12/07/2011 Look East - East

To read, an exclusive report on how Essex County Council spent almost

�700,000 on chauffeur-driven cars. Frankly, I think it was an abuse.

Essex did not need three chauffeur- driven cars. We know that because

they have cut it down to one. tonight: A huge drop in profits and

the share price at Thomas Cook, but it says jobs in this region are

safe. National Grid unveil their route for 90 new pylons. We talk to

Suffolk's celebrity campaigner Griff Rhys Jones. And were Cornwall

has its past these, Bedfordshire has its clangers - we look at what

makes them so on usual. Hello. First tonight, a bad day for Essex

County Council. The words of the leader, as the council faces yet

more questions about spending. Today was the first time the full

council has met since its former leader Lord Hanningfield was jailed

earlier this month. Councillors voted overwhelmingly to suspend the

peer's allowance of �11,500. There were also calls for a full inquiry

into improper use of council resources, while he was leader. In

a moment we'll hear from the new leader of the council, but first

here's our Home Affairs Correspondent Sally Chidzoy. I

Presidents have them, royalty has them and so does the Prime Minister.

Essex County Council has one, too. A chauffeur-driven car, which is

the only one left after the fleet was reduced. A BBC Freedom of

Information request shows the council spent 700 and -- �677,000

on running them in the last five years. Frankly, I think it was an

abuse. Essex did not make three chauffeur-driven cars. We know that

because they have cut it down to one. We need to dig deeper into

what was going on during the Lord Hanningfield years. Using them as

taxes, funded by the taxpayers of Essex. It was lowered

Hanningfield's use of the taxi to ferry and from the Council of us to

the House of Lords that Walker's attention. The cost of it has

shocked many councillors. To be able to account for 670,000 downs

over that five-year period, I find it quite extraordinary. One really

wonders what an hour the journeys were and how that could be

justified. The Jaguar was mainly used by the council chairman, who

said, of the Prime Minister could have a carding show -- so should he,

because of the vast number of official functions he attended

across is its. The choice of cardboard by the council has been

criticised. I would have liked to have seen a more modest model. I

would suggest that the Prius, a very economical car would set an

example to the people of Essex that we're trying to be more economic

goal with taxpayers' money. Essex County Councils says it will

continue to review the cost to taxpayers, of having a chauffeur-

driven car. With another police investigation now underway into

Lord Hanningfields's council expenses what damage has this done

to the authority? Earlier I spoke to Peter Martin - its new leader -

and I started by putting it to him that �678,000 spent on chauffeured

cars was pretty shocking. First of all, I don't recognise that figure

you have just quoted to me. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on

specific figures that may or may not be part of the police

investigation. Regardless of Loch Hanningfield and the investigation

into him, it seems extraordinary that will he was leader, other

senior councillors like yourself did not know what was going or and,

on the expenses front. He was cell certifying himself. It was a

question of Loch Hanningfield, as leader, claiming expenses. And

there was no leak for members to know. What I have done since

becoming leader in February, is institute a complete review of our

governance arrangements. We have a new constitution, we have a new

system for claiming expenses, for providing receipts for of the

expense, and I am now confident that with all the action I have

taken as leader since February, that we have a water pipe system

that is as least as good and probably better than any other

council in the country. -- watertight system. It seems

extraordinary that you did not have that system in place before. In any

company people have to produce receipts for expenses. The officers

spoke to Loch Hanningfield on the number of occasions about it. --

Lock Hanningfield. And they questioned his use of expenses and

the production of receipts. But all that action was under taking since

July 2009, when the Criminal Prosecution Service announced that

it would be investigating a lot Hanningfield's House of Lords

expenses. It cannot just be blamed on one man. The image one guess is

of a profligate council that spends a lot of money chauffeuring s top

dogs around, the highest chief- executive -- highest paid chief

executive in the region and it looks as if it has been spending

much more money than they needed to have done. Since I became leader we

have reduced the number of cars from three to one, we have a one

car which has for the use of the chairman of the council. We're not

profligate. We are extremely tight with our money and we offer

extremely good value for money to our residence. This is a very

unfortunate episode. Obviously, it is a bad day for Loch Hanningfield,

and for the council, -- for lot Hanningfield. But it is certainly

not endemic. We have the the high standards and in the county council

for spending taxpayers' money. Shares in the tour operator Thomas

Cook fell 27% after the company warned of a sharp fall in profits.

It blames the turmoil in the middle east and an increase in costs. The

company employs 2,000 people at their headquarters in Peterborough.

Fatima Manji is there now. Yes, I am outside this company that is

very important to Peterborough. 2,000 people employed here. The

future of this company is important for the future of Peterborough.

Profits are down 15%. They expected to make profits of �380 million,

and that is likely to be more like �320 million. Thomas Cook did not

want to give interviews, but I have been assured that this is not about

job cuts. The future of this company is being affected by events

many miles away. In just a few days, scenes like this change the face of

Middle-Eastern politics, but also affected the porches of business

here in the east. Thousands of miles from Tahrir Square, Thomas

Cook, based in Peterborough, found itself up with a slump in profits.

The company says that political unrest as pig people booking -- put

people off booking holidays to traditional destinations like Egypt

and Morocco, and that means less profit for Thomas Cook. It's in the

last 24 hours, the company share price has fallen by 27.4%. It is

significant. This is a very big fall in the share price. It comes

on the back of this profits warning. In the long term it remains to be

seen what the effect is. This is a very large company with good assets

and cash flows. So, in the short term, it is to do with the market

responding to events. In at Peterborough city centre, would be

holidaymakers said the cost is putting them of. Are Thomas Cook is

an expensive shock for a travel agents. But they a good holidays,

but a bit more expensive, Thomas Cook. I have not got anything about,

and if we decide to go anywhere, it will be a last-minute decision. We

will probably stay in this country and goal campaign. The people the

use use smaller hotels and a more individual so there might only be

three or four people there from England so I quite like that sort

of hotel, whereas larger travel agents like Thomas Cook use more

popular hotels with a lot of people in them. Thomas Cook says it will

be making changes to its business, but it insist that that process

will not be about cutting jobs. What will staff -- what have start

been saying on the wheel on tonight? -- on their way home

tonight? Many are reluctant to speak, but some said they are

worried about the prospect of redundancies. I have also been

talking to a few financial analysts, and one who works for a company

that Thomas Cook deal with, said that this is very simply not a good

sign. Still to come : on the putting green ahead of the open,

and Mike can't write -- Mike Cartwright is sampling a clanger.

Recliner, have made, and have fruit, but which end is which? Find out

The power giant National Grid today finally revealed where in Suffolk

it wants to build a string of new pylons. It says the work is vital

to handle demand, but critics say it will wreck the landscape. We'll

talk to one of those campaigners, the TV presenter Griff Rhys Jones

in a moment, but first this from Kevin Burch. In simple terms, the

problem for a national Grid is a bottleneck on the power network on

the its fears of Ipswich. It has spent 18 months consulting on a

number of possible routes for a new line. Today it revealed its

preference, the cost, �500 million, to create a second link. It would

replace an existing law Valdes line, and pan once, the new ones which

would be twice the size, potentially 90 of them in total,

but the national Grid says that the cables could be buried in the most

sensitive places. This is the best recorder which has received the

most support from the local community. We will look closely

where going underground is appropriate. Quite a lot of their

own research isn't finished yet, so how they can stand up and be so

different, we do not understand. for her reaction elsewhere, here is

at Labour. The Suffolk Preservation National Grid says when it comes to

new technology it know what is options are out there. A fresh bout

of consultation on its preferred route is now planned. Earlier I

spoke to Griff Rhys Jones, who has been an outspoken critic of the

plan, and started by asking why he objected to strongly? Already,

there is a swathe of pylons across some of the most beautiful country

in Britain. What is now being proposed is even more pylons, for

that swathe to become a sort of massive motorway of pylon, to

double the size of it, and spread it wider, and cover more of the

countryside and become something which is, at the moment, you can

sort of not spot it, from now on you will be unable to not spot it.

I think it's a very complicated thing for us, as a group of people,

who are currently the custodians of this country, to will on our

ancestors such a terrible, terrible impact and blight on the landscape.

So it is OK, is it, for pylons to go somewhere which is relatively

unattractive or ugly, but not in a beautiful place? Not at all. I

don't believe that at all. I think as a society we have to make a few

choices. It is down to us to make them. We get a lot of short-term

emergencies which are thrust upon us, which we have to consider. I

think as a country, as a nation, we have to really think about what we

are handing down, to our ancestors P I suspect if they put up the cost

of electricity to pay for this, you could probably afford it, but for a

lot of people, any increase would be hard to afford. I genuinely

believe, if you went to the people of Great Britain and said are you

prepared to take 1.25% on your electricity bill, which may indeed

come down even further, if more sensible and intelligent ways were

seen, looked into in terms of the pylon, I think possibly we would

find that the majority of people would be prepared to stomach that.

Thank you very much. A man arrested after an armed stand off in

Southend has appeared in court. Steven Stirling has been charged

with firearm and public order offences. He will appear in court

again at the end of September. The MP for Harlow says many of his

constituencies are living in fuel poverty because of the high price

of fuel. Robert Halfon today asked the Prime Minister to put pressure

on the oil companies to reduce the price of petrol and diesel, now

that world oil prices are coming down. The drinks manufacturer

Britvic has confirmed it is planning to move head office out of

Chelmsford. The firm wants to find premises further round the M25,

near the M1 within a year, in order to be within easier reach of other

factories. They say they will retain its production facility on

Widford Industrial Estate. We know how much student also have to pay

in tuition fees for universities in this region. The new figures show

that Cambridge Essex and the EUA will charge the full �9,000 for

some course, but the average cost per student will come down, when

grants and scholarships are taken into account. Today's final figures

make for interesting comparisons. Here in the east Cambridge, Essex,

the University of East Anglia and Bedfordshire will be charging the

maximum �9,000. While Writtle College, University Campus Suffolk

and Anglia Ruskin will charge the least, at round �8,000 a year. But

factor in the access funding they are providing such as grants and

cellar ships and the average fee changes. As you can see the

university of Bedfordshire and Norwich University College of the

arts will be charging on average more than the University of

Cambridge.. We have had to make a appropriate response to that. It

may not be the one we wanted to make, so future planning, in terms

of funding, but the Government is determines that higher education

will be funded in a future but students. The Government has made a

big deal about ensuring access to higher education isn't compromised

by the increase in tuition fees. But they have yet to convince

student leaders. While we welcome the increase expenditure on fair

access to higher education, ultimately it is a system which is

going to put off students from poorer backgrounds into going into

higher education. Trying to work out what you will be paying can be

complicated and the advice is choose carefully. An inquiry opened

today into controversial plans for a new housing estate in Newmarket.

Major figures in British horse racing warn the long-term future of

the town will be jeopardised if the land owner Lord Derby is granted

permission. Last summer they celebrated when councillors

rejected Lord Derby's plans. Today they were back, as his appeal began.

This field to the north of Newmarket is where the land owner

wants to build 121200 home, a school, offices and business units

but top trainer, the council and the Jockey Club argue it could

spell disaster for the home of British horse racing. About a 20%

increase in the size of Newmarket is going to change it from being

rural to urban. That makes moving thousands of horses round every day,

which is our business, very difficult. To jeopardise this for a

housing project which could be spread among the region, seems to

be crass, at best. Today in a brief statement Lord Derby said the

application is being judged on its merits, of which he is convinced.

So what happens on this plot of land is now out of the hands of

local people. It is now up to the planning inspector, and ultimately

the Communities Secretary to decide. And the decision may not be known

Tributes have been paid today to the bishop of East Anglia who has

died after a long battle with cancer. The Right Reverend Michael

Evans died in hospital last night. In January, his congregation was

told he has prostate cancer, and did not have long to live. The

regular 10.00 mass in Norwich. Today, dedicated to a much loved

bishop. Man who carried on working after learning five years ago he

had an advanced and aggressive strain of prostate cancer. Michael

Evans was orb Daneed here eight years ing a. -- ordained here..

carry within our hearts the many memories of him. He who was our

pastor, our leader, our teacher, a man who gave both his life and his

heart to us, his family. In an interview if April Stuart asked the

bishop if he felt why me, about the illness that was killing him?

have had those moments but I can't do anything about it. Once you are

told you are dying, you can't do anything about it, I have tended to

adopt the motto of living with dying, in other words not to give

up on it but make it a positive thing, full of hope and trust in so

far as I can. But yes, there are those moments when I think why me,

why is this happening to me. congregation heard the bishop died

peacefully in hospital after being admitted following a stroke last

thurst. I had cancer myself and I know what he has been through, so I

have the greatest of respect for him. I am very very pleased he is

at peace now. Just a few days before he was called by the Lord,

he still was serving his people. This, I think is just an incredible

example. The first time I saw him his eyes just sparkled with life.

It was tremendous, it was his eyes that drew me to him. A man of

complete faith. He was wonderful. The bishop's chair stands empty.

The Cathedral will be packed for his funeral mass next Wednesday.

Now last week theise of the sporting world were on civil ston

for the Grand Prix but this week it is for a very different reason, for

golf. Gary Boyd someone of three golfers from the region who are

hoping to make their mark at the Open, which starts on Thursday at

Royal St George. We went to meet him. Far from the noise of roaring

engines the only sound you here out here is Gary Boyd preparing for one

of the biggest challenges of his golfing career. He has played in

the Open once before, but the occasion got the better of him.

When they call your name on the first tee, it is very nerve-

wracking, you are playing against the best in the world. It is more a

mental challenge than a fiscal one. It is physical as well and there is

a lot of skill and luck you need, especially as British Open where

the conditions and the golf course will play a lot into it. Hely

trying to keep out of trouble at Royal St George. He knows the

course well, play there as an amateur. At the Italian Open he

came close. His good friend Ian Poulter has 11 tour victories..

Inspired by Rory McIlroy, who proved you can come back from

disappointment. He was close last year, he has learned from losing. I

think when he lost at the masters this years it put him in good stead

at the Open. To come out of that tournament to win, was incredible

and to win by the amount he did, you don't hear that in majors.

While Poulter starts with a realistic chance of winning. For

Boyd and Simon Lily it is about sinking the puts and sees where it

takes them. -- putts. It would be great if he did well. Cornwall has

its pasty. Eccles its cakes, but did you know Bedfordshire has its

own local delicacy. The clanger. They reckon the clanger has been

eat none the fields by farm workers for hundreds of years. It is half

meat, half fruit. For made in the east Mike Cartwright has gone a

bakery where clangers are still making a tasty profit. Here, like

everywhere, decision -- decision, decision, shall I buy this or that?

Do I need this? No. Today, tea or coffee but with if you are happy

with sweetor savoury they can offer both. This is the clanger. I have

put apple in that part as the sweet end and the other part we put

gammon, potato and onion with a nice gravy. One end is sweet, the

other savoury. They have been making them at this family bakery

for ever. David Gun is proud of the county's clanger history. Famous

for a food in the fields, the agricultural people working in the

fields in Bedfordshire over the year, and you know. It is up

supposed to be a meal in one so they have everything all together.

But what do they say on the streets? What do you think of

savoury and fruit in the same thing? A bit oth odd? Yes, very odd.

But tasty. Definitely, yes. It is traditional here in Bedfordshire,

did you know that? No. You have never heard of a clanger? Which end

would you go for.. Savoury. Always? Much nicer. The sweet end is always

marked, but why clanger? Well, I wonder. Everything has a story. I

suppose maybe they were started by an accident, having the savoury and

sweet. Perhaps that is where clanger came in. Round here they

say Cornwall can keep the pasty, ebgs their cakes this is the county

of the clanger. And with that lady, savoury side for me. I think you

start with the first course, and eat your way through to pudding.

eat your way through to pudding. Delicious! I would eat both.

Weatherwise across the region, it has been cloudy today. We have had

a bit of rain skirting up the east coast. You can see an area of low

pressure in France, and that has eased its way northward through the

day. Brought us a lot of cloud. You can see that cloud, it has been

with us for most of the day. A bit of brightness getting through it

but a cloudy day in the region. The rain on the radar spreading north

warbgsdz into Kent and Essex. We could see a few spots of rain

continuing through the first part of tonight, particularly on the

Suffolk coast. So overnight cloudy. It will be mainly dry. You will see

the chart here showing any patchy rain clearing out generally through

the night. Otherwise mainly dry with clear spells and patchy cloud.

Temperatures falling away to 11 C in the west of the region. 12 or 13

for most of us, but we do have that moderate to fresh unfortunately

wind and that will keep it milder, along the coast. We are looking at

13 or 14 for the low. We will feel mild in spots, but with that wind

putting a chill into the air. For tomorrow, mostly cloudy again

tomorrow. It will be a breezy day tomorrow. We will continue to see

that northerly wind through the course of the day. A lot of cloud

round again. We could see an isolated light shower across

northern and eastern parts of the region, but for many of us I think

it will be a dry day, with just a few bright intervals at times.

Temperatures at their highest tomorrow 20. But go further north

with that moderate to fresh wind we are looking at 17 or 18 across

northern parts of the area. Then into the evening, any showers we

did have round should fade away, it will become dry into Wednesday

night. Then I am going o show you the pressure pattern towards the

end of the week. We have a couple of decent days for Thursday and

into Friday. You can see the high pressure hanging on. You will no

this this pushing into western Britain. By the time we get to

Friday night and Saturday, that will spread rain in the region.

That could be heavy at times at well. So to sum that up, Thursday,

Friday mainly dry, sunny spells and the temperatures easing up to 21 or

22. Maybe a 23 on Friday. Heavy rain Friday night into Saturday.