03/05/2012 Midlands Today

Hello and welcome to Midlands Today with Nick Owen and Mary Rhodes.

The headlines tonight: Big investment and a thousand new jobs

for Jaguar Land Rover in Birmingham if unions accept new terms.

thought that Tata will invest in the Castle Bromwich site is

excellent news for the region. relief in sight at last for

residents in despair over a rubbish tip that towers over their homes?

The court has made it be clear that there might well penalties if they

don't comply with this. Counting the cost: concern for farmers as

crops and livestock are threatened by rising flood waters.

And how the resplendent yellow fields of Worcestershire have

become a magnet for tourists from Good evening, welcome to Thursday's

Midlands Today from the BBC. Tonight: new jobs, new investment

and a big extension to Jaguar's main factory - but only if unions

agree to new working practices. Jaguar Land Rover is to invest �200

million in its Castle Bromwich It's hoped the new money will

create up to 1,000 jobs. It follows the decision to build the new

Jaguar F-type sports car there. As part of the deal to release the new

money, workers are being asked to agree to an "efficiency drive"

which includes Saturday working plus drug and alcohol tests. Here's

our Transport Correspondent Peter Already busy making the highly

successful XF and XJ models, now Castle Bromwich looks likely to get

another big investment and jobs boost. JLR's Indian owners Tata are

putting over a billion pounds into the company, and for Castle

Bromwich that's expected to mean a new body shop. There'll also be new

models, including this car unveiled at the Frankfurt motorshow last

year. It's already been announced that what's being called the Jaguar

F-type will be built at the Birmingham plant and a further

model, dubbed by some the 'baby Jag' could also come here. It's yet

more good news for a factory that less than two years was threatened

with closure, and JLR looked at ways of cutting cost. Now as a

result of strong sales abroad, the company needs all the capacity it

can get. I think it is great news for the region. You cast your mind

back to October pit 1010, we were all concerned that the Castle

Bromwich site may not be open for much longer. So the thought that

Tata will invest up to �200 million in the site is excellent reason for

the region. -- excellent news. to secure the investment, it's

understood that the workforce will have to agree to new working

practices including Saturday working, drugs and alcohol testing

and widespread cost savings. Local people have welcomed the news.

it is short term heartache for the long-term investment, then so be it.

The area needs the investment. see that it is for them and not a

loaded gun, then take it. I think it is good news, and it is showing

a very grown-up relationship between management and unions. It

is significantly better than it was 20 years ago, when there was a

confrontational style between the two. The company currently employs

around 20,000 people across the UK - 5,000 at its factory at Lode Lane

in Solihull - And, 2,600 at the Castle Bromwich plant - A new

engine plant on the i54 site near Wolverhampton will create a further

750 jobs. JLR itself has refused to comment on the investment plans,

saying only that what's being said is pure speculation.

Our Transport Correspondent Peter Plisner is here now. We've just

entered a double dip recesssion, unemployment in the region is close

to quarter of a million. How are Jaguar Land Rover managing to

thrive in these difficult economic conditions? The basic answer is

emerging markets, China, India, Brazil, they are growing economies.

People have more disposable income and they want a quality product,

and JLR products are seen as quality brats. The companies cannot

make enough of the cars. But this does actually rely very much on new

conditions for workers, them accepting new conditions, increased

productivity, drinks and drug testing and working on Saturdays.

What is the Union's position? have been in talk -- talks of for a

long time, and they have recommended Dees. Drugs and alcohol

testing is not unusual in some plants, especially when there is

heavy machinery involved. We are expecting a result from that ballot

tomorrow, and I think most workers If this all goes ahead as planned,

what will it mean for the future of the Castle Bromwich plant? I think

the future -- this will help secure jobs and create new jobs. Not very

far away is one of the worst places for unemployment in the UK. Thank

you. A recycling business has been told

to cut down the size of a rubbish mountain which is towering over

homes in part of the Black Country. The Environment Agency took legal

action against Dudley-based RDF Limited after they repeatedly

ignored demands to reduce the 12 metre high eyesore, despite

protests from residents. Nadine Towell reports.

The view here is as bad today as it was when we filmed in January. For

residents it is a view they are forced to live with. You will hear

mechanical noise constantly, the smell is far worse in the summer,

and the dust is all over the property, over the cars, the doors,

the bricks. The estate are worried about how it will impact on the

value. A few doors down, one of his neighbours' shares is can

frustration. We have had rats in the garage, we have got rid of them,

but they were in the walls as well, they have gone now, but I presume

they came from there. The company responsible, RDF Limited, failed to

meet and about deadlines to reduce the pile, so the Environment Agency

has taken them to court. They wanted a judge to impose an

injunction printing more waste being taken onto the site. But

before the agreement was reached,... They have to get it down to 80

metres high by 15th June, that is six weeks away, we think it is

about golf metres high now. managing director of RDF Limited

refused to appear on camera, but People living he told me they will

believe it when they see it. Buses at the -- bosses must now spend the

next six weeks keeping their promises, or they will face legal

action, a fine or even being sent to prison.

It's been another soggy day, following a week of heavy rain,

which has caused flooding in parts of the region. There are six flood

warnings in the Midlands - all of them on the lower reaches of the

Severn in Worcestershire and There are also 13 flood alerts in

Among those hardest hit are our farmers. They're counting the cost

after rivers burst their banks, leaving crops waterlogged and

forcing livestock to be moved. Cath Mackie joins us from a farm in

Worcestershire. Things looking any drier tonight? Whoever said this

was a glamourous job?! IM in an asparagus field, you can see some

lovely looking dry asparagus underneath, but I am afraid the

rest of the field is struggling. It is not just crops, but animals as

well, as I discovered earlier today. Dairy farmer David Goddard watches

his herd munch their way through what should be their winter feed.

The incessant rain has forced him to bring the cows indoors at his

farm in Tewkesbury. There is a cost implication and a work implication.

We are struggling to do all the work. It is generally a nice time

of the year, and here we are, back in as a bit his winter again!

is more, some of the cows are in calf. These two little ones arrived

just this morning - and at the farm they are fast running out of

bedding straw. You tend to buy all your us draw stocks in the autumn,

and that has been used up. Believe it or not this is grazing

land and this is where the cows currently in that barn ought to be,

but as you can see, it's under water." The National Farmers' Union

say that for many, the rain it is a welcome relief. We were in a

difficult situation a few weeks ago, the talk was about drought and

extended periods of drought and what the impact might be, but

having had some rain, it certainly has helped. Back in Tewkesbury, the

cows not eating grass, are producing less milk - at a time

when dairy farmers are facing cuts in milk prices. And the

unseasonable rain is causing other problems. It is crucial this time

of the year for silage making, and mainstream, please Lord, get a new

appeal for your computer and get your whether distribution sordid!

There'll be plenty of farmers saying Amen to that. Ion with one

of those farmers now. I can see the damage the rain is doing. How much

is this costing? It is costing us in yield. It is a very slow start

to the season. We are not getting any growth, we could be looking 20%

of our yield, because we are missing out on the short season we

have come to that. Demand for British asparagus is huge. What are

you saying to the people who supply? Just be patient, when the

weather warms up, we will have the crop. There is plenty waiting to

come, we need to win if -- wait for the weather to warm up, we have had

enough, it is coming at the wrong time of year. It is ironic, too

much rain, too little, which is worse? I would rather avoid the

rain at this time of year. It is getting in the wake of what we

really want to be Devon, which is harvesting asparagus. We need a

warm soiled -- warm soil conditions. We always want things perfect, we

never get it, they should have come in the winter, we're getting that

rainfall now. It is soul-destroying, looking at this? It doesn't make

for a happy life, does it? Customers are desperately wanting

to find that when we are going to be ready, and every day we are

looking at updated weather forecasts, it is not doing what we

want. This is stopping us from doing our job. Thanks for talking

to us in the pouring rain. company which owned to be my baby

has announced it may be forced to close. They have failed to find a

buyer for the airline. Flight between Birmingham and Belfast, not

and Amsterdam, will be stopped on June 11th. No flight anywhere on

their network are being offered beyond September tent.

Inquest into the death of Kate Prout has been told her husband

just snapped when he strangled her. At his trial, Adrian Pratt denied

killing her, but years later, admitted burying a body on their

farm. Their family said that the apology has come too late. Kate

Pratt simply disappeared on bonfire night, 2007. They had a tempestuous

relationship. Despite being convicted of her murder, her

husband protested his innocence, but last November, he finally

confessed. He showed police where he had buried his wife. At all of

that brings us to debate. The inquest into her death. It -- its

aim, to discover how she died, something which hasn't been

revealed until now. The coroner was told that in his confession, Adrian

told the police he was arguing with his wife when he just snapped and

thrust his hand into her neck. She didn't struggle, and fell to the

ground. Realising he had killed a, he wrapped her body in a curtained

and put it in burqa. He even went to the pub to appears everything

was normal. When he took us to the site, he was very tearful, very

remorseful, and you did actually apologised to the family and

friends -- he did. He says he knows now that he should have told them

right from the start. Now we can reflect on what he has done in the

18 years prison sentence he received for her murder. In their

own interview today, Kate's family said that his remorse was too

little too late. I'm glad he did confess, but it took him a four

years, and it was four years of agony. We have lost Kate forever.

He is locked up for 18 years. It took a long time for him to come

forward and say. It has caused the family a lot of stress. With the

investigation into her murder now complete, her family said they were

now concentrate on plans for a memorial service to celebrate her

life. Putting behind them the focus Still to come: We'll be meeting the

Midlands gymnast who is battling it out for a place in Britain's

Olympic squad. And we've had slate grey skies and

almost constant rain till now, could we do any better for the bank

Or last year, the government pledged to a try of a military

Covenant into law. Today, civic leaders in

Staffordshire a sign of their own version in a ceremony at the

National Memorial arboretum. It pledges help to up soldiers but it

into a county after serving overseas.

Dignitaries from across Staffordshire gathered today to

witness these special signing of the Covenant. In all there are 22

signatories all pledging to help ex service men and women with things

such as finding a new home or job, and also for any other issues they

may face. The covenants were introduced by the Ministry of

defence to redress disadvantages faced by former Armed Forces staff.

Nikki Peterson knows what it's like. As well as serving herself, she's

also been an army wife to her husband, Steve, who's just de-

mobbed after 22 years. Today you are sold here, tomorrow you are a

civilian. Today you've got health care, to worry you've got to

register with a doctor. Those kind of changes in your status, which

will happen now have to once, can present huge problems. The ceremony

was completed with a wreath-laying. We will bring back people... Many

of those people will want to leave the Services in due course and

finish up in that the community. Transferable skills... Whilst

symbolic money is being made available for some of the

organisations involved, to help them help those who've served their

country. Voting's been underway since seven

o'clock this morning in this year's local elections. There are also two

referendums taking place over directly elected mayors. The

polling stations will be open for just over a further three hours.

BBC WM's Political Reporter Elizabeth Glinka joins us now.

Remind us first of all, Elizabeth, what's at stake today?

We have elections taking place at 18 local authorities across our

region. That means 351 council seats are up for grabs today. As

well as those elections, we've also got to referendums taking place,

one or Coventry and one in Birmingham, to decide whether these

cities want to be run by elected mayors.

When will we get the results? The polls close at around 10

o'clock tonight. For the majority of our councils, they will start

counting out that point. We hope to get the results towards the early

hours of tomorrow morning. Five of our councils, Newcastle-under-Lyme,

Wolverhampton, Redditch, rugby and Solihull, have decided they will

count tomorrow. We will not be getting those results until Friday

afternoon. And because of the referendums, in Coventry, they will

be counting tonight. -- in the case of the referendums. In Birmingham,

they are not going to start counting until about 2 o'clock

tomorrow afternoon, which means we are hoping to get a result of that

referendum, perhaps by late afternoon, early evening tomorrow.

And you can keep right up to date with all those results as they come

in on your BBC local radio station and the BBC website.

There'll also be a special election programme on BBC One this evening,

starting at 11.35pm, including round-ups from of what's happening

Now with a look at the sports news. Warwickshire's Ian Bell returned to

form today completing his first century of the season despite a

frustrating rain affected day at Edgbaston. And it's not the only

sport he's been playing this week. The Bears have been to Villa Park

to show their support for the Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov and his

battle with leukaemia. A warning, my report contains some flash

photography. Don't you just hate them? They're

former and current Warwickshire players who've all played

international cricket. And guess what - they're all good at football

too. How annoying! But this wasn't just a kickabout at the Villa Park

Academy. The Warwickshire players and coaches were signing a wall to

support Stiliyan Petrov and his fight with Leukaemia. Warwickshire

already support this charities so it is no surprise they stepped in

to support the Aston Villa captain. It to be here today is special

because no one of his good mates. Am happy to be helping him. How is

he getting on? To have spoken to him. He is a strong character. You

wouldn't know he had this illness, he is just normal. The other fight

Villa have at the moment is to stay in the Premier League. And on

Sunday they host Tottenham. It'll be tough but a win would make them

safe. And Villa fans Ian Bell and Chris Woakes wil be glad if the

relegation fears are eased. I am more optimistic now. The side is

picking up points which is nice to see. I'm optimistic we will stay up.

There is a big game this weekend and hopefully we will pick up a

couple of points there. You are always going to be a little bit

concerned but hopefully we will have enough to get through. We like

to think we will get the result we want. Villa fans are being urged to

sign Stan Petrov's wall at Sunday's game. They hope it can help inspire

the club in more ways than one. And BBC WM is backing a family fun

run in Birmingham as part of its Red Alert Appeal for Cure Leukaemia.

It's on Sunday May 27th at Sutton Park. Further details are on the

charity's website. Kristian Thomas was a teenager when

London was awarded the Olympic Games. But in less than three

months time he's hoping to compete for Britain in the mens' gymnastics.

And the pressure is on to book a place in the team.

It's one of the most graceful sports. But also one of the

toughest. But the British team are starting to reap the rewards of

their intensive training at Lilleshall because the men will

have a team at the Olympics this summer for the first time in 20

years. And Kristian Thomas from Wolverhampton is desperately keen

to make sure he's on that team. is what I have worked 18 years

towards and what my main ambition and goal is to be they competed for

Great Britain. I really am looking forward to it. He's been selected

for the European championships in France later this month, two years

after holding his nerve to win European silver for Britain in

Birmingham. I think his performances have continued to grow

over the last few years. He has gone from strength to strength. He

put in a strong performance in Croatia last week as well. I think

he will do a good job and Montpellier. A and the pressure is

on for these gymnasts. Six were in the European team. Only five will

make it to the Olympics. We are all aware of the situation. We've known

for a few years that this will be the case. We will all be fighting

for a play such training hard. It will be difficult for a person who

doesn't make it but at the end of the day, everyone will say they

have tried their hardest to make the team. Hopefully I will not be

the one out of the team. The 23- year-old learnt his trade at the

Earls club in Halesowen. They won't be the only ones hoping he makes

the cut to carry the Midlands hopes into this summer's Olympics.

I don't know how they do it! We're used to hearing about coach

loads of tourists descending on places like Stratford-upon-Avon.

But an unlikely location's becoming a big draw for the Japanese.

A farmer's oilseed rape fields in the picturesque Cotswolds are now

attracting hundreds of visitors from the Far East.

They've done London and Bourton-on- the-Water. Next stop, some

quintessential English fields of gold. This sea of oil seed rape at

East Lodge Farm at Stanton is becoming a must see for Japanese

tourists in the same way we might be fascinated by Mount Fuji.

think it is wonderful and it is quite beautiful. This is a most

beautiful place. It's fantastic. Farmer Charlie Beldam has planted

1,000 acres of the crop on the Worcestershire/Gloucestershire

border. He's set up his own processing business making cooking

oil. But was taken by surprise when a tour company contacted him,

asking if they could bring the Japanese visitors to his fields.

They don't grow rapeseed in their country. It's an eye-opener to have

49 Japanese turn up to see the flowers, a completely different

thing to what they expect and something that is so normal to us.

Charlie gets �1 per visitor. The Japanese get their pictures. It's

very beautiful. A it's a yellow, lovely sea. A But not everyone

closer to home is as enthusiastic about the crop. They gave the hay

fever, it's the wrong colour for the countryside. We live by �1 it

can be a bit overpowering. Some people think that it shouldn't be

in this country. It is a really important crop for us to grow. It

allows for soil to have a break from cereal crops, helping prevent

disease and pests. And of course it brings a welcome tourist boost to

the Cotswold. In a month's time, this car that of the other will be

gone. On other fields in the farm, crops of linseed will be blossoming,

creating carpets of blue. 14 coachloads of Japanese tourists

have already been booked in to see There is hope on the horizon but

are not overly impressed with the weather at the moment. All things

considered, we should consider ourselves lucky felt it is not

going to be a complete washout over the weekend. We are getting at the

rain out of the way before then because we can see a pair of France

heading down for the North. The rain sandwiched in between will

affect us tonight and tomorrow. The emphasis this weekend is going to

be on colder weather. Colder for Saturday and Sunday with night

frosts, widespread frosts. Then the rain returns on bank holiday Monday.

Back to the seething under overnight, we are covered in cloud

and we saw the rain in the south of the region. We will see this band

of rain having another go at us tonight. It will be heading out

from the north and then it will become patchy towards the early

hours. But a lot of Claus left behind. Misty and murky as

temperatures down to seven orate. However, this all overlaps into the

morning to Morris and it is going to be a grim, dreary start to the

day. That rain will become patchy through the afternoon, perhaps

meeting up this and showers are heading down from the north. The

afternoon will definitely be drier than the morning and it will not be

as wet as today. If there is any brightness during the afternoon,

that will be enough to boost those temperatures slightly, otherwise it

will feel like today with highs of around nine to 11 Celsius. 12

Celsius in places. As for tomorrow night, it will start to clear and

those guys will give us some Documents and letters received...