29/01/2014 Look East - East

Hello, I'm Simon Newton. The construction industry in our

region will get a huge boost in the next five years and create thousands

of new jobs. That's the conclusion of a new report published today by

industry experts. It also says this region will grow faster than many

other parts of the country. Alex is here now with the story.

The Construction Industry Training Board expects nearly 26 new

construction jobs to be created in the East of England by 2018. They'll

come from a predicted rise in new homes, industrial construction and

infrastructure projects. The CITB says annual output in the region

will rise by 3%. Well ahead of the national average.

Last year, just 11,000 new homes were built in the region. It's

reckoned twice that many will be needed each year to keep up with

demand. Buyers queued up for new homes at this development at Brundle

in Norfolk. All of the first release were snapped up that first weekend.

We have not seen that since 2007. The development here of 150 units

would normally have taken about three to four years. If the sales

rate continues as it is, then we expect this site to be built in

around about 12 months. This company is the biggest house`builder in the

region, looking to increase its workforce by 50%, but says planning

policy, centrally and locally, plays a huge part. This is the question,

trying to push more housing to kick`start the economy, Doctor buy

is helping, but district councils have to help permissions we cannot

expand. `` Help to Buy is helping. House`building is just part of the

picture. Investment in new infrastructure and commercial

premises will also be important. House`building is a key sector,

without doubt. That is fuelling some growth. But also, the industrial and

infrastructure sectors will be key for recovery. Both nationally and

particularly in the East, where we have major infrastructure projects

such as the A11 and A14. Trainee plant mechanics learning their

skills today at the National Construction College in Norfolk. But

employers also need to persuade workers who have left the industry

in the recession to return. Well, to use a motoring analogy, as

one developer told me today, the housing sector may not be racing

along in fifth gear as it was seven years ago. But it is in third gear

and moving up. Thank you.

Inspectors say the East of England Ambulance Service is still failing

to get to 999 calls quickly enough. But in other areas, it does seem to

be making progress. The Care Quality Commission made a surprise visit in

December and found complaints and staff sickness are both down.

The unannounced inspection last month found significant improvements

in a number of areas. And after interviewing patients, there's

praise for the care received from ambulance crews and call handlers.

But the Trust is found wanting in two key areas.

Ambulance response times to life`threatening 999 calls. And

staffing. Ambulance trusts must aim to respond to at least 75% of

emergency life`threatening calls within eight minutes. And where a

solo paramedic is first on the scene, at least 95% of calls should

see an ambulance arriving within 19 minutes. Latest figures show that,

across the board, the Trust has met neither standard.

The CQC report clearly identifies that the service is getting safer.

But there are still areas where the response times are not where we

would expect them to be. To meet that gap, we need to fill up our

vacancies, which we're doing. We are pushing hard to do that now. And on

top of that, we are likely to need more staff. And to have the same

service across the entire East of England. The report says the Trust

could need over 500 additional paramedics by the year 2016. And

that's a tall order. It also quotes a review identifying substantial

shortfalls between the resources of the Trust and what it actually needs

to meet national standards. A biologist was killed after

touching a damaged power cable while he was out running. James Kew died

from severe burns in a field at Newport in Essex two years ago. UK

Power Networks says it knew the cable was hanging down. But it was

waiting for an engineer to arrive before switching the power off.

A ten`year`old girl, who was severely brain damaged during her

birth at Colchester Hospital, has been awarded ?4.5 million in

compensation. An investigation found mistakes were made during the

delivery of Samantha Singleton`Parkes. Her family has

thanked staff on the children's ward for the tears she has received. ``

the care. Southend Airport unveiled a ?10

million extension today. The money's been used to creating more room for

aircraft and a bigger departures area for passengers. In time,

managers say it will mean 300 extra jobs as well.

Tourists heading for the sun. Meanwhile, back on the ground, the

finishing touches are made to a ?10 million extension to the terminal.

This is a new departure lounge. It's deserted today. But soon, this empty

space will be full of passengers. Because Southend Airport continues

to grow. It used to be busy back in the 1960s. In 1967, it had 600,000

passengers. But by 2011, that had fallen to just 42,000. But since

being taken over by the Stobart Group, the numbers have risen again.

In 2012, to 617,000. And last year, to 970,000.

And a bigger terminal means more jobs. That's the combination of

people working in the airport, helping the passengers through their

journey. People in the retail shops. And also, airline staff. It's not

without controversy, though. Some of the airport's neighbours say it is

getting noisier and noisier. The airport won't be as quiet as this

for very long. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess

of Cornwall were in Westcliffe`on`Sea in Essex today to

see some of Shakespeare's most famous works. They visited the

Palace Theatre to see local children perform in the Shakespeare Schools

Festival, a celebration to mark 450 years since the Bard's birth.

Now for the weather. Low pressure continues to dominate

tonight, I'd break the rain across Essex, which could push their way

northwards. `` outbreaks of rain. Quite a brisk breeze, most of us

three of frost. Tomorrow starts cloudy, rain spreading from the

South, some heavy, it will tend to become lighter and patchy into the

afternoon and the hope we could see brighter weather, but it will feel

cold. Still with that easterly breeze, highs of six or seven at

best and stop drier by the afternoon and evening. Friday does not look

too bad, staying cloudy, perhaps brighter spells early on, a

freshening southerly breeze indicating the next weather front

which brings heavy rain by Friday, but out the way by Saturday.

Hello. The next dose of wet and windy weather is due to arrive on

Friday from the Atlantic. Today we have had an easterly wind bringing

the chill as the threat of icy patches comes to the north where the

cloud breaks. More cloud further south. Maybe some sleet and snow in

parts of East Wales as we engage the cold air. Temperatures in the

south-east are not changing much because the rain keeps going. It

will be colder further north, though. Icy patches are possible.

More wintry showers in the north-east. Quite a few flood

warnings in Tayside. Write to the west of the Pennines. -- brighter.

Figure clad -- thicker cloud further south. We see some dampness in parts

of the West Country, possibly into East Wales. In the north-west of

Wales is the