13/07/2011 Look East - East

Hello. In the programme - illegal travellers' sites - the MP speaking

out against her own government. Grave concerns that new sites will

crop up in parts of the green belt, in many villages and local

authorities and local communities will feel powerless when it comes

to removing them. Unemployment is up across the region. This hospital

has announced 250 jobs to go. The real-life table tennis star behind

a revolutionary new computer game. The cafe praised by Delia, but was

pub grub in the 70's really better First, claims that a weak planning

system has led to dozens of illegal travellers' sites springing up.

More travellers live in this area than in any other part of the

country and a recent survey showed only a quarter are parked on legal

sites. Part of Dale Farm near Basildon is the biggest illegal

site in Europe, but today Conservative MP Priti Patel warned

her own government's policy is making matters worse. Under the

previous Government councils were told how many legal sites to

provide. Under the coalition councils can now decide for

themselves. The result - the number of planned new pitches has fallen

by more than half. In one moment Priti Patel will be live at

Westminster, but first we have this report from one village in her

constituency. A house in the country. Many people's dream. Annie

has lived here for 17 years. It looks tranquil, but it doesn't

sound it. If I keep busy I'm not so bad, but there are times when

initially it started that it really did affect my health and I couldn't

sleep and I was very, very concerned. When the family moved

here there were two travellers' pitches. Now there are eleven. Mrs

Hopkins showed me how close a twelfth and even a possible 13th

could be. The proposed pitches are within just a few feet of our

boundary at the front, but also within a few feet of our back

boundary, so they will you just be one in the front garden and one in

the back. The problem villages across the region face, according

to planning experts, is a lack of clear strategies, about where

councils should build new pitches. In the absence of a plan then ad

hoc appeal decisions will be made, which dots them around in places

that aren't particularly well thought out. Maria Bradford and her

daughter live on a legal pitch nearby. She says it's the age-old

problem, no-one wants to live next door to a site. There is a huge

fear that once the doors open, as such, for travellers and gypsies,

once planning permission, they have the huge fear that all the entire

family will descend upon the village and plunder it. That isn't

the case. Back at the farm, Mrs Hopkins reads messages from others

facing similar planning battles not just in Essex, but across the whole

country. Today, the exact issues were being debated in the House of

Commons. Andrew Sinclair was there. Every MP with a rural constituency

will tell you how big an issue this is becoming and there was a good

turnout for this afternoon's debate. Our communities are left feeling

disenfranchised and the councils are feeling powerless. Priti Patel

said the present system was unfair and it was time consuming and

expensive moving on illegal travellers. Braintree council had

spent �44,000 on one case. Every MP had a story to tell. The MP for the

village of Braybrooke said every child in his school is a traveller.

The dem photographics are being changed -- the demographics are

being changed in a quite unacceptable way. The MP for

Peterborough said he had similar problems and another from Surrey

called travellers the artful dodgers of the planning system.

While a third said they should learn to live like everyone else.

Just one MP spoke in support of travellers. I've been concerned

there has been a general presumption that all gypsies are

bad and that's definitely not the case where I come from, where we

have a long and happy history with them. The local government minister

admitted the present system was a problem. There's a consultation

under way with the aim to make things fairer, he said, for both

communities. That debate was called by the MP Priti Patel who is at

Westminster now. Gordon Brown got it right and David Cameron is

getting it wrong? I think on the contrary. I think what the

Government is currently doing right now with the consultation is

absolutely esen hall and what we are seeing with the problems that -

- essential and what we are seeing with the problems in my

constituency and the region is the legacy of the topdown targets and

the failure of RSSs to work properly. You are saying we need

more sites and if we leave it to the people who live in certain

areas and councillors they won't have a site on their doorstep, so

you are in the going to have enough legal sites? No, I think this is

about local government plans going forward and I think there is a

recognition. I speak as a constituency MP and with the three

authorities that cover my constituency, who I've been working

with as well on this very issue, there's a recognition that we need

legal sites. There is no doubt about that. The debate today and

the focus of my remarks has been very much about the unauthorised

developments and the sites right now. The planning with The Planning

Inspectorate and the dilemmas faced by local authorities, who go to

appeal on many, many counts and don't win those appeals and

effectively are spending hard- pressed taxpayers' money inviting

the appeals too and our local residents are not getting a proper

say in terms of where we head on this issue when unauthorised sites

turn up on their doorsteps. You are not bothered about what happens to

the travellers, but what happens to your constituents? I think it's

both actually. The issue is there are not enough authorised sites and

so that issue has to be addressed. I absolutely think that we have to

take on board the views of local residents. We absolutely must, when

it comes to the unauthorised sites. My constituents are writing to me

and contacting me and raising the concerns about this, because

unauthorised sites are taking place on their doorstep. That tells us

that actually we have to actually address the issue with authorised

sites with the local authorities. Thank you. Amelia is in the

newsroom now. It's your stories and experiences that we are interesting

in -- interested in. Has an illegal site sprung up near you? Maybe you

live nearby to a legal travellers site. What is that like? Perhaps

you are a member of the travelling community yourself. What has been

your experience? You can send us an e-mail: New figures obtained by the

BBC show that councils in this region are paying millions of

pounds in fines for bed blocking. The fines kick in when councils

can't provide the right support for patients who are ready to leave

hospital. The patients get stuck and the councils are taking a huge

financial hit. Two-and-a-half weeks ago Elaine was admit today The

Lister hospital, suffering from arthritis and she was in severe

pain. She expected an overnight stay, but her mobility problems

mean tonight she is still there. There is nothing they can do in

hospital, but she is at risk if she's at home. With no care package

what chance do you have? You go around in circles. When a similar

thing happened a year ago, she discharged herself in desperation.

Elaine is distressed and tearful at the moment, because she has no

quality of life because nobody is willing to say it's their fault or

they can take care of this and put their hands up to help. Everybody

is passing the buck. Figures obtained by the BBC, reveal over

the past three years Hertfordshire County Council has paid the most

money in delayed discharges. Closely followed by Essex and

Cambridgeshire. In a statement the authority told us that the figures

do not provide a balanced comparison: In Cambridgeshire,

health and social care organisations have formed an urgent

care network, which has identified this area as a specific priority.

Despite that, Addenbrooke's received the single largest amount

of money in any -- than any hospital in the country. In Essex,

Colchester general received more than �500,000 in payments. A pilot

programme is trying to tackle the problem from the other end.

staff assess quickly and provide services quickly and thereby

keeping them out of the acute hospital setting. Bed blocking is

not new. The figures show the system is still not working as it

should do. Still to come - Alex on the long-term impact of the spring

drought and Waseem Mirza with bat in hand. What is easier playing

against the virtual Avatar of a champion, or playing for real? Find

out more as more news where you are. As we have heard, the Defence

Secretary has apologised to the father of a pilot, who was wrongly

blamed for the crash of a helicopter on the Mull of Kintyre

in Scotland. Jonathan Tapper from Norfolk was flying in thick fog

when the crashed happened in 1994. All 29 people on board were killed.

Mike Tapper said the fact his son had been cleared brought total

closure. It's taken 17 years, but finally today the result Mike

Tapper has fought so long for. He's full of praise for the independent

report that finally clears his son's name. It's absolutely first

class. I've only read one third, but it's very good. It was June

1994 when the helicopter carrying top police, army and intelligence

officers crashed in thick fog on the hill side of the Mull of

Kintyre. A report ruled that he and his co-pilot had been guilty of

gross knell jepbs, but today Liam Fox told the Commons -- negligence,

but today Liam Fox told the Commons they had both been cleared. I hope

this report and the action I have taken in response to it will bring

to an end this very sad chapter by removing this stain on the

reputation of the two pilots. it also emerged Jonathan Tapper had

raised concerns that he was unprepared to fly the aircraft.

Mike Tapper is scathing in his verdict about how the MoD behaved.

Appallingly. Why do you think that? As I say, an awful lot of wooden-

headed people are in the institution. The RAF insisted the

Chinook was air worthy, but documents provided to the BBC

describe the power and speed as positively dangerous. We kept

trying, because we thought right was on our side and today has

proven we were correct. Should heads roll at the MoD? We are just

satisfied that bereaved families can be given closure. The cause of

the crash may never be known, but for Mike Tapper, an un --

unwarranted slur on his son's character and professionalism has

finally been lifted. The turkey producer Bernard meth use has a new

Managing Director. Rob Mears is taking charge of the UK business

that employs 2,000 people in the east. The unemployment Faye have

fallen nationally, but it's gone up in this region. The total is now

199,000. An increase of 18,000. That means 6-5% of the workforce is

unemployed, still well below the national average and today we heard

that around 250 jobs are being lost and 60 beds being closed at the

princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow. But the hospital says no

doctors or nurses' jobs will go. The public sector is facing tough

times and hospitals are no exception. In Harlow the Princess

Alexandra Hospital has been told to save �17 million. Savings will come

by cutting 250 posts and closing 60 beds. I think it's a dreadful idea.

They are cutting back so much on everything that I can't see how

it's going to help anybody really. In our current economic situation I

think that it's probably necessary to have cuts right across the board,

but no-one industry or one public service should suffer more than any

other. The hospital says savings will be made through increased

efficiency, not cutting the quality of patient care. Job cuts will come

from voluntary redundancies and employing fewer agencies.

Consultants will have targets to cut the time patients stay on the

wards. This will be difficult for people. I wouldn't suggest any

different. What we are looking at is different ways of working, so

it's not just saying we'll reduce the number of posts and everybody

else will carry on as normal and do more. We have to look at different

ways of doing things. It's very naive to say that losing that many

jobs in back offices will not have an impact on the front-line staff.

It will do. Front-line staff and clinical staff rely heavily on the

support staff to enable them to do their jobs properly. It definitely

will have an impact on clinical staff and on patients. The unions

are planning to raise their concerns with hospital managers.

Conditions at Blundeston Prison have been criticised in a new

report. The Chief Inspector of Prisons said violence and bullying

need to be tackled more effectively. He says the situation is worse now

than at the last inspection. A driver who crashed a coach near

Norwich Airport on Christmas Eve has escaped with a fine. The

magistrates heard that Gerald cull ver would have lost his -- Calver

would have lost his livelihood. This is Mr Calver leaving court.

The 52-year-old said he can't remember what happened or explain

why the coach tipped over. This was the scene after the incident in

which 19 elderly passengers needed hospital treatment. Inspectionent

tack graph showed he had been speeding earlier in the journey,

but it wasn't the cause of the crash. In fact he was driving at

just 12mph when it happened. The court heard when he was taken to

hospital, ehad a high temperature and signs of a strong flu virus.

Magistrates told Calver that she shouldn't have been driving whilst

feeling unwell. They were going to ban him for six months, but when

they heard how that would lead to him losing his job and the support

his gives his elderly father they agreed to a �475 fine and six

points on his licence. After the hearing, the Managing Director of

the coach company spoke about the incident. Our paramount concern in

all our work is always the safe carriage of our passengers.

Whatever the type or duration of the journey, that is. The accident

on Christmas Eve represents a very unusual and untypical event for the

company. It has an outstanding safety report. Gerald Calver has

spent 25 years working for Galloway Travel. He'll now continue his job

as a traffic manager and driver. The British table tennis champion

has lent his body to science, in the form of a hi-tech computer game.

The Cambridge company, Rare persuaded Andrew Baggaley to climb

into a special body suit to help them design the game. As a result

they say your body becomes a computer mouse in 30 different die

mentions. Three times England champion. Five medals at the

Commonwealth Games, so who better to take the star role in a new game

of virtual table ten snis? A game where your own body -- tennis? A

game where your own body is the controller. I didn't know what to

expect, but I loved it. It was great being in a motion suit and

playing all the shots. I think a lot of people now have understood

what it's all about and it gave a few people an insight. Andrew

Baggaley spent hours filming in this motion capture suit. It

converts every movement into a computer file. Designers then use

this digital information to create the video game. We know how to make

games, but quay didn't know how to make a motion control game when

there is no motion control, so we had to think about how people

really interface with a game without realising that. Just bring

their life experience. That was the big challenge for us. With the body

you can move all the parts. Connect can pick up all the measurements

from all the joints, so you can think of it as a mouse in 30

dementions rather than two. It's very powerful. The system's already

the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history. The

Cambridge team behind it just won a national award, but they are not

standing still. There are researchers in our building looking

at Connect in the operating theatre. It's a new way to interact with

computers. I think we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg in

applications. What is easier - playing against the champion Andrew

Baggaley in his home town, or the video game? Well, the 3D laser

technology inside this means players are tracked with pin-point

accuracy. In other words, Andrew would probably need to be half

computer to beat his virtual self. Waseem Mirza looks a better player

when he's playing against the camera. I think he's very brave to

take on the champion. Britain's favourite TV cook, Delia Smith, has

taken a swipe at modern restaurants, saying she preferred going out in

the 70's, when you could go to a pub and get real food, she says.

She says many posh restaurants have portions as small as a symbol, but

she likes this cafe. This is Wiveton Hall cafe, it's not far

from Blakeney. It's on a farm and they use plenty of fresh, seasonal

produce. Delia eats here and likes it and is a fan of the chef Ali

Yetman and her team. What she means by the 70's is the sort of food

people do in small restaurants in those days, husband and wives teams

and simple. Cooking has got very sophisticated. Delia started her TV

career on Look East and she's never been backward in coming forward

about her opinions and her latest remarks came at the launch of a

well-known supermarket's Christmas range. Is she right? The Michelin-

starred chef Galton Blackiston thinks not. Everything was well

cooked and all that sort of thing, but if I did well-cooked meat here

I would be slaughtered. At the Morston Hall restaurant they charge

�60 a head for seven courses. This lob ter is on the menu. Delia eats

here too. -- the lobster is on the menu. Delia eats here too.

knowledge of the public is greater now than it's ever been and they

want to be entertained. They want to have something they can't

necessarily cook at home and that's massively important. You have to -

what you are putting on the plate has to be entertaining. So is it

entertainment or is it about simplicity? Back at the cafe

coronation chicken salad is on the lunch menu. That's a bit retroand

70's. Presumably Delia would approve. One of us has been licking

her lips. That will give you a clue. That lobster looked delicious.

We'll return to the stop story about claims that a weak planning

system has led to dons of illegal travellers' sites springing up

across our -- dozens of illegal travellers' sites springing up

across our area. A lot of you have been in touch. Chris says, "Where

are they called travellers when they want to stay in one place?" a

similar point made by elLen., "They are settlers." Nigel is living near

Dale Farm and he says, "Why don't we have legal sites like on the

Continent where they can stay for no more than six months?" Gary said,

"He was involved in building a site, but it was thrashed." Jane says,

"Travellers face serious discrimination." Mrs Watson says,

"Travellers should be given proper sites. There are bad people in

every community and everyone deserves a chance." Thank you to

all of you who got in touch. all of you who got in touch.

it's time to get the weather. Good evening. Before we get on to the

weather, yesterday I wept out and about investigating the impact of

recent rainfall on the spring drought. It's been a year of

extremes. One of the coldest winters on record. Followed by an

exceptionally dry spring. In March, on average across the area, just

ten millimetres of rain fell. But, we have had a much wetter June. We

have had 60 millimetres of rainfall and that's six times as much. What

impact has all that rain had? Harvesting the winter barley on the

Elveden Estate in Suffolk has just begun. The yield's down a

staggering 60% of the spring drought, but the recent rainfall

hasn't helped. You can see from the areas, we have a crop that is nice

and ripe and ready for har verse. We would normally have been

harvesting today. On this side, on this part of the field, we have got

a crop that is full of secondary growth, which is a result of the

drought and the further rain in June. The second crop means

whenever they choose to harvest there will be huge waste. The

recent downpours have provided extra water for irrigation and

fruit crops are doing well. For livestock farmers, a with the start

to the summer has had mixed benefits. We were running out of

grass by the time it rained. Seriously running out. We were

almost at point of considering almost at point of considering

almost at point of considering almost at point of considering

having to sell stock. Then the rain came and the grass came away again.

Sadly, what -- the result was we had to graze away a lot of grass

that was being saved for hay, so we have no hay for the winter.

Although it might seem like it, we haven't actually had that much rain.

This blue lines shows the rain we should get through the rain. If you

add it all up this is what we should find. We saw this year the

rainfall let us down in March, April and May. Now it's starting to

climb up with the June rainfall and some rain in July, but it hasn't

made up the short fall. The June rain was near or a bit above

average, but we have a long way to go before we replace the water we

lst in the spring. At elf -- lost in the spring. At Elveden they feel

we'll see the impact of the driest spring in living memory for some

time and it won't make a big time and it won't make a big

difference however much it rains There is a new programme on tonight.

It's been a rather cloudy and chilly day. We low pressure right

over Germany at the moment and you'll see this weather system here

is just going to push back slightly, so in the east we'll see some rain

around dawn. This is how it looked at about 5pm. A good covering of

cloud and there will be one or two showers this evening. Most places

staying dry, but cloudy and then you'll see this rain arriving

around dawn. It's mostly going to effect parts of Norfolk and eastern

Suffolk. The west staying largely dry. Overnight lows around 11 or 12.

North-westerly winds inland and lighter. For tomorrow, it looks

like a rather cloudy day for everyone and rain in the east.

You'll see that rain tends to linger through the morning and into

the afternoon. Now, the west is staying largely dry and perhaps

some brighter spells to the afternoon. Temperatures struggling

a little. In the east, 17, so cooler on the coast. Further west,

perhaps 20. It will be quite breezy. We have a north to north-westerly

breeze through the day. Moderate inland and perhaps fresh around the

coast. Really quite a breeze blowing. P that rain will tend to

clear away -- that rain will tend to clear away leaving a dry evening.

For the rest of the week, we have got this area of low pressure

whizzing in. It will bring wet weather at the end of the day on

Friday. Having said that, the bulk of the day fine and dry, but it