30/03/2012 South Today

Hello, I'm Sally Taylor. Welcome to South Today. In tonight's

programme: A blot on the landscape?

Bournemouth's controversial Imax is to be demolished next year

No tanker strike at Easter, but the rush for fuel still continues.

Demolishing the old - disruption as 17 bridges make room for new larger

containers by rail. And artistic differences - who are

the winners and losers in the arts It's been labelled an eyesore and

one of the ugliest buildings in the country. But now ten years after it

first opened, councillors have decided the curtain will come down

for good on the former IMAX cinema in Bournemouth. It will be

demolished at the end of the summer to make way for a new open air

event space. Allen Sinclair is Bournemouth for us tonight. Allen,

this has been pretty expensive for the council, hasn't it?

�6.5 million to by the building in the first place and they will spend

�2 million to pull it down. The people in charge at former council

say it is money well spent because it is something the public want. We

have been following this saga for many years and from day one, this

has been a controversial plays. When the building first went up,

people said it was a blot on the landscape and blocked seafront

views. It is one of the South's most

recognisable and most loathed landmarks. Finally, it's time is up.

The huge building will be bulldozed and the end of summer and many

locals cannot wait to say good riddance. If anyone is going to

pull it down, it should be done as soon as possible because it is

empty, it is rubbish, it is ugly. It has not been liked since it was

put up. The majority of people wanted to be taken down. It is such

a great location. Something better can go up in its place. The IMAX

complex was never a commercial success. Since the cinema close,

the owner struggled to find a viable usage. The council stepped

in and bought the site for �6.5 million. Demolition will cost

another �2 million, but the council leader believes it is money well

spent because it is what the public wants. We had to buy it and we have

to do the work. We will do that to the best value we can, but if we

have not done it and sat still and done nothing, I suspect people

would not have been happy about that either. Once flattened, the

land will become open a public performance base for now. They are

not react future development, but they are not rushing ahead with a

replacement. So, a public performance space is what is going

to eventually replace the IMAX. The council is been vague about what

that means. Perhaps concert's and sporting events, but crucially, no

new building for the time being and nothing to block the seafront be

used. The demolition workers should live in at the end of the summer

season. If anyone enjoys this view, they have not got long rest. Many

people waited for hours today to fill out their petrol tanks.

As the Proms ran dry and, at RAF crews were arriving for training.

Government contingency plans were doing little to quell the panic at

the pumps. Many top up their cars and then added a can of fuel for

good measure. At this petrol station near Brighton, they brought

in marshals to supervise the waiting motorists. That did not

stop arguments on the forecourt about alleged queue-jumping. In

Dorset motorists were content to wait it out in the hope of getting

a delivery. By waiting for the tanker to come so we can put some

fuel in. Not happy at all. I didn't do the panic buying. I followed the

advice and where has that got me? There is nothing to flap about.

There were even reports of some garages being asked to siphon the

Drakes. In Berkshire, the sight of a delivery was enough to get

motorists lining up. One delivery driver, who did not want to go on

camera, told the BBC he had been passing a petrol station with a

long queue of cars to take on fuel. As he glanced in his rear-view

mirror, he saw two drivers leave the cue and followed him. Whilst

the strike remain some way off, for cuts -- forecourts are drier as

they struggle to meet demand. A �2 million claim against the NHS

for failing to build a hospital in Littlehampton has been thrown out

at the High Court. It was brought by the builders, who were told just

weeks before work was due to start that the scheme had been cancelled.

The decision was hugely controversial and caused several

big protests in the area. Our Health Correspondent David Fenton

has been following the story. Why did they lose? Basically because

they did not have a contract and they were trying to sue the NHS for

breach of contract. Said his company called Guildhouse had been

chosen to build the new hospital. They spent �2 million developing

the plans, but technically, they were just a preferred bidder and

that is why the legal action failed. At the decision to cancel the

hospital came very late, didn't it? Yes. This was back in 2006 am

literally two weeks before the building work was due to start, the

NHS Paul the plug. Remember, the old hospital in Litha Hampton had

been knocked down to make way for this new one and the building

company said it is astonished it has been left out of pocket because

the NHS in Sussex basically changed its mind. We have incurred 7,000 --

several hundred �1,000 in legal fees. Whichever way you look at it,

there was a hospital required here and millions of pounds were spent

which could have gone towards producing a hospital. What has the

health trust said? The a said the legal claim against them was

rejected and Guildhouse have been ordered to pay the primary care

trusts's legal fees. The whole issue has been quite sensitive and

messy for the NHS. Legal matters aside, patients will be wondering

what it will mean for them, the fact they don't have a new hospital.

Hopefully there will be new plans coming forwards to answer those

questions. Local traders and business owners

in Weymouth are worried about their future after the council announced

that a special workers parking permit will be scrapped from this

Sunday. Currently they can get a special pass which allows them to

park up on double yellow lines and in restricted zones for �56 a day.

Under a new scheme they are being asked to pay up to �10 a day. From

Sunday, traders working in Weymouth will think twice before doing this.

This special pass costs �56 a year, but that is been scrapped by the

council. They will now have to pay �5 a day. Some will have to pay �10.

In it is a hike local businesses were not expecting. They could have

talked to was and said look at it from our point Scylla, which they

have not. We would have gladly pay a lot more to keep this

dispensation. It will affect our business. It will affect our work

Business a lot because I will have to charge back to the customers.

There are around 500 passes being used and it means they can park in

restricted areas like these, or on double yellow lines for more than

an hour whilst they carry out their work. But the council says summer

that is being abused. What we found is that the dispensation was

designed for vehicles to park where there is an intrinsic need to be

right next to their vehicle. It was not designed for a shop in town to

have their car outside their premises. Parking officers will

allow traders to off load goods in the town centre as long as they

move off afterwards. I have a double buggy and it is difficult to

get around in town when vehicles parked on the pavement. It is far

too steep. What traders like Stephen, they said they cannot

afford it and parking in a car park is just not practical. They are

planning on protesting next week. Ambitious plans have been approved

that could lead to thousands of jobs, hundreds of new homes and a

major boost for business in Hampshire. Gosport and Fareham

councils last night gave the go ahead to plans to redevelop the

Daedalus Airfield site at Lee on the Solent. In August the

government declared 24 enterprise zones around the country - the

airfield at Daedalus was one of them. We are aiming to create

around 4,000 jobs here in the marine, aviation and aerospace

sectors, focusing on advance manufacture ring. Massively good

news for Hampshire, great news for business and great news for the

local economy. HMS Liverpool has been officially

decommissioned today in Portsmouth. The Type 42 Destroyer arrived in

the city on Monday, ahead of today's ceremony. It marks the end

of 30 years service, which includes the Iraq war in 2003 and last

year's Libyan blockade. She will now be sold to the highest bidder.

Still to come - Reham is by the seaside, but will it be beach

weather. Yes, well all week we have enjoyed

some are like weather, but this weekend it will be more like spring.

It was they drive, but it will be a touch cooler. More than the

forecast later. -- more on the forecast later.

One of Hampshire's main roads will be closed for three months from

tomorrow for Network Rail to demolish and then rebuild a bridge.

The A27 near Romsey isn't the only bridge that's being replaced. The

main railway line from Southampton to the Midlands has already been

upgraded to carry larger freight containers from the docks. Now a

secondary route is being improved, too. It runs round Salisbury and

through Andover. On that route 17 have to be knocked down.

Beside the main road between Romsey and Southampton, railway workers

prepare for to borrowers -- tomorrow's big closure. After that,

no vehicles will cross this bridge for three months. His is all about

getting lorries off the road and on to the rail. The size of the

containers have increased. Internationally it is now nine for

six inches and there will not fit through our Victorian bridges so we

have to remove them and replace them. It Andover, this road has

been shut since Christmas Eve. Part of this busy bridge has been

knocked down. It will reopen next week to the relief of local

businesses. People coming in, popping in on their way home from

work, they are not coming in any more. More than a third of

containers are now the new larger global standard size that will not

fit under that bridge. By the end of this decade, nearly all

containers will be that size. The whole project will be finished next

year. Beyond that, there is a plan to stretch freight trains, making

them up to half a mile long. But in the meantime, drivers from Romsey

to Southampton face and long diversions. -- some long diversions.

It's one of the south's unemployment blackspots, but today

Bognor Regis has lost a centre which helps train people to get

back into work. The company which runs it says not enough people are

using its services. But some people say centre could have been better

promoted. Our Sussex Reporter Sean Killick went along to meet some of

the people who say the centre has helped change their lives. Gathered

outside this training centre in Bognor Regis High Street some of

the dozens of people who come here each week. The centre runs courses

designed to help people learn skills, including literacy,

numeracy and competing. Earlier this month it was a mass ascent or

would close. A I am really angry. They did not give us a lot of

notice. I got a lot of help when I came here. I did a course and it

really helped to build up my confidence. This is a live signed -

- lifeline for so many people. It has helped so many people to go on

and find jobs and to get people off unemployment. The centre is run by

a private company that receives funding from the Government based

on the number of students. They declined our request for an

interview, but I have spoken to one of the managers of camera. She said

no-one is happy to be closing the centre. They say due to learn

numbers, the centre is not viable and has to close. However, some

people believe if the centre have been better promoted, it could have

been saved. The building is not advertised at all. There are some

pictures and photographs outside and NT shop window. They have not

advertised it. I've lived here for 40 years and I didn't know it was

here. The company said any student that has not completed their course

can do so at online or at their centre in Worthing.

The South is well known for it's rich culture and heritage, but it

seems in a sense the arts world is becoming a tale of two cities. This

weekend hundreds of smaller arts organisations will be cut off from

their main source of funding as the Arts Council brings into force its

new policy of funding fewer, larger organisations. Many of the smaller

dance, theatre and community groups fear they're being forced to leave

This is what Hann Show Dance do, but today the studio is NT because

the art project have lost funding. In practical terms, three of our

staff finish from today. The main disappointment is in dance. A

political decision was made to take money from small organisations and

give it to bigger ones. On the flip side, there are council is been

generous to pick up bigger organisations. Take Chichester

Festival Hall. It is getting a funding hike. Out of a nationwide

part, the South is getting �114 million. Is it fair there? There is

a thorough process for decision- making. We look at things like how

resilient the organisation will be in the future, how many people use

the facility, what the impact is on local people. There are a number of

categories of things we consider what we make funding decisions.

Arts Council say small groups Arnaud free to apply for a second

round of funding in the summer. People working in dards are

passionate about dance. It is easy to get angry, but that will not

achieve anything. We just have to carry on doing the work. In scenes

it is not time for the final curtain just yet.

Let's hair what's happening with sport. This morning you were

speaking to a Trevor Birch. Trevor Birch says there will be a

Portsmouth football club playing next season. In what form or in

what league remains the big question. Pompey's administrator

joined me for a special debate on this morning's Julian Clegg

programme on BBC Radio Solent. During an hour of questioning from

fans, treasured Burch maintained an upbeat, but realistic outlook.

Total debts for Portsmouth are �50 million and he is still in talks

with potential buyers. Working on a restructuring of the club behind

the scenes and talking to interested parties. One of the

options could be a consortium. There must be someone out there

that will listen to what I and other people are saying about the

benefits of the club. There is a potential development idea around

the club. It is a club that has already proved it can go to

Premiership and hold its own. club's fans also stepped up their

bit to buy Portsmouth. It is great for the fans to rally behind and if

enough of them supported then it is in with their real chance.

staying in the Championship would help matters. Tomorrow, Pompey hope

for a second Conservative win when they face Burnley. -- consecutive

win. The big game of the weekend is for

Reading at Upton Park. It's second versus third as the Royals travel

to West Ham. Win and they go four points clear of the Hammers with

six games to go. Lose and the Royals fall back into the play-off

places. Let us talk like now to Adie Williams. A big game was so

much at stake, isn't there? Massive. It is the biggest game this season

for Reading and West Ham. Lots of pressure. I think the expectations

are more on West Ham. Brian McDermott's men are in brilliant

form. There was a lot of rivalry between these two teams. Going back

to December, things got pretty nasty. It is the kind -- is it the

kind of thing West Ham will mention? Yes. Reading will focus on

the game. If Jimmy is selected, I don't think a little bit of stick

will bother him. We should also remember the tackle from Jack

Collinson because it was a nasty one and it got a straight red.

Reading have a tough few games in the next few weeks, haven't they?

Absolutely. After West Ham, there's Leeds, Brighton. Hopefully there

will be an automatic spot for Reading this season for BO. -- this

season though. The leaders Southampton are live

with us here on the BBC tomorrow. Their game with Blackpool is on

BBC2. Saints have a five point advantage at the top after their 2-

0 win over Doncaster last week. Billy Sharp stepped up after Rickie

Lambert's injury, but Lambert is expected to be fit tomorrow as

Saints hope to take another step towards the Premier league. There

is a lot to play for for everybody. It is very close. Seven league

games to go for everybody and everyone will be saying one more

game, one more game. Their emphasis is to take one game at a time. Will

do everything we can to win. -- the emphasis.

Crawley Town players Claude Davis and Pablo Mills have apologised for

their part in Tuesday's mass brawl which broke out at the end of their

side's 3-2 success at Bradford. Davis was red carded, Mills is

facing a violent conduct charge. Tomorrow, Crawley are at Burton

Albion. Elsewhere in League Two, Aldershot will try to maintain

their slim play of hopes when they face 4th placed Shrewsbury. In

League One, Bournemouth caretaker boss Paul Groves has his first game

at home against Yeovil. And in the Championship, Brighton in 4th host

Middlesbrough in 5th - both sides very much hoping to consolidate

play off places, Albion drew 1-1 at Nottingham Forest last Saturday.

Reading's Kate Walsh will be nee of the subjects of the Olympic Dreams

programme tomorrow, here on BBC1. The Great Britain hockey captain

has been keeping a video diary for the latest edition.

Kate has been in the role since 2003 and the team's pushing for a

medal in London this summer after an impressive second place finish

in the Champions Trophy in January. It was their first ever major

international final and the 31- year-old skipper is now aiming for

Olympic success. I might be having the worst day of my life, but I

have to crack on with it. It is not good for the players if I'm having

a bad day. I just want them to think about their job and what we

need to do. That on BBC One, tomorrow lunchtime. Also, good luck

to everyone doing the Ballmer and Reading half marathons. And now for

the weather. Let's have a quick look at some pictures. It has been

gorgeous this week, but things look as if they are going to take a bit

of a change. Reham is in Bournemouth. It looks lovely way

you're. It is absolutely gorgeous. We have

got used to this fantastic weather. We have had quite a bit of sunshine,

even though we started on a cloudy night. Things improved as the day

went on. We've had a lot of sunshine and now the cloud will

come back and fill in. We can see where it is encroaching. From the

north and west it arrive steadily through the night. As it spreads,

it will be a milder night and last night. Temperatures no lower than

six or seven Celsius as we head into Saturday. A rather grey

beginning for Saturday, unlike this past week. As we head into the east

of the region, temperatures will be on the mild side. That cloud will

be stubborn to break them up that day. Temperatures will struggle

under any cloud, at best getting up to 12 Celsius at the end of

Saturday. Perhaps further south and west we could see temperatures rise

to 14 Celsius. That is still well above average for this time of the

year. But, of course, we have been spoilt this week. As we look at

Sunday, it is looking along brighter and of course we had the

Reading half-marathon. There will be sunshine and quite dry. From

Monday though, cloudy and damp. Next week on South Today we'll

begin a series of special films about the Titanic. Most of the crew

of the ill-fated liner were from Southampton. More than 500 of them

died when she sank. We'll hear about one of the heroes of the

disaster, Sir Arthur Rostron. He was captain of the Carpathia, the

ship that rescued more than 700 of the survivors from the icy waters

of the North Atlantic. He said it was the hand of God that guided him