09/09/2013 Look East - West

Hello and welcome to a special edition of Look East, live from

member of staff dies fixing overhead power lines.

If you have ever used this road, you will see that traffic is moving OK

this evening. You can be bumper to heal gay all the way up this stretch

of road, it can take a lot of time to come up here. —— on part two

tailgate. Just to give you a quick bit of geography, the St Ives

junction is just there. Felixstowe lies in that direction. Behind the

camera, you will find Huntingdon and Northants incher and the Midlands.

We are here because the government has announced plans for this road.

The plans are expensive, they're ambitious. And already they're

proving controversial. The existing road heads north west from Cambridge

towards Huntingdon. That will change. This road will head

cross—country and will not rejoin the A14 until Hillingdon. —— LE

didn't. Many thought that drivers would still be able to use the old

road, but the government will remove a crucial road bridge across the

railway here, forcing cars onto the toll road. As part of the package

there will also be improvements to the A14 and the A1. No, the

timetable. The government is consulting on plans until October

2013. It will confirm the route in late 2013. If all goes to plan, work

will start in 2016, and be complete within three or four years. Finally,

the tolls. The proposals here, £1 or £1 50 per car and double that for

lorries. Already people are calling —— talking about rat runs and we are

on a bridge where one of those rat runs will go. People who come here

to avoid paying the tall and go back onto the A1 that way. We are already

giving lots of opposition. I'm at Offord Hill Farm, and in seven years

time this field is set to be the new A14 toll road. The theory will be

gone. —— the greenery will be gone. Three lanes of traffic in each

direction, they'll run from junction 28 of the existing A14 at Swavesey.

About eight miles in that direction, through to Ellington which is about

four miles over there. And that is where the road will join up with the

A1, which you might just be able to see in the distance. The A1 will

also need widening there to cope with the extra traffic. Mike

Cartwright has the details. This woman's family has farmed the for

more than 60 years. This hedge just 60 metres from her house is where

the toll road will go. The traffic in the glare from street lights in

the landscape she loves will be ripped in two. Terrible. It is going

to cut the farm in half, we have lived here since 1952. It is awful.

It makes you want to cry. I am sure there are other places they could

put it. There are many roads between here and Cambridge that they could

take and add another lean on to. In Huntingdon this flyover carries

traffic. There are plans to put it down, and then rewrote local traffic

through the town. If they drop the bridge it will be good because it

will bring a local traffic into town. Good for business.It is good

for traffic if they will stop. In St Ives there is fear of more

congestion if people search for ways to beat the tall. The RC seeing you

must use the toll road unless you want to beat the traffic. It could

be a bad thing, traffic is bad in the morning. The A14 gets really

jammed. We are on the A1, you join the new road here in Buxton and

joined the the A14 that way. It will go past Helton had to Swayze. One MP

said it is the wrong solution. I do not think it is the right way to go.

We must control the costs of this project, and deliver improvements on

what we currently have. We should try and fit more on the real ways

rather than the roads. If the toll road comes, this landscape could

change forever. Most people agree that something must be done to fix

the A14. For people in these villages, this new road is not about

improving the economy or journey times, it is about how it impacts on

their lives. Many are worried that the mere mention of this route today

is enough to wait a large chunk off the value of their homes.

Janine thank you very much. When the heavy vehicle goes over this bridge

it wobbles. About 85,000 vehicles use this section of the A14 every

day. Now on a normal road you would expect about one in ten of those

vehicles to be an HGV. But on the A14 it is one in four. A reminder

that this road is a major artery between the port at Felixstowe and

the Midlands. So what do hauliers and businesses make of the plan?

Here is our business correspondent Richard Bond. This man set up his

transport company 25 years ago. It has 200 lorries, 150 of them working

out of Felixstowe. They want in a 14 upgrade but deplore the idea of a

toll. They are indicating a toll of around three or £4. Each journey,

given that we carry out 150 journeys per day, that is going to be 250, or

£200,000 per year. What will that be in five years time? Huge costs.

Felixstowe as the UK's biggest port. It is a cornerstone of the economy.

We feel that this will be a tax on Suffolk, and in town it will be a

tax on UK plc by taxing the significant ports that come through

Felixstowe. But you want the the A14 to be improved. Shouldn't hauliers

tip into the cost? We have already paid for our road network through

the taxes we pay already. Piling another tax on top of that business

is no way to go about it. However unpopular road tolls are, they are

an essential part of the business case for the new road according to

the highways agency. New road tolls, no new road. The Treasury

will not pay for the entire scheme, they are providing most of the money

but believe that road users should contribute, too. There is support

for this view in the business community. We cannot ultimately

leave the A14 in the situation it is in at the moment. We must have the

solution. From the business perspective I would hope that they

would support a small level of the in order to get the A14 improvements

underway. If there is one thing this region needs it is better

infrastructure. The A14 upgrade would deliver that. Subtle colliers

and see it should not be at the expense.

So opposition from people who live near the new route. Concern from

people in business. Opposition too from some hauliers. Plenty to put to

the roads minister, Stephen Hammond. And when I spoke to him from the

studio early today I started by asking him about the decision to

make this a toll road. What we have always said as a government is that

we are always prepared to look at polling as a way to make sure we can

infrastructure. This is the biggest single project that the highways

agency will be updated —— will be already local support for this from

the local county council. The AA said that asking drivers to pay

the local county council. The AA use the A14 with no alternative

rewrote is a double whammy, many drivers see the tolling proposals as

the thin edge of the wedge, a Trojan horse to introduce wider calling.

existing infrastructure. But it might be that you will build future

roads using tolls. We have always said that. The A14 is an example of

this. We are not ruling it in or out. But you always said there would

be an alternative, but there isn't. There are alternatives for locals,

there is an alternative on the a fortune eight onto the A1. How much

There is no final decision. —— how much will the private sector put

into this? The central government is putting 1.5 billion into this. That

presumably expect the private sector to fill the overspend. I am not

expecting any overspend, and I will not prejudice any relationship

caused by the split in costs between public and private sectors. In ——

are you concerned that by having this toll road on a public route

that you will take away traffic this toll road on a public route

the port of Felixstowe? This will be huge for Felixstowe in terms of

access, far from taking away it huge for Felixstowe in terms of

accentuate the virtues of Felixstowe as a port. If you do hear strong

opposition from local people, you will listen? That is why we are

having this consultation. Thank will listen? That is why we are

very much. Later in the programme we will hear some more of your views,

foreign—born people living in the Fens has tripled over a ten—year

period. A study by Oxford University found that the percentage increase

in the number of immigrants in Fenland was higher than almost every

other council area in England. Ben overall picture of immigration in

our region, but these figures reveal more detail about how it is changing

and 2011, Fenland had the fastest growing immigrant population in

and 2011, Fenland had the fastest an increase of more than 5,500

people. That was one of the biggest far behind was Peterborough, with

the immigrant population increasing by almost 150%. Meanwhile, in Luton

the number who were born abroad by almost 150%. Meanwhile, in Luton

by just over 70%. Not such a big increase in percentage terms, but it

still has the biggest number of immigrants as a whole — almost one

in three people who live there were born outside the UK. For areas like

the Fens, the District Council says this has been welcome news for

employers especially in agriculture. But it means a greater demand on

services, like schools, housing But it means a greater demand on

health care, at a time when money is tight. One of the downside is an

influx on a large scale in such tight. One of the downside is an

short period of time. That is what has caused the problems, because it

wasn't planned for. There were inadequate resources from local

wasn't planned for. There were central government to fund the

infrastructure that was so badly needed. These figures show how the

population has changed in our towns over the past ten years. The effects

A lorry carrying a skip ended up on Northampton. It happened at Church

Brampton causing severe delays to Birmingham and beyond. The lorry

through fencing onto the track. Birmingham and beyond. The lorry

Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with an attempted

arson attack at the Islamic Centre 16—year—old boys and a 17—year—old

120 part—time soldiers from the 16—year—old boys and a 17—year—old

have just returned from a training exercise in Croatia. With big cuts

in the number of regular soldiers, reservists will soon play a key

in the number of regular soldiers, in the army. In the first of three

special reports, Alex Dunlop joined the Royal Anglian reservists near

the Croatian town of Slunj. Call them weekend warrior is, and they

will not thank you forward. —— weekend warrior is. For a fortnight

William. Matthew, and Joseph. You learn to build up a family. You

William. Matthew, and Joseph. You this sort of thing, train, learn

your skills and push yourself to the limit. The government wants more

like William to do just that. The regular Army is set to shrink by one

fifth, and the hope is that there The army are offering benefits that

were never there to reservists, The army are offering benefits that

I think I am the Army hope that The army are offering benefits that

will encourage more soldiers to The army are offering benefits that

the reserves and offer that more looking to cut costs, why send

the reserves and offer that more men out of Croatia for two weeks

when their rock training areas in Immersion in a different country and

a different culture. This town still bears the scars of the bloody civil

war of the early 1990s. Minefields and memorials to dead soldiers are

Anglian reserve list. A handful and memorials to dead soldiers are

Afghanistan next month —— the Royal Anglian reserve list. Will people be

less inclined to join the reserves? We have a generation of soldiers in

the battalion at the moment whose primary aim was joining to be on

operation. My job, as commanding, is to identify what the hooks to keep

people in the reserve team in the future. There is an opportunity

people in the reserve team in the progress the reserve career. ——

progress their reserve career. Certainly the novelty of training

alongside Croatian soldiers is a draw. This is the first time. They

have made is very welcome, so thank you very much. Paul, who works at

Stansted Airport, is proud to be part of the first British military

unit to train in Croatia. What skill set can you take back to Stansted

Airport? It is a general confidence, you're a more rounded person, time

management. When the enemy is in front of you, try not to get focused

on that. The Anglians enjoy strong local loyalty across the eastern

region, but it's a sobering thought for these men that come 2021 than

one in three soldiers will be a for these men that come 2021 than

timer. —— by 2020 more than one for these men that come 2021 than

three. On to rugby, Northampton Saints have kicked off their season

inspired by their captain Dylan Hartley with Saints sealing the

bonus point victory before half reflecting and refocusing during an

11 week ban, but on Saturday Dylan Hartley's response was telling as he

said about repaying the faith of the club that backed him. The skipper

was in his element, leaving a five try rout against Exeter. George

North showed off his dancing feet. But fellow winger —— one fellow

winger also showed he could compete just as well. There were two further

tries from Tom Ward and the other peerless first half. Despite two

yellow cards, they have enough in the bag for a fifth in the second

half as the PAC began beating up Country. It won't have healed the

herd of losing last season 's final, but as opening games go, it was

herd of losing last season 's final, mighty fine start —— it won't have

healed of the hurt. Just before mighty fine start —— it won't have

re—join Stewart and Janine on the A14, a moment to tell you about

tonight's Inside Out. Barri White, Manning's murder, tells the full

story of his struggle to rebuild his life to Mark Daly, the BBC reporter

faces is these so—called 'Fatbergs' which have built up in the sewers.

Back to Stewart on the A14. Welcome back to the A14 in

Cambridgeshire. Just a quick reminder of why we are here. Today

the government announced plans for part of the A14 to become a toll

road. The new stretch will run for some 12 miles between the Swavesey

junction and Ellington. As part of the package there would also be

improvements to the existing A14 and the A1, all at a cost of £1.5

billion. Let's talk to her political correspondence, Andrew Sinclair.

This has been a years in coming. I was talking to Andrew Lansley who

reminded me that when he first became a Kim Butcher MP in 1987 he

talked about improving the A14 in his maiden speech. The campaign had

been going on for that. There are two problems, the first is that Kim

Butcher is growing, the roads are very congested. —— Cambridgeshire is

growing. Traffic will increase by 20 or 25%. But it is so expensive to do

something that previous plans have failed. The government says that

things will be different, they have a big and bold plan. This is one of

the problems that people have, they will have two use the road and pay

for it. A new precedent has been set, if you look at the other pole

road in the country, the M6, you can either choose to pay to go on it or

go up the old insects. Here they are taking daily bread so the obvious

alternative is gone. There will be other alternatives, but the

government has admitted that they want as many people as possible

using this new toll road. That has made a few MPs jumping. The Suffolk

MP is worried about what this will do to the future of Felixstowe port.

Most MPs, their reaction is that they do not want to have a toll road

but it is the best thing. Thank you very much indeed. Let's get more of

your reaction. Thanks, Stewart. We've already heard

how people living close to the route of the new road feel. Hauliers too.

But of course the A14 runs right through this region. And it affects

anyone heading to and from the Midlands. So we asked our Suffolk

reporter Kevin Burch to gauge opinion 50—odd miles east of here in

Bury St Edmunds. But a Saint Edmunds is packed with personally. There is

something around every corner. One of the constant is the A14. It

rumbles relentlessly. It is the highway that never sleeps, except of

course when it is gridlocked. It is frustration over constant hold—ups

that has fuelled fears lobbying for an the A14 upgrade from the business

community. At this special was printing firm in Bury Saint Edmunds,

they operate here and abroad by the £10 million annual turnover and they

say the idea of a toll road on a key route is an outrage. Build a new

road, yes, but paying for it in addition to what we already pay,

that is bad for all commercial enterprises. This man chairs the

local Chamber of Commerce. He believes that this will appeal local

firms when they are helping to drive the economy forward. Anything that

improves the road is good news to the area, but when you put

additional costs on you can see where they end up. They end up with

the consumer. Use our taxes to improve the road.

I would pay to go through, I don't mind. To put a toll on the existing

road seems like lunacy. Will they get any tax advantage for

contributing? I think not. Will you pay the toll or would you look for

another route? Green man —— I am a white van man, I will find a route

around it. The government say they are keen to hear what people think

about the idea. Kevin Burch there with some views

from Bury St Edmunds. And we're keen to hear your stories on this

subject. We've already had a big response — overwhelmingly negative

so far. Just a quick flavour tonight: Jonathan Bowman on Facebook

predicts thousands of cars and lorries will use side roads to avoid

the tolls. And Dougie Richmond accuses the government of neglecting

East Anglia. Would they toll the M25, he asks. Thank you very much

for your comments. You can get in touch in the usual way And do

remember to leave us a contact telephone number.

Just before we came on air, the skies opened but the sun is out and

it is pleasant. Let's catch up with the weather.

We have sunshine and showers, two, the main area of rain heading into

the North Sea. Some of these showers are heavy and Sunday. The risk of

showers head into the evening. —— heavy and sundry. Or many of us it

will become dry, but we will have a warm spot under clear skies and we

could see a chilly eight degrees. The wind is settling towards the

north—west and picking up on the north Norfolk coast. Tomorrow we

have low pressure in the north—east with the weather front draped around

it, that brings wet and windy weather to some of us. From the word

go we are expecting some heavy and sundry showers, we could see some

brightness and sunshine coming through. Then a more organised band

of rain pushing westward. The heaviest rain is expected in North

Norfolk, where we could see 20 millimetres of rain, nearly an inch.

We will see this this evening and overnight. As well as heavy rain we

are expecting strong to deal force winds around parts of the course

tomorrow, the strongest winds expected in the north Norfolk coast

with gusts of 45 to 50 mph. A call day for some of us, highs of around

11 degrees. That is around 10 degrees below average for this time

of year. Into the evening we expect the rain to go further westwards

before it retreats to the east. The rain might go to some western parts

and others will remain completely dry. There will be when the weather

and on Wednesday the last of the weather will clear the east and we

can see a try and brighter slot, but another area of rainbow push down

from the north—west later in the day, on Wednesday. Firstly looks

fine and dry with some brightness and perhaps some sunshine, but on

Friday a return to cloudy conditions with further outbreaks of rain. A

humid feeling day on Friday. Does before I go, these are your

overnight lows. Thank you very much indeed. As you

stand here, you get a constant rumble of heavy goods vehicles

coming up and down this road, it goes on and on. When the new road is

built the junction will be just down the road there, couple of miles.

Then we can look forward in seven years time in 2020 two This Rd being

almost empty. That is a long way away. From hollows, good night.