ocean from Japan to

Canada. 4 300 nautical miles of dangerous seas. Rowing night and

day it will take her up to six months. Bye! This is one of Sarah's

training days and as you can see it is windy it is werbgts it is cold.

And these are just some of the conditions she is going to have to

face out at sea on her voyage. is choppy here, we got a sense of

seeing you out there. You are up and down, what is going to be like

all the way out at sea? Different to that. This is like small chop.

You will get rolling waves as big as the trees, and then on top of

that you will get wind waves which can be much smaller. But still as

tall as a three storey building, and it is when they start crashing

they get tricky. That today, no problem. The one question everyone

asks is why she wants to do it? I do it because I love the challenge,

the excitement, the adventure, the new opportunities. That feeling of

not quite knowing if you are going to make it. Sar Rees attempting to

loop the globe from London to London using only human power.

Cycling, kayaking and rowing, all the way round the world. The first

leg saw her cycle 11,000 miles to reach Japan. The second leg, the

Pacific Ocean is treacherous. Only two men have ever bn before rowed

this ocean, no woman has ever attempted it. This is incredibly

dangerous. Others have failed, others have died. How much do you

think about that before you set off? You are out in an ocean, which

is changed and dynamic and volatile and dangerous at times. So, I try

not to think about the scary stuff, or you know the chance of things

going wrong. I have looked at it. Dealt with it for now. There will

be times when I have to face it out there, when I am face to face with

a dangerous situation, but... You know, just hope for the best.

Without a doubt Sarah knows she is facing her most daunting challenge

to date. Out there it will be tough. Not just because of the wind but at

times it will be cold, I am going to be by myself and that has

challenges and so on. I am expecting the Pacific to be the

toughest thing I have done. Tomorrow night more from Sarah as

we find out how she has helped victims of Japan's tsunami and why

she is being mobbed by Tokyo school-children. Wow. She is

extraordinary. I would be tempted to catch a plane! Still to come.

Why you should use your vote. How Alice Hawkins suffered in her

campaign to get equal rights for women. Time for the sport. Here is

Colin. It is short and sweet from me tonight. We look ahead to the

football tonight. We will start with Forest who can confirm they

will be in the Championship next season. Victory at Reading or a

defeat forCoventry would be enough for safety, but no-one is about to

throw a party. I don't think anybody would be celebrating, it is

a case of making sure it is not a disastrous season, and as soon as

it is done, put it to bed and look towards the next season, because it

has been a terrible season, a club like to shouldn't be in the

position we are in. The sooner we get it done the better. Leicester

season is likely to come to its final destination tonight. Only a

miracle would see them into the play-offs now but all they can do

is keep winning. There for us at the match is Paul Bradshaw. They

are plea places and six points off the play offs with three games left.

First it is Burnley. Is there anything left to play for? They

have left it a bit too late, and hopefully, if we can win the last

three games and other teams mess up stranger things have happen. Keep

the faith. Fingers crossed. Keeping the faith there. Is it a case of

inconsistencies costing you dear? Very much so. If you look at

performances against the bigger side, we are have played well and

fallen flat on the sides we should beat. It is looking to next season,

getting it right and it will work out for the best. So fingers

crossed but this season is done for me. We will, yes, the Foxes needing

a win and relying on teams above them to slip up. Speaking of slip

ups Derby could do Leicester a big favour. They are at Cardiff. Scar

dif are in one of the play off spots. The Rams are delighted that

a top half finish is well in reach. Just the achievement getting into

the top half after last year, struggling. Near the bottom and

fighting for your lives. It is nice to go into games, like relaxed kind

of thing but wanting tho do the best you can wanting to do the best

you can. As well as football this is a big Olympic week. We have

heard about the torch relay but tomorrow we have a special

broadcast to mark 100 days to go to the games. Here is a taster. Sam

Oldham is back after an injury. His battle to join Team GB starts again

this weekend. Here is his Olympic dream. I am Sam Oldham. A gymnast.

My Olympic dream is to win a medal as a team at the Olympic Games and

hopefully make the all round final. I can remember the first day after

we won the bid for the Olympic Games. I can remember hitting the

running track at 6.45 thinking this is it. Six years now. For most of

us we have been working sort of ten, some of the older guys 20 years

just for in sort of moment, competing in a home games is going

to be like nothing I have experienced before. Make sure you

are tuned in tomorrow. Plenty more Olympic stuff and we think and

Kirsty due to be out and about as we celebrate 100 days to go.

Speaking of Anne the football results and action on the late

bulletin. I am becoming affiliate fod the sports department! An

honorary member! Now then, what terms and average law-abiding

citizen into a law breaker? In the first of John hom's new series of

historic homs he's visits Leicester to learn about a woman who

spearheaded one of the biggest reforms the country has seen. The

suffragette movement was formed as an action group campaigning for

votes for women. By 1907 it was having an impact on our lives. 44-

year-old Alice Hawkins journeyed to London and became involved in a

pitch battle with police. She was arrested for disorderly conduct

outside the gates of the House of Commons and spent 14 days in

Holloway Prison alongside 28 other women, including Emily Pankhurst.

But Alice was unlike most, who were very middle class, she was lower

class, living here in Leicester at 18 Mantle Road where she worked at

a nearby shoe factory. My great- grandmother Alice was aggrieved at

her lot in life. Alice and other women were paid one third the going

rate the men were earning for doing to same job. So for Alice, becoming

a revolutionary was about putting bred on the table for children.

About getting better pay and conditions. -- bread. The vote was

a route to that. But the shoe factory was different. It was a

workers' co-operative, encouraging women like Alice to join political

organisations. She founded a Leicester branch of the women's

union. In November the battles took place in London. The police beat up

the suffragettes. A Alice was given 14 days. A year later she met the

Prime Minister Lloyd George at the houses of Parliament to plead her

cause. She died aged 83, and was laid the rest at Welford Road

cemetery. She was buried in a pauper's grave. She was the last

one in. There is five others here. She was buried in 1946. Why hasn't

it got a grave stone on it? I think the family lacked income at the

time she died, so it has never had a headstone. Myself and other

members of the family are joining forces and we will put a headstone

up to commemorate her. Alice fought all her life for equal rights. She

was a determined lady, standing up for what she believed in. A

lifelong motto, always use your vote, we suffered for it. There you

are. The Dowty Alice haur kins.. What a womanment. What a hat! And

What a womanment. What a hat! And what weather. Yes. Interesting

weather. Yes a wet week. It will be on and off. We will see showers and

another band of rain coming through tonight. One new arrival who isn't

too fussed about this was captured by Steve today. So thank you for

that Steve. Enjoying a bit of a drink there. We have seen a wind.

It has been helping the showers move through quickly and we have

seen a bit of sunshine in between those shower, and we still have a

few to go now. Before they will start to die away overnight. They

could contain hail and there is a chance of hearing thunder. The

cloud starts to increase again through the early hours of the

morning so the coldest temperatures will be in the far north, down to

about 3C before the cloud starts to increase again. This is the first

signs of a band of rain pushing up from the south, that will be

joining us tomorrow morning and it is going to be quite slow-moving as

well. It pivots round across the East Midlands as it is working

northwards, giving rain for a period of time. As that starts to

clear away, we have got heavy slow- moving showers coming in behind it.

They are going to contain hail and they could be thundery. It will

feel cooler tomorrow, very lacking in sunshine with all the rain round

but the daytime temperature no higher than nine C. It lab breezy

south-easterly wind and thu, although the wind is starting to

die down we have showers round. On Friday as well, our area of low

pressure becomes more flaby, so not producing the wind, but it will

give us again very slow-moving showers and they will be heavy and

they could contain hail and be thundery. It will be quite a wet