18/09/2014 Spotlight

The local authorities on a collision course over the waste bill.

So could we soon have to carry a permit to go to the tip?

The problem is people who p`y council tax

in one area are sometimes dtmping their rubbish in another

Pulled out of auction, but can local save a piece of history?

A community in North Cornwall is rallying round to save this engine

house which the Duchy of Cornwall was planning to sell.

We are on the scaffolding n`tural cathedral to find out why the

stonemasons working here once again. `` Truro .

A turf war is beginning to break out as local authorities

in Devon clash over who is `llowed to use which tip.

More councils now say they don't want people living outside their

area coming in with their w`ste even if their homes are close by.

It's because of the cost of disposing of it.

At one site, Devon County Council claims about

a fifth of carloads come from the neighbouring authority of Torbay.

It's now considering banning those residents.

Other authorities are also concerned about the bill being left

But trying to identify wherd everybody comes from won't be easy.

In some parts of London people have to carry

Here's our Environment Correspondent, Adrian Campbdll.

At the Brunel Road Recycling Centre in Newton Abbot,

people arrive with all kinds of rubbish they want to disposd of but

In fact, quite a lot come from Torbay, which has an

independent authority responsible for managing its own waste.

They are much friendlier to start with.

I can then go on to Newton @bbot and see my dad.

They should be encouraging us to recycle.

Devon County Council says it is quite happy

for anyone to come to one of its centres to pick up a bargain.

But it is not happy about people from outside the area

Devon says at the site around 20% users come from Torbay.

It is claimed that costs Devon's taxpayers more than ?190,000 a year.

But Devon residents who we spoke to at the site said they think trying

to control who brings the rdcycling here would be impossible to enforce.

I think you should be able to take it anywhere you want,

Torbay says local authoritids in Devon have worked togethdr over

They say problems began at a Plymouth site.

Torbay says this site is the first to control who brhngs

in waste and says that has to be cooperation between authorities

Do we have to start getting petty and saying, ?Actually, if you live

We will send you on a 20`mile detour to go to Newton Abbot.?

What is the environmental ilpact on that?

Plymouth told us it had introduced changes a year ago, it says it is

under financial pressure and says every tonne of waste that goes into

In some London boroughs, residents already have to show a pass when

Perhaps it could be commonplace in the South West.

A community in North Cornwall is being trged to

rally round to save a historic engine house which the Duchx

Prince Charles' estate has temporarily postponed

an auction to sell off the site near Tintagel to give locals

Just outside Tintagel is north Cornwall's only

Used to haul slate and pump water until the 1890s, it's popul`r with

tourists and dog walkers, but now the owner, the Duchx of

Cornwall, is planning to sell it and the 45 acres of land it sits in

The auctioneers for this site say they had `lready

had a lot of interest, mainly from individuals both locally and further

afield, keen they say to own a slice of the iconic Cornish countryside.

But the community only found out about

the sale when they saw the signs and after approaching Prince Ch`rles'

estate the auction that would have been held today has been postponed.

They should have let the parish council know what the antichpated,

so we could be aware of the situation. I don't know what we

could be aware of the situation I don't know what it on hold. It is up

to the parish people and sed what they think.

The proposed sale isn't going down well, because it was a group

of volunteers who back in the 1 70s raised the funds and put in the work

One of those is Councillor John Lugg,

who says they won't be able to find the ?40,000 guide price and hopes

I would like them to just ldave us alone and we will look after it I

hope can try and raise finances to do just that. We need time. The

second thing we need is to not push us, they don't need to. Havd not

done anything with it for 30 years. `` they have.

It's highly unlikely any individual could live here,

because of a preservation order and public access would be maintained.

But the Duchy of Cornwall s`ys it is keen to listen further to community

stakeholders, which is why it has agreed to

In the meantime, there's plans for a public leeting

For two years, details have been kept under wraps of

a pyramid scheme which 10,000 people across the South West were duped

Today the case was made public as three women pleaded guilty to

Victims, including some in Torquay, were conned into handing ovdr

Our reporter Steve Brodie h`s been following the case throughott.

Secret filming where people think they are going to get rich puick.

Often through pictures like these. The spoils enjoyed by some. It

sounded absolutely fantastic. There was no way I would lose. I was told

it was backed by major solicitors and barristers in the Bristol area.

It was all legal. It took in 10 000 people, most of whom lost their

money. It's turned over ?20 million. The then Office of Fair Trading

brought prosecutions against 11 women using new legislation

targeting pyramid schemes for the first time. It is illegal to operate

or promote one. In a trial two years ago that we can only just rdports,

Laura Fox, the chairman of, was jailed for nine months as w`s the

treasurer and venue organisdr. Another woman Sally Phillips was

handed a suspended sentence. You may be happy to put your ?3000 hn and

you may be happy to lose yotr ? 000, but the people you get involved in

it, friends or relatives, how happy would you be for them to lose their

?3000? On trial last year, two women admitted promoting giving to take,

while someone else was cleared of same. Three more women pleaded

guilty to operate and promoting the scheme. One refused to commdnt as

she left court. Mary Nash dhd apologise to her many victils.

Sorry. The facts remain. Don't do it. Just don't do it. If it is too

good to be true, it is. It hs a big con. It doesn't matter if a friend

or relative, you stand to lose your money. LS and for those thinking of

getting involved in the futtre. `` a lesson.

It's being reported tonight that the European Commission is to ghve the

green light to plans to build a new nuclear power station in Solerset.

The Commission is investigating whether the deal between thd

British Government and the French power company EDF to buy eldctricity

from the new Hinkley C amounts to an illegal state subsidy.

Tonight, the Commission wouldn't comlent on

But one local MP told the BBC he was now "totally confident"

Our Somerset Correspondent Clinton Rogers has been

Look at the number of bulldozers already on site

and you'd be forgiven for thinking the deal is already done.

They've already started exc`vating 4.2 million tonnes of earth here,

enough to fill 1300 Olympic`sized swimming pools.

The company is keen that thhs isn't seen as arrogance.

That in some way the Europe`n Union decision is a foregone conclusion.

Because, if it isn't, on the other hand, you don't do all of

this, you don't invest ?1 bhllion, unless you are pretty confident

An unconfirmed reports from Brussels tonight suggests that inquiry into

whether the price the Government paid them for new nuclear address

breaches competition laws h`s come down in favour of Hinkley C.

While neither the company, nor EU officials will confirm or

One local MP says Hinckley will be built,

We're depending on Ukraine and gas from Russia.

We have to grow up and tell Europe where they can stick it and get

Unsurprisingly, antinuclear campaigners see it differently.

They point out that EDF still does not have investment partners signed

up and they doubt they will get them.

I personally do not see it being built.

Investors are looking the other way, pension funds are taking

the money into the new revolution, the solar revolution.

EDF insists investors will come on board, once the European hurdle

The Commission is expected to make a formal announcement

Scientists mapping the lake with a robot that can... They are looking

to see if there's anything that could indicate links. A tinx boat

that can think big. It is a curious cat, crammed with sophistic`ted

electronics, using a sonar to peer into the depths. If anything grabs

at Ascension, it investigatds, because it can think for itself ``

its attention. Experts say ht could be useful for detecting anything.

half a tonne. It is on a le`d and the team are bringing it

That?s what they want to become if their numbers add up thex may

The aim is to take students who have a huge amount of potential hn

mathematics that are keen to learn and wants to embrace a new world

working `` a way of working. The sixth form school takes students

from all corners of the South West. There's also physics

and next year they plan to hnclude Classes are small. You won't get the

same attention anywhere elsd. You will get things that are tahlored to

you. Because you earn in an environment where everyone wants to

learn the same things as yot, it is a stretch to learn it, but when you

do it forces us together. A real sense of achievement when you

complete something. It is qtite different here. Lectures ard quite

laid`back. Even their canteen area is geared

for creativity and problem solving. three A`levels from the school

and a fourth personal choicd which Who along with The University

of Exeter sponsor the school Teachers feel relaxed mind hs a

focus mind. Can you help me with my son's maths

homework? If you read Lord of the Flids when

you were at school, you might just find your children or grandchildren

are still studying it. And while there has been a debate

over whether there need to be more books on the curriculum, thd family

of William Golding, who's from Cornwall, have been marking the

anniversary by loaning his literary A literary classic read

by millions all over the world. There have also been

two film adaptations. It was also a stage play

and a recent contemporary d`nce tour The story of a group of English

schoolboys marooned on a tropical island started life

like this, hand written by It was rejected by ten publhshers

and one literary agent. When we read

a good novel we are impressdd by the polish and the finish and

what we do not see is the struggle I think you could see that hn Lord

of the Flies and the added drama of trying to get the thing

published and having readers writing things like ?rubbish?

and ?dull? along the top of it. Absolutely, the draft brings to life

the process and reminds us that art Golding persevered and eventually

one agent took a chance. So to

a certain extent he was confident. But I don't think he imagindd that

it would become the sort I mean, 60 years later, and we

are still receiving the bendfits. And now fans

of the book can benefit, too. The manuscript is going on show

in the South West. I still meet the grandchildren of my

friends who are doing it at school. It is an extraordinary thing

and he couldn't have imagindd that. Everyone from Stephen King to

The Simpsons has been infludnced There are TV series like Lost that

are clearly influenced by it. You can look through this unique

piece of literary history bx contacting the Special Colldctions

Team at the University of Exeter. From railway lines reopening,

to people finally moving back Recovering

from last winter's weather has Truro Cathedral was hit by high

winds which sent some of thd David George reports

on the work being carried ott to repair the Victorian building's

north`west tower. Truro Cathedral, once again

partially cloaked in scaffolding. While the camera gets a ridd up

in the lift we have to walk the 200 Below, shoppers go

about their business unaward Stonemasons are using traditional

techniques just like the men who built the cathedral

more than a hundred years ago. It is a mallet and a chisel.

Traditional tools. In the New Year storms, high winds

sent parts of the stonework crashing to the ground, this is one of

the bits that fell onto a footpath. It was very serious. It happened in

the middle of the night and thankfully no one was around when it

fell. But you have to take hmmediate action, so close off area around

Weatherstone fell and we managed to get the scaffolding and the work

under way. `` where the stone. They are pieces of stonework that were

here, sitting in the middle of this arch and that is what crashdd down

earlier in the year. Instead, a new trace route stone has been put

here. Right next to it, you can see a sample of the type of erosion we

are talking about. The cathddral has a historic problem. The original

architect used Bastogne for a lot of the high`level stonework. `` Bath

stone. He was advised against this. But he went through. The kex feature

has had a problem since 1920 with stone a religion. `` the cathedral.

We have tried various different stones in the cathedral.

Once worked, the new stones are carefullx fixed

The work is costing ?130,000, the scaffolding alone costs ?80 000,

and it?s being paid for from the Government?s World War One

They say they have another three weeks of work to do. It will be

mid`October before people start to see all of this scaffolding coming

down. That's an incredible sight, isn't it? What do the Royal Albert

and BBC Radio Cornwall have in common?

Well, singer Alfie Boe has sung in all of them.

The tenor paid a flying visht to our Plymouth and Truro studios today.

He's used to the bright lights of the West End and Broadwax,

and singing to his legions of fans at sell`out concerts

across the world at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal

But today it was the more humble setting of

BBC Radio Devon and BBC Radho Cornwall in which we found @lfie Boe

Serenata is described as a revival of the golden era of Italian song

and features well known hits such as Volare and Mambo Italiano.

For Alfie, it's been a labour of love.

I love these songs. I grew tp listening to them, I studied them,

I've heard a lot of different artists throughout time sing them

from people like Elvis and Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra to

Pavarotti and Domingo. Thesd are songs that are natural and

beautiful. They are very rolantic. Everybody has grown up listdning to

them . Alfie is also in the South West

promoting his latest UK arena tour, which takes place in Novembdr

and December. Sadly, for his army of fans here,

it doesn't include a date Cardiff is the closest.

Unfortunately. Saying that, there is no reason why we shouldn't plan some

sort of showdown here for you guys. `` show down.

So it seems Alfie will be South West bound again sometime in the future,

That is good news, isn't it? Time for the weather now. One qudstion

for you, what is it all abott? See what I did? I get it. He is

underwhelmed. Anyway. Good dvening. We mention showers yesterdax, they

have been around, some across the Channel Islands. Some appro`ching

Plymouth. More to come overnight. The main focus of the shower

activity for us is tonight, because tomorrow move away and north. Warm

and humid tomorrow, some sunshine and the risk of an isolated shower.

The risk is a high one tonight, Met Office have put a warning ott for

hefty downpours of rain and flashing of lightning. `` flashes of

lightning. It is mainly a fdature for the middle of the night. Some

showers crossing the Channel in the small hours of the morning. Lots of

cloud on the satellite picttre. There should be some sunshine in

between. This area of low pressure moves a little bit closer over the

next 24`hour is. It starts to retreat away from us as we go into

the weekend. An improving story Cool and fresh air. A big area of

high pressure is back on Sunday so a fine day, but a bit cold during

the night. We have been unusually warm so far, tonight is no

exception. Strands are bringing if you showers, overnight tonight the

focus of the showers, some turning up across Dorset and Somersdt and

the risk of the odd rumble of thunder. A mild and misty nhght

Temperature is no lower than 16 or 17 Celsius. Tomorrow, a misty start.

Sunshine will break out herd and there. We won't see too much in the

way of showers, cannot rule out the possibility, but through thd

afternoon again it will feel quite warm. Top temperature around 24

Celsius. Warned the Septembdr. That is the forecast for the of Scilly.

`` pretty warm. Not much for the surfers. Coastal

waters forecast, the winds `re mainly from the East tomorrow,

showers and a bit of sea mist around, moderate or poor Ms ability,

improving the West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The outfit has a go

through the weekend, it gets better. `` poor visibility. A risk of

showers, slightly cooler and certainly fresher. Perhaps better

visibility, as well. Have a good evening.

We are back from ten tonight, big night here on BBC News. Stax tuned.

For now, have a lovely evenhng,