28/03/2014 Spotlight

Good evening. The dredging of rivers on the Somerset Levels will start on

Monday. It's a remarkable vhctory for local people who've been told in

the past that dredging is undesirable and unaffordabld. The

equipment is in place, readx to drag tonnes of silt out of the rhvers so

they can take a greater amotnt of rainwater in the future. Clhnton

Rogers reports. Back where they belong at l`st. And

after months of battling thd floodwaters and losing, tod`y, James

Winslade is a little happier. It is nice to see the sheds with the

cattle in them. It has been empty, void of any noise and you are

looking in and they are all happy. This was the day last month when

James had literally to save his cows from drowning. The floods wdre

closing in, the water was rhsing quicker than anyone predictdd. 50

cattle were sent to parks across Somerset. Today, James is trying to

get his own farm back in business. But it isn't easy. His stordd feed

is rotten. Many of his barns need repairing and the mess left by the

force of the flooding will take many months to clear up. As you come down

into the kitchen... And as for the farmhouse...inside, there is very

little left. How long will ht be before you are back in here? A year,

I expect. So, like many on the Levels, he is pleased that the

promised dredging is becoming a reality. Even before today's

machinery moved into place, the Environment Agency were carrying out

tests to make sure that the digging had science behind it. This device

is carrying out sonar readings, getting a picture of what is down

there. When you see weather like this, and you know dredging is

starting on Monday, do you pray it works? Yes. And do you think it

will? Yes, I think it will. But it is not just dredging, they need to

do the other things as well. Most of which is contained in the 20`year

flood plan. So dredging will mark a new chapter in the history of the

levels. How will the story dnd? I expect next winter might yidld a

clue. The Mayor of Torbay is creating

around 300 free parking spaces by getting rid of yellow lines and

other restrictions. It will cost ?11,000. But will it work and should

it be followed by towns and cities across the region? Spotlight's

Sophie Pierce reports. Magdalen Road near the centre of

Torquay. One of the roads where yellow lines could be scrapped,

creating more free parking spaces. With this street, it's a ond`way

street and there is unrestrhcted parking on the left, yet tiled

parking on the right`hand shde. We are removing the restrictions who

will be effectively unrestrhcted parking. `` so it will be

effectively unrestricted. 24 streets across the bay having parking

restrictions lifted. Here in Paignton, summertime restrictions

will be axed, meaning residdnts will be able to park outside thehr homes

all year round. There's no reason why we can't have the free parking

down here all year round. Doesn t make a difference to anyone. And the

thing is, if you want peopld to keep using the town centre, they've got

to have somewhere nearby. If they keep permit`ing it and moving us

further and further away, no one is going to use the town centrd and it

is dying already. Traders in the town centre agree. They say getting

rid of a few yellow lines is all very well, but much more radical

action is needed to encourage people back. You see people come in, they

will not pay. I have seen them walk off. That is sad. We need more free

parking spaces to allow people to come in and park. We really need to

lower the cost of the parking to make it better for people to shop

who want to come and shop hdre. We are looking at the pricing

structures of parking. It is not my portfolio, but we have been through

the figures were looking to reduce the parking for the shorter periods.

`` and we are looking to reduce the parking. So hopefully it should

benefit these town centres. Getting rid of yellow lines is bound to be

popular. But some are criticising the plan which will cost ?10,00 .

The Greens say the money wotld be better spent on public transport.

A hailstorm and poor visibility may have been possible factors hn a

24`car crash in this morning's rush hour in South Devon. Police say at

least three people were takdn to hospital after the accident on the

A380 at Ideford Dip heading towards Newton Abbot. A number of other

people were treated at the scene. In a separate accident, a car hit the

central reservation of the @38 westbound near Chudleigh.

New figures reveal that just 5% of Cornwall Council tenants affected by

changes to housing benefit have moved. Since last April, working age

people have had their payments cut for every spare room in thehr social

housing. It's designed to rdduce the nation's benefits bill and dncourage

people to downsize. But of nearly 1,200 Cornwall Housing tenants

affected by what critics call the "bedroom tax" ` just 60 havd moved.

It relies upon vacancies behng available in areas that suit their

needs. Many people living in different parts of Cornwall have

their family networks and their employment there, so if the

one`bedroom places are not hn that area, it is not surprising they have

not moved. And that's it from me for now. Let's

take a look at the regional forecast with David.

After the showers and cold, it is nice to talk about some warlth this

weekend. It will feel more like spring this weekend. There hs always

the risk of showers across the north`west of Cornwall. These

weather systems will I just close to the west coast of Cornwall for much

of the weekend. The further west, the thick of the cloud. Storms will

come overnight which will tdnd to fade away. Then in another line of

showers will move up first thing tomorrow morning. It is quite a

windy day tomorrow, particularly along the south coast. Therd is that

band of rain which will continue to retreat out of the West. In a lot of

fine weather across Dorset, Somerset and Devon. A bit breezy. Sunday is

very similar, always more cloud the further west we are. If you showers

possible here. For the rest of us, a fine and breezy day. Here is the

outlook. forward on Saturday night. Now here

is Nick Miller with the national forecast.

Hello. The clocks go forward this weekend, marking the beginning of

British summertime, BST. It has nothing to do with the weather. As

the clocks changed last year we were coming out of the March freeze.

This year, though, as the clucks change, the weather is warming up.

Not clear blue sky, the sun will be hazy but the thunder storms will be

gone. It will be mainly dry. And the weather is lively out there

this evening. There are bands of rain with hail over western parts of

the UK. A bit of rain for parts of the north

of England and south-west of Scotland. And lots of hill fog into

the Pennines. Mist and fog in the central and eastern areas of

England. It is a slow start in the morning. A lot of cloud around first

thing. Misty in places. Damp on the ground after the overnight rain in

south-west England. Clearing, it may threaten the Isles of Scilly

throughout the weekend,