19/09/2014 Look East - East

Hello and welcome to Look E`st. continues. The dream

In the programme tonight, the battle to save hundreds of jobs in Norfolk

Today workers met with management at the start of a 3`month constltation,

Labour's recipe for the reghon's railways, it wants a cap on fares

One of our biggest solar farms, a blot on the landscape,

We were very careful about choosing the fields, three years ago we would

And the festival that brings the circus to the streets

First tonight, workers facing redundancy at Group Lotus in Norfolk

have met with management today to try to salvage their jobs.

More than 300 could go across the company as it tries to cut costs.

Lotus has been building high performance cars at Hethel

It's also an engineering consultant to car makers all over the world.

But in recent years it's struggled to make a profit and last ydar it

Now as part of restructuring highly skilled engineering jobs ard going.

Let's go live to the factorx at Hethel now and Alex Dunlop.

Stuart, it seems extraordin`ry that a company founded on enginedring

excellence, selling more cars now than it did before, is set to lose

one in four jobs. The new chief executive says that if the `re to

prosper, they will have two cut back.

It's a strong brand that dr`ws Richard and his friends frol Brazil

deep into the Norfolk countryside for a souvenir photo.

We decided to stop here to look at the company.

It is that famous that you've come all this way?

But behind the badge is a fhrm in turmoil.

Of the 1200 workers worldwide, more than 1000 are based in Norfolk.

Workers could know by Christmas if they still have a job.

We had an e`mail the day before most people had guessed what was

Lotus won't stop building c`rs, but the new boss,

who arrived just four months ago, took a look at the books and said

We just had a very good quarter in sales, we have sold 46% lore

However, it isn't sufficient, we still need to reduce costs

What a roller`coaster ride it has been.

Four years ago, Lotus unveils five brand`new models in Paris,

Two years later, the boss was dismissed, last year,

ministers came to call with ?10 million of government aid

Lotus has a good long`term future and is now on a sound footing

and there will be additional engineering staff coming here.

A year on, analysts say Lotts has a future in the region.

It has good links to the motorsport industry, which is not far `way

And the wider UK car industry is doing very well.

Yes, having a base in Norfolk is doable, ultim`tely,

it needs a big partner to ptt the resources in and share technology.

This part of the world is a centre of engineering excdllence.

This nearby cluster of engineering firms says those lost

If those that lose their jobs are able to transfer

their skills, there are significant opportunities, if you look

at the opportunities in precision engineering all around the county,

So, although it is a diffictlt time, I think there are opportunities

I have spoken to a source close to the company who says the new chief

executive is a bright guy. The reasoning seems to be this, he has a

?50 million wage bill, if hd can cut that by one quarter, that ghves a

big pot of money to reinvest in engineering. Eventually, in the next

three to five years, perhaps bring on more workers. Thank you, Alex.

So the voters in Scotland h`ve rejected independence

but they will get more powers over taxes and more public money per head

While the result has been broadly welcomed in this region, it has left

some questions about how we are governed in the future and whether

No, 139,788. Despite the result this is still a political g`me

changer. The reverberations of the referendum are expected to rattle

the windows of government btildings in east Anglia. Scotland has set the

ball of federalism are rollhng and it is rolling our way. If

Westminster gives more power to Scotland, soon our town, city and

county councils will demand it too. Politics professor Paul Whiteley

from the University of Essex believes the forces of localism now

unleashed means Westminster will relax its grip on local govdrnment.

The key thing is to raise otr own money and spend it away we wanted to

the sending it to London so that they can recycle it back to us in

the form of big grants to local government. According to economists,

the East contributes more to the viruses that could get in rdturn.

And I'd would, perhaps, for more local autonomy. `` more to finances.

I would like to see a country like Essex get much more responshbility,

more power, therefore make services more responsive to local people and

more inventive. They'll be lore innovation if it wasn't all

corralled from Westminster. What do they make of the referendum on the

referendum on the streets of Essex? I doubt they have stayed

What we are trying to do is have a railway that puts the intdrest

in Norfolk are calling for the full renationalisation of the rahlways.

But even calling for partial renationalisation means votdrs will

have a choice, has privatis`tion worked in the region's railways

You can see that interview with Mary Creah in full on the Sunday Politics

programme, which will be live at the Labour party conference.

And Andrew will be here latdr in the programme with his analysis

of what the Scottish referendum means for us in the East.

Two years ago the best mountain bikers in the world came to Essex

Now the circuit they raced on is being remodelled at a cost

of nearly ?7 million and it's due to open to the public next xear

The skill to this circuit is not to peddle, according to the experts. It

is one of the new areas being built at Hadleigh as part of the Olympic

legacy. Today, young people from all over the country are compethng

here. You're knackered todax it is skill sessions, you have to weave

out of places, tomorrow is ` handicap race and eliminated. ``

today is a skill session. It is cooled to ride because that great

athletes have ridden. A good course as well. The course will be open to

the public next year, the project involves new tracks, modifyhng the

Olympic course and building a bike shop, cafe and custom. We are hoping

by 2024 over 100 thousand pdople a year will visit the site. In terms

of using the facilities and getting the best out of the investmdnt made,

this will really pay back over and over again. Following in thd

footsteps of Lee Valley, whhch opened to the public after the

Olympics, the main course at Hadleigh has been adapted. Once

riders have skills, they can compete on challenging to rain. 'No' now we

have locks, which is great. We are coming on par with the rest of

Europe `` now we have the rocks This will move is up through the

ranks in Europe. Once the btilding work is finished, the whole venue

will open for everyone to gdt on their bikes in March 2015.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn has failed another

It will stay in special measures for a at least another 6 months

In October it was given extra support after concerns were

raised that patients may not be receiving effective care.

The hospital says it is makhng "satisfactory progress".

The Care Quality Commission says 6 out of 8 core servicds

The leadership at the hospital has also been rated "inadeqtate .

Critical care and children and young people's services have

Still to come tonight, Tom's here with all the sport

including our football leagte new boys Luton Town and Cambridge United

Plus, the arts festival that brings the

circus onto the streets, and it s going from strength to strength

If you're driving around the countryside

and see a field full of silver then the chances are it's a solar farm.

They're springing up across the region, a carbon`free way

But they're also controvershal, many people say they're a blot

Now one of the biggest in Cambridgeshire is fighting back.

The owners claim that as well as producing green power wildlife

A Cambridge a field for harvesting, but not crops, the son. Row after

row, the gaps between the p`nels are so these shades doesn't encroach on

the light. How does this work? The sun comes down and hit the cells,

each of these cells is on a module, and is ultimately linked into the

inverter over there. From there it goes into the National Grid. On a

day like this, will it work? If you feel it, the panels are not hot

Although not hot, they are very efficient. More efficient than in

Italy and Spain, for exampld, that is why in the UK we generatd more

solar power. Today I visited just one small section of it, installed

recently. There are over 20,000 panels here. Over 31 acres, which

can power 1400 homes a year. Solar farms have been criticised `s a blot

on the landscape. But here, largely undisturbed, nature is workhng

around it. While filming, wd saw hairs, a kestrel, and evidence of a

badger set. Some people aren't comfortable with land being used for

solar farms. Understandable, we were very careful about using thd field,

this is not a good feel for agriculture, and we would ndver have

seen a registered here a few years ago. This is a great opporttnity for

regeneration. This is the whole site from the air. The country's largest

solar farm is now six times the size of this. When the lease runs out on

this land and 25 years, the company says the structures can be pulled

down and recycled and the l`nd return to crops.

Sport now and six weeks into the football season it's time for a

progress report on our teams who made it back into the Footb`ll

League. With that and news of two of our

sailors in the world championships, here's Tom.

We'll start with football and our sides aiming for the Premier League.

Ipswich in 10th after back`to`back wins

for the first time this season have to wait until Monday to plax Wigan.

Tomorrow, Norwich are back at home against Birmingham.

Two away wins inside a week has lifted them to second, another win

I'm sure everybody now is expecting it to be a formalhty.

I have been in the game long enough to know that

If we go up into this complacently thinking it

is a case of how many we will score, Birmingham will turn us over.

Here are the games in Leagud One, all our sides lost in midwedk.

MK Dons' fans will no doubt give an extra cheer tomorrow for one

Midfielder Dele Alli has bedn named the Football League's

The 18`year`old has been linked with several Premier League clubs

but he's agreed a contract extension with the Dons.

I have enjoyed playing here, hopefully I can help get thd club

promoted. I would like to bd part of that, it would be a dream. The

people here are great, they help keep my feet on the ground.

people here are great, they help keep my feet on the ground.

Now in League Two, all five sides are in action.

The U's are expecting their biggest crowd in over a dec`de.

Both teams were promoted last summer, so this will bd

There will always be managers who have turned around the club's

fortunes. These two took Calbridge and Luton back to the footb`ll

league. It hasn't been as straightforward in their new

surroundings, they are still settling in eight games in.

Performance wise, I haven't been happy, we need to add a few roles.

We have had a fairly solid start. If on the picture is room for

improvement, Cambridge have had to open a game of it. A new,

user`friendly ticket system. Progress for a club that st`rted the

season with only two full`thme members of staff. They are both

ambitious clubs but have both been in financial difficulty in the past.

The key to their success is a winning team on the pitch, how much

they spend about getting in trouble again. It is easy to throw loney at

it but you collapse later. What we are trying to do as custodi`ns of

the club is, we owe it to the supporters, when we leave it, the

club is in a better position than we took over. Both clubs have had to

bring in reinforcements this week, injuries have already taken their

toll. With crowds of around 800 , looters have the deeper pockets but

are two points worse off th`n Cambridge. The standard has been

better, there is more footb`ll players, everyone is quicker,

better, stronger, can read the game better. It is harder to score a goal

and easy to conceive. I do X`rated differentiable games? What sort of

question is that `` are you expecting to finish above C`mbridge?

The three points on offer would be useful to both teams, but not vital.

Cambridge are neglecting thdir biggest crowd in over a dec`de as to

old foes do battle. To rugby,

English champions Northampton head to Newcastle on Sunday keen to learn

from their opening defeat. Star winger George North has told us

they're determined to send out a message to the rest

of the Premiership. A lot of teams are coming at us week

in, week out wanting to smash If you can't get motivated to defend

your own house and look after your own team, I don't

think you should put the jersey on. To the sailing World Championships

in Spain, Peterborough windsurfer Nick Dempsey

has missed out on a medal. The defending champion

finished fifth. But there's still hope for

Saskia Clark from Essex as The road to Rio begins here. After a

dramatic coastline. The past six days have been about qualifhcation,

racing to make the cut. The top ten are battling for medals. Nick

Dempsey has been here enterdd before, but the Olympic silver

medallist struggled to come to terms with the heavy conditions. Lother

nature dished out strong brdezes, that 20 fell out of contenthon for a

medal but the climb up to fhfth I came here with a realistic goal of

finishing top five, I surpassed my own expectations of how I would

perform in the wind, that is great. I was disappointed with my results

in the strong winds. There have been better news for Essex's Saskia Clark

and her partner Hannah Mills, with four top three finishers, they

crossed the line second and fourth husband morning listening to third

overall. `` second and fourth overall.

For previews to all this wedkend's football including team news,

There's coverage of all the games on your local BBC Radio Station

You may remember there was controversy in the summer

when the arts council announced who was it was giving funding to.

Places like the Theatre Roy`l in Bury St Edmunds lost out,

but one of the big winners a circus and street art event called

It's been going for 7 years and it's been going

This week, the streets of Great Yarmouth have been filled

Dawn Gerber has been to see them in action.

It is iconic and represents Great Yarmouth's Circus heritage, but

tonight, the next generation of performers get their chance to

shine. This local lad gradu`ted from Circus School recently and lixes

debut performance tonight. There is a history of circus in my f`mily, my

uncle is a clown and perforled here, growing up, he operatdd his

own circus. I used to grow tp and see that with my family. It is

always in my mind. Performing to a home crowd is scary. Especi`lly

being back here, I spend so much time here. I watched all thd shows,

now it is my chance to be in the ring. Tom is one of 200 arthsts

performing at this year's Ott There Festival. We have a huge variety of

art forms, dance, music, circus something for everyone and visitors

as well. That is what we want to do, something enormous, but for

everyone. Away from the rehdarsals, producers and promoters frol across

Europe have been at a conference discussing how to help performers at

this country get into the international scene. We will explain

that if you have a UK company has you can structure it and also what

type of performance could tour in other countries. Because yot can

understand that maybe the ET and the UK can be different to what is

happening in, say, France. The conference heard today is vdry

international. I think that just shows why we should back thhs. The

festival brings around ?1 mhllion in the local economy, attracting

thousands of visitors and elploy local people. It is starting to get

recognition nationally and internationally, adding to

regenerate the area and put Great Yarmouth back on the map.

Back to tonight's main storx, the decision by Scotland to stay

We've already heard reaction from people in the region.

But where does this leave the politics of the region?

Andrew Sinclair is here, how much has changed?

Two things are going on herd, we are part of the national story, a lot of

MPs think we have given awax too much power to Scotland. Thex are

worried that Google is baton that people in England `` that pdople in

England will think they havd lost out. MPs are saying don't forget

about us. This is a potenti`lly big row in the Conservative Party. There

is the regional story as well, people are saying that becatse

Scotland has more powers, the regions should have more as well. If

we live in Cornwall or the north`west of England, this would be

a live issue. But in this rdgion, there is no East Anglia and

separatist movement. But whhle local politicians might want to t`ke more

power from Westminster, thex will struggle to get ordinary people

interested. And yet the Prime Minister talked

today about giving more powdr to Yes, he said he wanted to do more to

empower the cities, many of our towns of our towns have alrdady been

empowered, places like Cambridge Ipswich, Milton Keynes, that gives

councils more of a say over spending and development. A lot of this

region is verbal, indeed, the local and government organisations pointed

out that people in the countryside often feel left out when it comes to

spending decisions. Remember, we pay more into government than wd get

back. Whether we like it or not there will be a debate in the years

ahead, how do we empower people do they want to be a debate in the

years ahead, how do with the heat and humidity building,

it has all gone back. Thunddrstorms across the region. This aftdrnoon,

we have seen an intense perhod of rainfall, some torrential downpours

causing localised flooding. This area is stretching from Essdx up to

West Norfolk. Flashes of lightning, anywhere is at risk of thesd in the

evening and overnight. They could pop up anywhere. Nowhere is free of

them, but you might find th`t some of the region might end up staying

dry. Lots of missing moving in, fog patches in the morning. `` ` lot of

mist. A cold front will movd in cooler, bright and fresh to the

north. That will be with us by Sunday. But for tomorrow, ftrther

showers, any of them could be heavy and fungi. If anything, as that when

the front approaches, they could be more frequent `` heavy and thundery.

Still quite warm and humid, temperatures could get you 20

Celsius, it'll get cooler and fresh as different heads southwards. In

the afternoon, showers will keep going, gradually dying away as we

get overnight. This is what is likely to happen next,

high`pressure, good news, it will mean fine and settled conditions

from Sunday onwards until the middle of the week. To summarise, we will

see further showers on Saturday that could be heavy and thundery, then it

will be quite a bit more sunshine on Sunday, perhaps the odd coastal

shower, most places dry, but cooler and fresher. A drop in tempdrature

on Sunday, but it looks as though we will get if you days of dry

weather. There will be patchy cloud, but plenty of sunshine. A lhttle

cooler by day and by night, temperatures dropping to single

figures, some cool nights, but not as much mist. Thank you, Aldx. You

knew it would rain, didn't xou? Yes. Good night.