21/01/2014 South Today

rain from the east. That's all from the BBC News At Six.

On Hello, I'm Sally Taylor. Welcome to

South Today. In tonight's programme: Accused of complacency, the power

bosses who left thousands facing a miserable Christmas without

electricity. They want to be in the same situation as we were in, then

they know how hard it was to cope, no hot water, no food, nothing.

We DON'T like to be beside the seaside! Why some of Boscombe's

designer beach huts are standing empty and unsold.

High hopes for the Winter Olympics. We hear from one of the South's top

prospects for a medal in Sochi. This is what I have worked my whole life

for. I just feel very proud. And an educated ale. How students in

Reading are doing it for themselves behind the bar. We had people

queueing up and waiting for the beer and weep sold 72 pints in about an

hour and a half. Christmas power cuts caused misery

for thousands as storms brought down power lines across the South. Today

bosses of UK energy distribution firms were accused by MPs of

"complacency" and having "no sense of urgency" when carrying out

repairs. At its worst, some 100,000 homes across the region were without

electricity. Our political editor, Peter Henley, has been following

developments and joins me now from Westminster.

When the Prime Minister visited the South of England early in the New

Year, he said it was "simply unacceptable" for people to have

lost power for so long after the Christmas storms, and that was the

starting point for today's cross`examination. Roll in general

political frustration at the high cost of fuel and at times, the

Energy Select Committee did feel like a court with the power company

executives as the accused in the dock. The discussion of this content

has been utter complacency. We lacked any expression of real

concern for your customers. Absolutely typical.

That did prompt an apology but the electricity people were adamant that

there were no weak spots in their network. It was simply that

sustained stormy weather made it difficult to get to the places

repairs were needed, and Mark Mathieson from Scottish and Southern

told MPs the damage was so widespread they couldn't draft in

extra help from unaffected areas. It seems a long time that customers

were off. When you go back 20 years, that would have been two weeks. The

only way we will improve its builders working relations at this

happens again. One of the lessons, they conceded

that people need more accurate information. As Jo Kent reports,

many of those affected feel that's more of a priority than

compensation. Joan had a cold and miserable bishop. A neighbour looked

after her. They were without power for five days. Flooding, makes a

hard for us to get through. These gentlemen were sat in a nice warm

house having Christmas dinner. They want to be the same situation as we

were in, then they know how hard it was to cope. They received text

messages with updates during the time they were without power. Them

telling us they were working at the substation, we can view it from our

house and there was nobody there at all until day for. It's just lies.

Joan was the only vulnerable customer left in the dark. The

nursing home was also cut off and a generator arrived but no engineer

was sent to connect it. In Burridge, they had to throw away two fridges

and freezers worth of food and ended up spending Christmas Day apart. We

are sorry. The clips we heard today, what do you say? From watching those

clips, they said what they needed to say. Until we are in that position

again, you don't know how they will be. I hope they have learned their

lessons. Not sure. Lots of people affected, Peter, but

what reassurances were there that it won't happen again Here at

Westminster, the energy companies tried to say the Christmas weather

was unique, but it's been made clear to them that in the modern world,

they have to be ready to get people back on the grid more quickly, and

certainly to keep people better informed about what's being done.

But we're talking about private companies here, and it will take a

process of negotiation and financial sticks and carrots to persuade these

electricity companies to make better contingency plans.

The restoration of passenger trains to the Waterside branch line to

Fawley on the edge of the New Forest has been rejected. Hampshire County

Council has decided the project represents poor value for money as

it would need an annual subsidy approaching ?1 million. The decision

is seen as an indicator that other similar projects around the country

now won't go ahead. Our transport correspondent, Paul Clifton,

reports. The branch line runs between Totton,

west of Southampton, and Fawley Oil Refinery. Here's Hythe Station in

the 1950s. And this is Marchwood. It closed to passenger trains nearly 50

years ago. Today it looks almost the same, with a signal box beside the

platform. It handles two freight trains a day, serving the refinery

and Marchwood Military Port. The line runs through large areas of

housing between Southampton Water and the New Forest National Park.

Hampshire County Council considered a shuttle service with a single

two`car train running once or twice an hour between Hythe and

Southampton. Running further south to Fawley was ruled out. The cost of

new infrastructure for a train every 30 minutes was put at ?17 million to

pay for new stations, track and signalling. 340,000 passengers a

year would use it but their fares would not cover the costs, and the

council would have to find ?900,000 a year in subsidy. Hampshire county

council are looking at this in terms of finance. I would like them to

look at it in terms of the social benefits that would accrue, the

environmental benefits, and goodness knows, we are repressed enough from

the government to be green. The council found passenger numbers

would need to double to make the service viable and most would

transfer not from cars but from buses and the council`subsidised

Hythe Ferry, undermining existing public transport. Waterside rail

would be in direct competition with the bath services and the ferry. The

idea has not been rejected altogether. It has been put on the

shelf to gather dust. Five years ago, the rail industry suggested the

case for reopening this rail line was very strong. It was considered

to have the highest value for money for the roots looked at. So a

rejection today will send a very bleak message to other projects to

re`open old lines for new services. Recycling targets aren't being hit

in many parts of the South. The European Union wants HALF of all

household rubbish to be recycled by 2020, but the latest figures show

that many of our local authorities are lagging behind. Portsmouth is

the worst in the region, currently recycling only 23% of its household

waste. James Ingham reports. Taking their message door to door,

Portsmouth City Council hopes a direct appeal to residents will

change the way they dump their rubbish. The city recycles less

household waste than any other local authority in the South. Instead of

trying to punish people who don't recycle, we are trying to reward

people who do. People are chosen every month for prices. Mark and his

son Max won one of those prizes for what they say is a pretty easy but

important task. You are not just wasting valuable staff, just

throwing it out in the bin. Instead, you can make more stuff with it.

Recycling collected in Hampshire is sorted at two centres in Portsmouth

and this one in Alton. Paper, plastic and metal are separated and

then sent to other plants to be re`used. 14 authorities have teamed

up, so all their waste is handled in bulk. Bringing councils together

like this makes the process more efficient but some are lagging

behind. An EU target demands 50% of household waste is recycled by 2020.

Some of our counsellors are exceeding that, though. Some other

councils like to sit our recycling half of their waste. Hampshire's

councils that are falling behind have ambitions to improve. We are

working towards increasing that recycling rate, but bring in an

ethical and wrist `` ethical and sustainable way. What's inside our

bins is becoming more important. Inspections like these in Portsmouth

may become more commonplace as increased focus is placed on how our

rubbish is disposed. Still to come in this evening's

South Today: Sport Relief is back! We find out how your money has been

helping this Bournemouth charity to bake.

They were marketed as the "best beach huts in the world", launched

with much fanfare as part of the regeneration of Boscombe seafront.

But, five years on, a third of the luxury designer beach pods

overlooking the artificial surf reef remain unsold. 43 were put up for

sale in 2009 with prices of up to ?90,000.

In the 60s, the crowds came here. In later years, its charms they did,

but in 2009, new life was breathed into it. With designer input, the

chalets became beech pods, a stylish room to call your own by the sea

with running water and electricity, though no overnight stays. A 40 year

lease costs between 65 and ?90,000. Sales then slowed. In 2011, in a bid

to boost sales, the council changed the sales pitch, making shortest

leases available. There were some takers, but today, there are still

15 pods unsold. In 2009, your director of tourism thought there

was significant demand and was confident about sales. At the time,

he was spot on. What he didn't know is that we would get big banking

crisis. All bets were off after that. Wayne Hemingway told us he

doesn't know what all the fuss is about. He said he always designed

the pods to be for a mixture of sales and rentals. If the reader had

worked, it would attract people to use them. It's kind of a difficult

situation. It was very brave of the council to invest in something

different. If I was a young person with a young family, I would rather

have one of the wooden ones that you can throw the children out

straightaway. The council says it is making money renting out unsold pods

and plans to use them to host spa treatments when the coastal activity

park opens in the spring. Shouts of shame came from the public gallery

as Portsmouth City Council voted against the motion to publish a

report on the conduct of the Portsmouth MP Mike Hancock. The

Pascoe Report as it is known concluded that Mr Hancock who is a

Liberal Democrat councillor failed to observe the council was my of

contact. However a Full Council bought sided with the original

decision by a council standards committee not to publicise why. No

charges have ever been brought against the MP but he faces the High

Court civil dispute over sexual assault allegations made by the High

Court civil dispute over sexual assault allegations made by feeble

constituent which he has always denied.

Campaigners say the closure of the Portland Coastguard Centre later

this year has been causing staff shortages at the base. Coastguard

SOS says workers are leaving the centre, causing staffing levels to

drop below a safe, risk assessment. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency

says the figures do not have anything to do with the centre's

closure and there is no risk to safety.

The image of the typical student has changed over the years, but now

e`group Reading University are taking it one step further in

brewing the raw and real ale and selling it on campus. Called Extra

Curricular, it has been developed with the local microbrewery and sold

out on its first night at the pumps. It is something of a home from home

and would think, Ben. There is acutely as reversal in this

bar because this university is a place where students provide the

beer. Here is a fresh point of Extra Curricular. This is not home`brew

but it is incredible to think that after centuries of academia in

Britain, this is the first beer that has been properly brewed by

students. There is the degree of something

different at the student bar. It serves Extra Curricular, brewed by

the University's real ale Society whose thirst for knowledge has led

them to Sherfield Village Brewery. We did not think about selling at

commercially, but we have put it with the broody.

The students actually make the beer. As befits an academic ale. Nothing

is added to make it look better. It all comes together under the

watchful eye of the Chuter, brewer Peter Cook.

They seem to enjoy themselves and we have a few beers to taste so they

get an idea of what they want to emulate and what they want to

change. The smell the hearts and decided what to use and off they

went. This beer is being sold at

university bars and at some local pubs. These are tough times for

microbreweries saw it is important that the brew does well on campus.

We have people queueing up and waiting for the beer and we sold 72

points in 90 minutes on Friday. That was the whole barrel gone. We

ordered another three or four points.

The popularity of the beer has end the society a special place in these

halls of learning. The first "draught" certainly gets an a.

This is Brian Jones from camera. He has not tried the real yet. Or, yes.

This is definitely the point for the intelligent drinker. That is high

praise indeed. Is it important for students to get involved? I know

microbreweries can struggle. They are our drinkers know and our

drinkers in the future. Perhaps they will be running microbreweries in

the future. I think there is a very good chance, given what they have

done today. I think it is high time I got back to my studies.

Take your first set. Enjoy the moment and savour the moment.

Sadly, we have you on end as well. That is not how I remember Reading

student union bar. It looks far too smart.

I think they gave it a deep clean this morning.

I hope Ben will bring some back. Tony is herewith sport. We were

talking on Friday about a couple of ice skaters.

On the 7th of February, the winter on the pic starts. Do you feel that

when the global? A bunch of ice skater and her

partner have had the perfect boost ahead of the second Winter Olympics.

Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland have just returned from Budapest with me

the podium in the European championships. Britain has not had

an Olympic ice dance medal since Torvill and Dean.

Even something as simple as picking up kit can be an inspiration. This

is one of the best days we have ever had and going out there and getting

our cat and having team GB on our backs again is fantastic. They could

hardly be more confident as they prepare for a second Olympics. Last

week, they claimed bronze at the European championships. It was good

timing for us to get our first medal before we came here before the

Olympic Games and we are very happy and showing off our medal. They are

boyfriend and girlfriend of the ice and finished 20th in the Vancouver

Olympics, the first Olympic games. The bronze medal shows that we can

be up there with the best in the world. I don't feel nervous although

I did last time. It was my dream in my life and I was nervous when I got

there but now I feel excited and this is what I have what my life

for. Offaly will get there one more time after this.

The peer has skated together for nine years but the best these may

still be ahead. Katharina Liebherr has tonight

issued an open letter to Southampton fans saying she hopes to bring a few

smiles to the football club. She refers to the events of the past

week but does not mean Nicola Cortese who quit his post as

executive chairman last week will stop she has insured manager

Mauricio Pochettino there are no plans to sell any players as

January. Her letter says she is absolutely committed to continuing

Oxford hope to get to round four of the FA cup against Charlton and

there will be live coverage on BBC Radio Norfolk the and also Crewe are

playing tonight. They play against MK Dons. Former Hampshire captain

Dimitri Mascarenhas has made an impact after returning from injury

playing industry earlier's Big Bash, competition. He took a wicket with

his first ball. Today is the official launch of

Sport Relief and that means lots of exercise.

There are many ways for you to raise money for charity but you could

always hit the kitchen and big. We sent to say the farmer who went

head`to`head with Paralympic hopeful Alice Tai on the bake off.

Friendly rivalry in the name of Sport Relief. This is a charity

based in Bournemouth and is one of the organisations that has benefited

from the hard work that Sport Relief does.

We help people with mental health problems and disabilities and the

brain injury. They are hoping to work again and we help them on the

way. It gives me freedom to come out

somewhere safe and feel part of the team and enjoy myself. The money has

helped us by tables and chairs and we have a venue that looks really

good. Alice is 14 years old and is already being tipped as a hopeful

for real in 19 in 2016. You could swim or run or walk or cycle or skip

or do whatever you like and whatever distance you want to.

That is good. Not bad. At the last Sport Relief people in

the South raised more than ?2.5 million which has gone on to fund

more than 270 projects in our region and you can get involved in many

different ways by walking and running and jogging and swimming. It

is time for me to get training. More information on the website.

Mike Kem took this great photo of Corfe Castle surrounded by the

morning fog. Jessica Cath captured the morning dew and mist on Woodhay

Downs in Berkshire. Rain is forecast over the next 24 hours. We are

expecting rain through the course of the night. There will be no frost

for most of us but once the rain clears western areas we could have a

touch of frost in the countryside and the rain could be heavy at times

but will ease its way eastwards very slowly with temperatures falling to

around five degrees or seven Celsius. It will be a wet starts

tomorrow but will slowly improve and we will start to see some bright and

sunny spells and dry periods. There will also be showers which could be

on the heavy side with temperatures reaching a high of eight degrees are

10 Celsius. Rain could be on the heavy side tomorrow night but there

is a risk of heavy fog. Another band of rain is waiting in the wings and

will come in on Thursday morning. Thursday is the repeat of Wednesday.

We will have breezy conditions and some showers in the afternoon. There

is a ridge of high pressure just below me which means that Friday

will start on a chilly note with the touch of Frost. Here is the outlook.

There will be rain tomorrow and some showers in the afternoon which could

be heavy. Thursday will be the same. Those winds will come in from

the North West which will take the edge of temperatures and give each

of the field. There will be more rain expected on Friday after the

chilly start. Towards the weekend, sunshine and showers and some heavy

rain on Sunday with perhaps some guilt force winds. Stay tuned to the

forecast. These socks are very fetching. We

are back tomorrow. Thank you for watching. Good night.