28/11/2011 Spotlight

A �50 reduction for every household. The long awaited announcement

concerning our water bills. It is fair, it needed doing, it was an

injustice, but all praise to those in London you got round and done it.

Good evening. The chancellor should confirm the move tomorrow. Tonight

we'll be hearing from South West Water, campaigners and we'll be

live in Westminster for reaction to the news. There should also be

confirmation of funding for the Kingskerswell Bypass. Business

leaders say it will bring an end to traffic chaos and create thousands

of jobs. And living the high life - the Devon man who lost both his

legs seeking new adventures. struck me that stepping off a

mountain with a paraglider, having climbed up, would be the easy way

down. A 20 year campaign to have the region's water bills cut has

finally succeeded. Spotlight has been told the government will

tomorrow announce a reduction of �50 in the charge for every

household in the South West Water area. The news follows a

consultation announced by the Chancellor in his budget in March,

and has been welcomed by consumers, campaigners and MPs. Our

correspondent Simon Hall reports from South West Water's

headquarters in Exeter. Judy and her husband a retired, lived on a

fixed income, and are pleased by the cut in water bills.

reduction has got to be good, with the economic Times being as it is.

All the bills seem to be going up rather than down these days, and it

would be nice to feel, just before Christmas, that they were on your

side. A consultation on cutting bills for South West Water

customers was announced in the Budget. Now the details have been

agreed. Bills will be cut by �50 per year. That will not be means-

tested. Every household in the South West Water area will benefit,

about 700,000 in total. The cuts will be introduced in 2013, because

legislation must first be passed. It will run for seven years.

will make a significant difference. It recognises the additional cost

to the region for cleaning up bathing beaches. That cost has been

in customers' charges for the past few years, so that will be

recognised. For central government to do it for one batch of customers

for a company that has been privatised is a struggle. It is

fair, it needed doing, it was an injustice, but all praise to those

in London who have got round and done it, because it was typical.

South West water bills are the highest in Britain, averaging �520.

Even after the reduction they will remain the highest. Details of the

cut will be confirmed by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement

tomorrow. This represents a significant victory for consumers,

MPs and South West Water. All have been part of a lobbying campaign to

have bills reduced, which dates back more than 20 years, to 1989,

when the company was privatised. The Chancellor will also give the

go ahead for the long awaited Kingskerswell bypass. Work is

expected to start early in the new year on the three mile route which

links the end of the dual carriageway at Newton Abbot to the

edge of Torbay. Its backers say the new South Devon link road will end

traffic misery and help create nearly 8,000 jobs. Hamish Marshall

reports. For more than half a century, plans for a bypass here

have got nowhere, but from tomorrow, he should be full steam ahead. The

bypass and the queues of traffic have cost the South Devon economy

dear. Steve has lost count of the number of hours his drivers and

customers have lost waiting to go through Kingskerswell. He thinks

the new road will end that and bring in new people. It is a big

deal for many customers. It is the perception that they are open to be

sat in traffic for half-an-hour, and the same coin back again. So

why it will have a big impact. estimates say that the bypass will

bring in 8,000 jobs, a mixture of new industry and reigniting the big

one already year, tourism. These are major economic links that the

rest of country has, the breast Devon and Somerset has, but we

don't, and people see that as an opportunity to invest and create

prosperity and jobs. Devon County Council is putting in �40 million.

All plenty has been assured by the Treasury minister that the scheme

will be given the green light. is essential to boost growth and

tourism in the region and it has such strong support and a good team

round it. This is one reason why work can start soon to stop

properties on the route have been bought up, and planning permission

has already been granted. But not everyone is in favour. Opponents

say is not the best use of government money into a Financial

Times. They say that whilst it mile solve the problem here in

Kingskerswell, it will move the congestion into Torbay. If you have

a road-building traffic into a street infrastructure that cannot

absorb the, you just end up with the traffic jam in the wrong place.

Our Political Editor Martyn Oates is at Westminster for the

Chancellor's update on the economic situation and spending plans. This

help with the water bills has been a long time coming. Yes, people in

the South West have been paying those high bills since

privatisation. Since election time David Cameron has been hinting that

the Conservatives would do something specific to help the

South West, if elected. DeFra is going to propose major reforms the

water industry, in just a few days' time. In the Budget the Chancellor

has decided to step in and pre-empt that. And the Kingskerswell bypass,

is that another case of special treatment? That is something that

has been even longer coming. This scheme got the go-ahead at the end

of Labour's government and the coalition found it bidding against

rival schemes for a finite pot of money. The Chancellor has taken it

out of that bidding process and said, we will fund that. These

infrastructure projects, the other roads announced across the country

tomorrow are intended to boost growth in areas that needed. I

don't think there is anywhere in the South West that is more in need

of it and Torbay. Any more surprise announcements? In future, search-

and-rescue helicopters will be won by civilians under a private

contract. Not the military. That will mean the end of search-and-

rescue helicopters in Portland. Pull in he says he is determined to

oppose that. I'll flabbergasted. -- the local MP says. It is a bad

decision, the second one that we have had. The helicopter will be

leaving in 2016. The reason that is bad is because the cover will be

coming from Solent, and from even further, to the West. I can tell

you that the, at called Rose and Bacher Arona in north Devon will

remain on 24 hours a day. -- and at Chivenor. It is expected that the

civilians taking on this role will add here at the same high standards

as the RAF and then the day. We will find out exactly what the

Chancellor has in store tomorrow, in his Autumn Statement. The South

West has the second lowest hospital mortality rates in the country,

according to the latest survey by Doctor Foster's Hospital Guide. The

guide names the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital as one of four

"Trusts of the Year" nationwide, for its outstanding achievement on

low death rates and high quality patient care. None of the region's

hospitals has high death rates, although there were more in-

patients' deaths than expected at Yeovil Hospital last year. The

Torpoint Ferry between Devon and Cornwall will be affected by the

strike involving public sector workers on Wednesday. Crossings

will be suspended for all users except the emergency services. The

Tamar Bridge won't be affected by industrial action. Meanwhile, the

South Western Ambulance Service expects some staff to strike and

has appealed for people to think carefully before dialling 999.

the dial 999 with an emergency that feels less threatening they will

receive the same type of response as now. A great deal of planning

has gone into the day, so that we can prioritise staff, so that

patients who really need us will still continue to receive the care

they need. And we'll have the latest on the possible disruption

due to strike action on tomorrow's Spotlight. The government has

promised to give people more power to shape the places where they live,

and tonight Cerne Abbas in Dorset will begin to test out the new laws.

Villagers are being invited to give their views on how their community

should develop in the future. Neighbourhoods across the South

West may eventually be given a vote on the plans they come up with.

Here's our Dorset reporter Simon Clemison. Cerne Abbas might not be

able to sustain the �14 that it once did when it was a poaching

make, but it is still a thriving village. In the past, they had

their say on how they would like the Community to develop. Now the

villagers themselves are in the driving seat. We thought we would

do a survey to find out what local people you want in the future. --

local people here. It would be nice to have an updated school for the

village. These will shops, if you look at them, just past the post

box, they are a mess, and they want sorted. Some of the legislation

will give the locals the right to build, although some people have

little faith in the new system, let along the last. We need to be able

to say what we think. We write letters. Many of us write letters.

What happens? Bloody nothing! new schemes are being piloted first.

Space to create local jobs and affordable housing is important.

That is not just something about Cerne Abbas, it is about this part

of West Dorset. So you will get involved in this localism Bill?

Absolutely. I live here, and they want the best for the village. And

it may help other people to think differently. Labour says the system

devolves plane, and central government guest new power. There

is still time to shoot the regulation, and, tonight, this

village may do just that. Coming up next, the latest adventure for a

man who's overcome many challenges in life. Plus: Find out which

former England player is now wearing the Plymouth Albion shirt.

And the youngsters on a journey back in time to experience life as

a wartime evacuee. For most of us, climbing just one mountain would be

a daunting challenge. But for a 71- year-old double amputee from Devon,

a life of conquering the peaks has proved not tough enough. Sam Smith

has his remarkable story. Norman Croucher has still some of the

World's highest peaks. Now, he wants to come down in style.

don't have the same arms bent but I had. So mountaineering is becoming

more difficult. That does not mean I am not still looking for other

adventures. And stepping off a mountain with a paraglider after

climbing up would be a quicker way than! Norman pursued his lot of

outdoor sports even after losing his legs in a train accident as a

young man. He has come to Cumbria, to learn how to Paraguay. A special

body means he can safely get a taste of the high life. -- a

special by the -- buggy. Sly Glee apprehensive, but excited, for

Norman. -- slightly apprehensive. It is like a slightly slippery

fairground ride that you feel you could slip out of it. This is just

an instant rule. It is one of the most brilliant things I have ever

done. His next challenge, to fly You can find they have weather here

she is that ambition on Inside Out South West tonight at 7:30pm on BBC

One. A newly-opened Devon cafe is

helping to tackle rising unemployment and raise money to

work with disadvantaged young people. Cafe Zu in Newton Abbott

was opened over the weekend. It is time to wake up and smell the

coffee. Cafe Zu offers people valuable work experience and skills,

and taking a job here has helped Caroline Cane become much more

confident. You need quite a lot of different people -- meets quite a

lot of different people. It helps me to build my confidence around

other people. I am open to anything, really. I am hoping this will set

be on my patch. Every penny in profits -- profit will help improve

the lives of disadvantaged young people in Devon. The concept is

going down well with customers. it can help young people, gives

them some confidence and they can put something on their CV as well.

It is fantastic. We did not hire anything like this one with the

growing up here. My daughter comes here, and they have done marvellous

things for her. A Mad Hatter's tea party heralded the opening. It was

the culmination of months of hard work. They have been tears and

tantrums and banning of heads, but we have cracked the bull by the

horns and got young people involved and a energised his cafe. It is

open for business and hopefully this is the first of many

successful days in the Newton Abbott area. Cafe Zu is also

showcasing local musicians and artists. For me, it is a place to

go and entertain people with my music. It also pushed me and got me

out there. In a time of cuts and rising unemployment, Cafe Zu is a

vibrant alternative. It is time for the sport. Some

excellent weekend results. Really excellent results. All the

football news in a moment, but first, Plymouth Albion have hired

Phil Greening as a coaching consultant. In an exclusive

interview, Greening says he wants to improve the detail in the way

the side as coach. Our correspondent caught at Ripon today.

Pete Drewett's first shot at a coach did not have the desired

effect. His side fell 24-9 to London Welsh at Brickfields and

run-out hands at the Championship. He unveils this man today, former

England international and London Welsh coach Phil Greening. Greening

joins Albion as a coaching consultant until the end of the

season. We have put a great group, but they have never had that

attention to detail that the need to challenge themselves and go as a

team. They want to develop everyone and get the city right behind the

rugby again. I am absolutely certain that in no time at all, the

players will build up a strong relationship and enjoy working with

Phil Greening. They hope to emulate the Exeter Chiefs, but the march to

the Premiership went awry against Sale. But they had a good comeback

with a penalty try and a couple of kicks by Ignacio Mieres. They

sealed an unlikely victory in the final seconds. It is almost

impossible for 18 to come back after that, but I think in the end

of the first half, we started to make amends. We started to get

things right. Luckily, we finished in the best way in the second half.

Meanwhile, the Cornish Pirates have slipped to 5th in the championships

after they went down 36-21 against Doncaster.

You can see a full interview with Phil Greening on the BBC Devon

sports website. It is not often I get to say is, but none of the fund

all sides lost at the weekend. Exeter, Yeovil and Plymouth all

recorded cracking victories, and Torquay true.

Brilliance, it is a rarity for the South West. The three great results.

No losses. Let us go to Exeter first. 3-0

against Tranmere. They have turned a corner. First goal, Scot Bennett,

a good finish. Settled the nerves a little bit. A few people had doubts,

but I did not. Paul Tisdale is a good manager. This is a good way to

tackle a corner. Good goals, could tackle a corner. Good goals, could

finish. Good cross from Chris Hackett. This is basic. But it is

one way of scoring. Logan holes of the show -- shoulder. Let us go to

League Two and Plymouth Argyle, 4-1. They needed that. Yes, it was a

magnificent performance. Simon Walton command the captain,

dispatched a good goal. Nick Chadwick, a great run, a good

header. They blew Northampton away in the first 10 minutes. Is it the

new signings? I think it helped. But here, or great play, a good

finish. Bit of a deflection, did deserved it. It was not just luck.

For though. Ashley Hemmings had a great game on loan from Wolves.

Good day. Torquay played on Friday night. They did not win, but did

not lose either. No, you cannot have everything. But a good result

on the back of a few good performances. They had a few

chances. Great save from the cheaper there. It was solid stuff,

but not very exciting. Kevin Nicholson does his back flip there

with his foot. Very nice. And G. In League One, the first away win of

the season for Yeovil Town came on one of their longest away journeys.

Former Argyle favourite Bondz N'Gala struck the only goal at

Hartlepool to give Tiverton is huge tonic. They remain in League One's

tonic. They remain in League One's bottom four. That is all the sport

for now. I enjoyed seeing all those goals!

A group of children in Cornwall travelled back in time today to the

outbreak of the second world war. Millions of people were moved away

from cities to live in the countryside away from the flat of

German bonds. It was called Operation Pied Piper, and today the

pupils from Devoran Primary School found out what it would have been

like. There were a few anxious faces at

Perranwell Station this morning. 60 Cornish children prepared to be

evacuated. Just like their counterparts, they are labelled

like luggage and have to carry their own suitcases, gas masks and

teddy bears. All in all, it feels like a big adventure. It is going

to be very exciting. We are going to learn more about evacuating and

see how much pain it would give you if you're getting evacuated from

your parents. A I think it is good because then we can learn a bit

more about what is happening. of their parents and great-

grandparents were in World War II. People were bombs, swam to shore,

and were rescued. The is a real- life stories. We're showing the

children what I history is about. There may well be fun and games and

dressing up in costumes today, but Operation Pied Piper was a serious

piece of history. It is reckoned it is the biggest and most

concentrated movement of people in British history. 3 million people

came down railway lines like this one to the relative safety of the

countryside. For some of the older people here, it reminds them of

when evacuees came to their schools he all those years ago. It is part

of history. They seem to be taking it on board. I wonder if they are a

little young to understand it. They are very happy. As the train goes

into the station, there is time for one final wave to parents. These

youngsters know they are only going to Falmouth for the day and they

will be back in time for tea. It is time for the weather. It has

The problem overnight is the wind. Runcie's will be familiar to us by

the end of the day tomorrow. Some quite strong winds. Possibly up to

70 mph. An unsettled and windy week. Turning slightly colder, but the

main problem is the wind. We have an early warning from the Met

Office in of situ -- Exeter for Cornwall. There is already a lot of

cloud, so with will not have any temperature problems overnight.

Temperatures no less than 11 or 12 degrees. It is not necessarily dry

overnight tonight. The heavier rain is this line of clout here and it

will bring us wet-weather and also the strength of wind. You can see

how the isobars are tightly packed their. Southall south-westerly

winds will be gale force. They will also become westerly. There is

potential for really strong wind and rain. More straightforward on

Wednesday, but not necessarily drier. There is still a breeze from

the South West. That is concentrate on tonight and tomorrow. This is

the more persistent rain now in western Ireland. Already some drugs

and traps of light drizzle and some hill fog overnight. By the end of

the night, we will already have had South -- gale force winds. Tomorrow

morning is when we see the strength of wind. It will continue to

increase as the rain comes in. Brighter colours are a heavier

bursts of rain. In the afternoon, the rain clears out of the way and

the winds changed direction, coming from the West. Initially, the

strong winds will be from the south. Then they will be around and by the

end of the afternoon, will be coming westerly and then north-

westerly. They will drop into the evening. Temperatures tomorrow will

be 13 or 14 Celsius in the wet weather. Once the front goes

through, it will be cooler and fresher. The temperatures will drop

to 11 or 12 degrees. Isles of Scilly, rain and gales and then

brighter. Times of high water are The south coast will be very stormy.

Looking at the coastal waters forecast. Severe gale force eight,

veering north-westerly six or seven. Good evening.