07/11/2011 Inside Out South West

Welcome to Inside Out South West, stories from or where you live.

Tonight, battle of the burner, one woman's campaign to stop a waste

incinerator being built in Plymouth. I am afraid I have become a number,

it is a simple case of not in my backyard -- become a NIMBY.

The astonishing courage of injured Royal Marine, Mark Ormrod. I get up

every day and just live my life, because it could have been over in

an instant. And the fight for Goonhilly. Everybody I have spoken

to said, yes, go for it, you have to save it, it is a global icon.

critical bid to launch a new future for Cornwall's space station. I am

Sam Smith and this is Inside Out 1 Inside Out, we bring you stories

from close to home, but our first tale is a little too close for some

of the people in this part of Plymouth. Because there are plans

to build a waste incinerator just down there, plants which have got

one local woman really fired up. -- plans which have. That woman is

Donna Ruiz. She is facing her worst fears. It is like the jaws of hell.

Donna is furious that an incinerator similar to this is

planned 500 metres from her home. You are basically building this

thing in my back garden, and I have no choice, nobody asked for my

permission. Donna is campaigning against the proposed plan that

incinerator. Signatures are great, thank you very much. Any bit of

wind and it will take the dust to you. That's really bad.

Incineration is not the answer, there has to be a better thing.

wants the plan abandoned. This is my family, this is the next

generation. Their children are going to be affected by this

horrendous incinerator that is on our doorstep. Back in March,

Devon's council signed a 25 year contract with developer, MVV, but

the project has not been given planning permission yet. If we can

make everybody aware of what is happening on their doorstep, I

think we can win. This is the proposed site, land currently owned

by the Navy on the edge of Devonport dockyard. This then

becomes your land again, and our secures own, and your grade one

fence, is along the southern edge here. The developers want to start

building it next year. They are determined to win the backing of

councillors, for what they say is an urgently needed facility. This

is not a dark satanic mill, it is a very modern, highly controlled

piece of process equipment that is doing a very valuable job,

diverting waste away from landfill, where it isn't the right place to

be. The closest houses would be 62 metres away. On the average day,

there would be 264 lorry movements, one every 2.5 minutes. That anybody

could come here and disrupt a whole community, take away our fresher,

our held off... Our life, really. - our health. The developers says

such fears are unfounded and it will comply with tough

environmental standards. It could also supplied the dockyard with

cheap, steam generated power, which would effectively saved the

taxpayer �400 million over 25 years. But the price of that is to cite

the burner in a densely populated area. Dunn and her girls are

waiting to meet one of the councillors who awarded the

contract -- Donna and her girls. need to know if he can live with

the decision that it is going to be built in an area where there are 10

primary schools. Donna seizes her chance to put her case to

Councillor Roger Croad. On a nice summer day, children playing in the

playground, chimneys smoking 1,000 metres from their playground, are

they safe? I would say that they are. The Health Protection Agency

have given us the all clear on this. The Environment Agency will look at

the permit. They will tell us whether this is safe or not. I have

no question that with the other 400 plants that are in Europe, the

technology is safe. Councillor Croad agrees to display Macie's

drawing that counts in all, but Don is not satisfied. -- at County Hall.

I am not convinced he would be happy for his grandchildren to

attend a primary-school where the movements of 300 odd lorries are

happening, yards from their playground. This is happening for

financial reasons. No health has Dr Dick van Steenis is a retired GP.

He believes babies living downwind of incinerators face an increased

risk of dying before their first birthday. His analysis of infant

mortality data has not been published or checked by experts, it

is far from conclusive. But he says the figures are worrying. When you

look at the health data, we have nine different health Parameters

per electoral ward and in London we have five different maps with five

different outcomes, and it is the same map for the lot. There is no

way it could be explained by anything other than incinerators

causing it. The Health Protection Agency said plants which are well

run and educated at are not a significant risk. But it is

planning a study of babies born near incinerators, something that

Dr van Steenis says he has been suggesting for years. I think they

are highly embarrassed and it is a good sign they are promising a

study at least, because it shows they are worried sick. More

concerned than ever, Croad is on her way to Germany, to see

incinerator technology for herself. It is the first time she has left

her children in six years. This is not something I normally do, I am a

mother, two little girls, we get along with our lives as best as we

can. I have involved my girls, I am fighting for their life.

The good girls, and have fun. -- Be Good girls. MVV's sites near

Leipzig is about twice the size of what is proposed near Plymouth and

she is chose it -- shown around by the man in charge. Dr Hoffman.

are very close to the equipment, it seems to be quite big. If you are a

bit away, it does not seem so big. If you are going to compare it to

the site in Plymouth, the nearest house is 62 metres, they are very

close. That is very close. Plymouth, the waste delivery area

would be enclosed to reduce noise and smell. That was a bit stinky,

possibly not as bad as I thought. My been day after a fish supper,

possibly. -- being -- bin collection day. Donna has shown how

-- is shown how pollutants are removed. We have 1,000 all more of

these bags. The air is sucked out of the middle. All of the gas that

has the pollutants we don't want to go into the atmosphere gets stuck

on the edge of this bag, which is a very efficient materials. The air

is drawn up, it is very clean now, through a flan and -- a fan and

taken up the stack. Some gases make it through the filter systems but

they are monitored to make sure they stay below EU limits. Can I

ask you to have a look at the stack and tell me what you can see?

mean nothing coming out of the top? It was a prompted questions.

assure you there is hot gas coming out of that, and it is very clean.

These houses are 450 metres from the incinerator. That is the

distance from Donna's home to the Devonport side. There is a proposed

planning of an incinerator near where my family and I live in

England. It is MVV. You live near an incinerator which belongs to MVV.

Did you ever have any concerns when the proposal went through? No, she

says. I don't hear anything, I don't smile anything. Do you ever

freer -- feel you are too close? TRANSLATION: I really need to say,

we don't notice anything much at all. At the start of her journey,

Donna was against incineration anywhere. Now she is just against

it in Devonport. Before this programme, I did not know the word

NIMBY. I was introduced to it by being on this programme. And I

didn't want to be seen as a NIMBY. But after being here and seeing the

site where this incineration plant is, I am afraid I have become a

NIMBY. It is a simple case of, not in my backyard, because they are

better sides than the one at Devonport to build this incinerator.

Back in Plymouth, Donna's girls are waiting with a warm welcome home.

For the sake of their futures, Donna is unwilling to embrace

current plans for a burner in her backyard.

Next, in this week of remembrance, we have the inspiring story of Mark

Ormrod from Plymouth, a 28-year-old veteran of Afghanistan, who has

Mark Ormrod is heading to the Commando Training Centre at

Lympstone in Devon. It is a place where no one that passes through

ever forgets. Every time you come back, you get the old not in the

pit of your stomach. When you approached the gates. I think

everybody goes through it. This is where it all started, this is where

you went through the pain and the shouting. Learning everything from

Now this former marine is learning from scratch, all over again. Mark

Ormrod is a triple amputee, the first to return to the UK from

Afghanistan. He is back at Lympstone not as a casualty, but as

a campaigner for a charity he cares passionately about.

I believe in their mission and what they want to do. I have seen first

and, one of the most seriously injured going back from a task done,

how they help. -- coming back from Afghanistan. He works for the Royal

Marines Association, celebrating its 25th anniversary. He has a

fantastic sense of humour. I think he makes people realise that no

matter how bad they think their life might be, it could be an awful

lot worse. But he is actually The RMA provides welfare support

not just to serving troops but to veterans of all conflicts. For Mark,

this anniversary get together means two days of book signing,

schmoozing and being on his feet. Good morning, how are you doing?

It's quite a challenge. Around Christmas, I discovered that if I

it stood on the spot and did not walk around, I got infections in my

leg. I have not had it since, but I have to be mindful of it. I could

not stand for many hours without moving around and getting the blood

pumping it through my legs. And big news back home means he can't even

let his hair down in traditional commando style. I got to behave, I

can't drink because might wife is away so I am on call. Mark's life

changed forever on Christmas Eve 2007. On patrol in Helmand, he was

blown up by a Taliban IED, an Improvised Explosive Device. His

recovery was astonishing. start! -- I am stuck! He took

himself to the US for intensive rehab on prosthetics and just three

years after losing his limbs, took part in a fundraising run across

America. Yes! That was it! I can't tell you what I am feeling, I'm so

proud. And not for Mark an expensively modified car, just a

3.50 sanding block to line the accelerator up with the break and a

remote control for his leg. Beep twice. Now it is stark. Now I can

literally break, accelerate. -- use the brakes. Mark's off to collect

some VIP guests. The trouble is he's something of a celeb himself.

I just can't tell you what a privilege it is to meet you. I

wanted your book, but you had gone. I want you to send it for me.

problem. I'm going to go to the gate and the right back down.

we be? Where d one me to be? Best of the today! Did you see that?

the hall, veterans are gathering to hear Mark's story. He's to speak

for an hour on his feet. You are surrounded by a bunch of

testosterone driven men. You don't want to be a let-down to them. I

don't care how much it hurts to stand up for an hour and do it

properly. How long have we got? minutes. Many in the audience will

have their own war story, but Mark's is pretty special. I want to

get into the prime position myself. -- I detonated and I E D. I was

like, really? Is this really happening? My adrenalin system

kicked in and there wasn't much Sean, the commander, I told him to

shoot me because I did not want to go back without anything. Lucky the

meat he didn't. The charity needs the boost Mark can give it. Like

some of the other small military charities, its efforts have been

somewhat overshadowed by the fundraising giant Help for Heroes.

But what many people don't realise is that Help for Heroes doesn't

help heroes injured before 9/11. The British Legion and other

organisations have veterans from other conflicts and their needs are

as great as the lads who are being injured today.. Back in the hall,

Mark describes the pitfalls of being one of that new generation of

casualties. I seem to have created my own sport out of it while I

guess it could be called disabled a boxing, all it could come to that.

I park in a disabled parking spot and people walk past and go, tut

tut. And then they carry on walking. When I get out of the car and go to

the cash machine, I go, morning! is an absolute, total inspiration.

Everything he does, he handles with such aplomb. Nothing is a problem

to him. The talk went well, but Mark's on the move again. Richie's

worried he's overdoing it. You can change the resistance in this

hydraulic. One of the things about Mark is that he pushes himself

really hard. Which days are you better with? Not that I would admit

that to him because he would probably sat me! Outside they're

getting ready for the annual parade. Mark takes a moment to visit a

memorial to fallen comrades. Humbled, very fortunate and lucky

to be alive. This is what stops me moaning. This is why I don't get up

in the morning complaining and why it when I have a sore leg, I don't

moan about it. I get up every day and live my life. It could have

Mark is happy to use his remarkable story to help the RMA. Since I have

worked for them and seeing the good they do and how they help people

and change their lives, it is my mission to spread the word about

this organisation and let everyone know how they have supported me.

The weekend's been a big success. Mark has just one complaint.

can't wait to tear the sitter off and get back into my scruffy shorts

and T-shirt! Mark heads home to await the arrival of his new baby.

His biggest challenge now? I am delighted to say mark is now

the proud father of a baby boy called Mason.

It's been a nail-biting week for South West entrepreneurs. Some have

been celebrating after hearing they'll get millions of pounds

worth of public funding. But for one iconic south west landmark

getting such cash could mean the difference of their plans in the

field of space science lifting off or crash landing back down to Earth.

Reaching out across the Atlantic and into the skies above. Goonhilly

Earth Station changed our lives forever. The first live television

pictures from across the Atlantic were beamed here via satellite. But

now some of these dishes are destined for the scrapheap.

everyone has said you have to save it. It is a global icon. It is so

important to us at the Red Arrows. It is something that we can use for

the next 50 years. For 30 years, Des Prouse was a BT engineer at

Goonhilly. When he heard the earth station was to be dismantled he

made it his ambition to save the site. Then a former colleague came

up with a vision to bring Goonhilly back to life. I had almost given up

hope until Ian Jones became a long to meet three years ago with this

vision of space science and communications with a spacecraft

going off to Mars and things like this. Suddenly you think, yes,

there is a real application. People will pay us to use it for those

purposes and away we go. The future of this site is the hands of Ian

Jones. He worked here for BT before launching his own successful

business. He has a vision and cash and is leasing the site from BT.

These dishes could be adapted to look into deep space and track

missions to Mars. They've applied for �6 million from the Regional

Growth Fund and today they're meeting potential business partners.

We have to move forward with money. We have been working on this for

three years without money and it is all run on passion. This meeting is

crucial today. Goonhilly is throwing open its gates to

potential business partners. To impress the visitors Des and Ian

want to show the dishes are still working - by getting one them to

move again. Engineer Edie makes it sound easy. You work out why you

want the antenna to. So the angles are on the controls the here and

the antenna will go to that position. But the last time it

really moved was 25 years ago. And the dishes are showing their age.

What has happened? It has just stopped. Is there a problem? Yes..

With the visitors waiting outside it's bad timing, and looks like a

major setback. But then it comes to life. Is it working? Yes. Above our

heads, there is an enormous antenna structure looking around the sky.

You want to go outside and have a look, don't you? With the dishes on

the move they now hope the funding will flow for a new beginning for

the earth station. What are your impressions?

Absolutely amazing. It is back to the old days of out and out

engineering. Are you one step closer? Absolutely! Four years ago,

we thought it was the end, but now it is just the beginning of the

next stage so this is just great to see. Goonhilly has witnessed the

dawn of the space age beamed live It is one small step for man, one

giant leap for mankind. Europe saw some of the defining moments of

history via Goonhilly. It all started even further back in 1962

with the first satellite television pictures. That is a man's face bore

stop that is a man's base, there it is! -- a man of's face. Spreading

the word about plans for Goonhilly. Oxford University along with Leeds

and Hertfordshire want the dishes to be part of a massive global

telescope project. There are very few sites in the UK where these

facilities and dishes exist. There -- they are not being reduced their

anything so it is a massive opportunity to, rather than build

your own radio dish, use existing facilities that are perfectly good

enough to do this, and put them off -- up. It is silly to waste them.

The visitors are sold on the idea but the team are still in the dark

over whether the Government will part with �6 million of cash

funding. The decision is imminent. Monday the 31st of October, the day

the Government announces the winners and losers of the Regional

Growth Fund. This has been going on for four-and-a-half, nearly five

years. We are getting quite anxious about it. They're expecting a phone

call from Ian with the news. RNAS Yeovilton. -- Goonhilly. I have had

a look on his website and we are not on the list. I don't know what

What do you think? Well, not on the list. He didn't say whether it was

a full list, did he? A So they check for themselves on the

Government website. The fact that we are not a blur in bold letters

under south-west is disappointing. Very disappointing. Disappointed

not to see it there. Very disappointed. It isn't what they

are expecting Ian calls again. Ian is convinced they are in line for

some kind of funding. Fine. No, I am not find actually. What is

happening? OK. Goodbye. This is very interesting. It sounds like he

was fully expecting to be on that list and they are not on that list

so he was chasing to find out why they are not on the list. So there

is still a glimmer of hope of some cash help, and a future for the

dishes. The place is still here, it has not been demolished and we will

have to keep going. We will be slower, but we will have to keep

going. We will not let it get us. And today, a week on, they'd hoped

for some good news on funding. But for now the sleeping giants of West