:00:08. > :00:12.Have loaned welcome back to Inside Out South West, stories and
:00:12. > :00:17.investigations from where you do. - - hello and welcome back.
:00:17. > :00:21.Direct, finish it -- feeding and furnishing - how the South West's
:00:21. > :00:28.food banks are busier than ever. A just cannot imagine the strain
:00:28. > :00:33.she must be under. Also tonight, Mike goes under the
:00:34. > :00:40.covers of the Royal Albert Bridge makeover.
:00:40. > :00:44.Over the sway you can see Cornwall, and below me is the River Tamar.
:00:44. > :00:49.And what price progress? The row in Cornwall over the future of our
:00:49. > :00:53.rare seabed habitat. I passionately believe this dredging is essential
:00:53. > :00:57.for the port to have a proper feature as a commercial port.
:00:57. > :01:03.this goes ahead, everyone will be saying, that is bigger than my
:01:03. > :01:13.development and got the go-ahead, why cannot -- I not do that? I am
:01:13. > :01:22.
:01:22. > :01:25.Samantha Smith, and this is Inside It is that time of year when many
:01:25. > :01:30.are recovering from the excesses of Christmas and the New Year, so it
:01:30. > :01:36.is hard to believe that for some putting food on the table whatever
:01:36. > :01:46.the season. We have been following one woman doing her bit to make
:01:46. > :02:02.
:02:02. > :02:06.Another busy day at Woodbridge food bank. Along with her teens she is
:02:06. > :02:13.feeding the neediest. It is neat, fish, fruit, all sorts
:02:13. > :02:18.of things. If people think of Cornwall, they think of Padstow and
:02:18. > :02:22.Weybridge, the affluent areas, every one with lots of money. But
:02:22. > :02:32.there is a lot of hidden poverty here, which even I did not know
:02:32. > :02:35.
:02:35. > :02:37.about when I first moved here. Jackie sent up the food back with
:02:38. > :02:41.members of her local church three years ago, and since then it has
:02:41. > :02:45.tripled in size. It can happen to any of us.
:02:45. > :02:52.Suddenly they have no income. All sorts of people come through the
:02:52. > :02:55.door. He people like Jacqueline who
:02:55. > :03:03.relocated to Cornwall and cannot find a job. She is signing on for
:03:03. > :03:08.the first time in her life. The money does not go far enough.
:03:08. > :03:14.You pay for your power and gas, but you only have �10 left for food,
:03:14. > :03:24.and you can go so far, but on top of the kids, obviously I have two
:03:24. > :03:24.
:03:24. > :03:28.dogs, they rely on me, and that is where I am here. I am grateful to
:03:28. > :03:32.be honest, they will eat tonight. The last place she wanted to be
:03:33. > :03:42.today was the food bank. I am pleased she did because I am
:03:43. > :03:50.
:03:50. > :03:53.pleased we could go for some help. For Jacqui, the foodbank's about
:03:53. > :03:56.more than just putting food on people's plates, it's about helping
:03:56. > :03:58.them to keep their lives, and their families, together. Something she's
:03:58. > :04:02.faced herself. My husband and I split up for four
:04:02. > :04:06.years. I would have ended up a very bitter and twisted lady. The whole
:04:06. > :04:10.family at risk of blowing apart. But Jacqui found the church and the
:04:10. > :04:13.people she met there helped her to piece her life and her family back
:04:13. > :04:19.together. So much of this is family breakdown.
:04:19. > :04:24.It is difficult when there is not that family basis any more, and
:04:24. > :04:29.people can just say we will take UN and Notre you through the tough
:04:29. > :04:33.times. If you haven't got that, it is hard. A member single parent
:04:33. > :04:43.with five children under six. There are quite active children.
:04:43. > :04:46.
:04:46. > :04:49.There are difficult days when I Rachael receives no money from the
:04:49. > :04:53.father of her children and is not in contact with her own family. For
:04:53. > :05:03.her, a foodbox is a lifeline, for the children, it's like xmas. -- it
:05:03. > :05:03.
:05:03. > :05:07.is like Christmas. I had no money coming in at all, so I phoned up my
:05:07. > :05:12.health assistant and asked for a food box.
:05:12. > :05:19.It is hard, when you have five children, who are in high demand of
:05:20. > :05:23.clothes, buying the school uniform The foodbank also gives out
:05:23. > :05:26.furniture to those most in need and today they're bringing a cot to
:05:26. > :05:36.replace the travel cot of Rachael's youngest To get a foodbox you have
:05:36. > :05:39.
:05:39. > :05:44.Brian will be placing the trouble quote to the court now. You have
:05:44. > :05:48.the other two and the other room? Are I have the other two here.
:05:48. > :05:51.She has three children in this one, two children in the other one, she
:05:51. > :06:01.keeps the house really well, but I cannot imagine the street she must
:06:01. > :06:08.
:06:08. > :06:12.To get a food box, you have to be referred by a cure professional,
:06:12. > :06:16.like a social worker, a GP or the police. That way, the food back
:06:16. > :06:21.know the people coming to them are in genuine need. In the past year
:06:21. > :06:29.alone, Jackie has seen a 50% rise in referrals and thinks that is
:06:29. > :06:33.down to a recent benefit reforms. When you tell the officials your
:06:33. > :06:37.circumstances have changed everything is stopped instantly.
:06:37. > :06:42.Then they look at it and reassess what you should be paid. That can
:06:42. > :06:46.take up to ten weeks, and people in that time are in crisis, and that
:06:46. > :06:50.is where we come in. What would they do without you?
:06:50. > :06:54.Go hungry. They wouldn't eat, a lot of the people.
:06:54. > :06:57.And even if they do find enough money to buy food, there's nothing
:06:57. > :07:07.left for other essentials like furniture. People placed in
:07:07. > :07:10.
:07:10. > :07:13.emergency housing get a front door key and that's it. That's the
:07:13. > :07:21.situation for Bodmin man, Dean Rolph, who's living on his own for
:07:21. > :07:25.the first time. So this is your bedroom? How long
:07:25. > :07:32.have you been here living with no furniture?
:07:32. > :07:39.I have been insured accommodation, -- in shared accommodation, and
:07:39. > :07:48.after that, it is a big leap. It has been difficult, you know.
:07:48. > :07:54.Just put it down and I will... Yes. Food is going up and are, and you
:07:54. > :08:04.have good just bite the nail and come to the food bank if necessary.
:08:04. > :08:11.
:08:11. > :08:16.It is brilliant, Juno, ideal. I am He had been living in that flat
:08:16. > :08:24.with just a bed and a TV for almost 18 months, and I thought that was
:08:24. > :08:34.really sad. Now he is moving on, so I am hopeful he will do well.
:08:34. > :08:34.
:08:35. > :08:38.Dependency on foodbanks is growing. Some charities, like Oxfam, say
:08:38. > :08:41.it's wrong that people are forced to choose between paying a bill or
:08:41. > :08:43.feeding their family, but Cornwall Council argue that food banks are a
:08:43. > :08:47.necessary back-up. For Jacqui there are no easy answers.
:08:47. > :08:51.There is a part of me that thinks, no, everything should be provided,
:08:51. > :08:58.everyone should be able to get enough money to get by. The other
:08:58. > :09:03.part of me thinks, well, if it is all too easy, then...
:09:03. > :09:08.Them does everyone strive to get out of the position they are in? I
:09:08. > :09:12.don't know. We just do it because the need is there.
:09:12. > :09:15.More than 90% of the food given out by food banks is donated by the
:09:15. > :09:19.public. Like these local sixth formers who made this large
:09:19. > :09:29.collection. Working with the community, for the
:09:29. > :09:37.
:09:37. > :09:43.community, is at the heart of what There you are, sir.
:09:43. > :09:53.The we pray that they will know we are genuine. That everyone has a
:09:53. > :09:58.
:09:58. > :10:02.story. That we have not got it also And, as we head into 2013, it looks
:10:02. > :10:12.like it's going to be an even busier year for the south west's
:10:12. > :10:14.
:10:14. > :10:17.It's one of the greatest bridges in the World, and it is currently
:10:17. > :10:23.undergoing the biggest revamp in its history. �12 million is being
:10:23. > :10:33.spent on The Royal Albert Bridge. But what is actually going on
:10:33. > :10:35.
:10:35. > :10:40.behind these covers? We've been This looks like it could be any
:10:40. > :10:44.workshop. But I'm on one of the most spectacular feats of
:10:44. > :10:49.engineering to exist in this country. This is the only rail
:10:49. > :10:59.suspension bridge left in the UK. It's undergoing a multi-million
:10:59. > :11:02.
:11:02. > :11:05.pound refurbishment and it's taking I am off to meet the box.
:11:05. > :11:10.Pete. He will, Mike.
:11:10. > :11:15.What is it like working here tonight it is superb.
:11:15. > :11:20.We worked seven days around the week, and o'clock, the lads working
:11:20. > :11:24.here, if they did not like it they would not last.
:11:24. > :11:28.He surely this job cannot be that complicated?
:11:28. > :11:37.You were joking! This is the most complicated job we have never taken
:11:37. > :11:40.on, the biggest job I had ever This was Brunel's final project
:11:40. > :11:44.before he died just a few months after the Prince of Wales
:11:44. > :11:49.officially opened it in 1859. It took 10 years and an estimated 500
:11:49. > :11:53.men to build this bridge. The climax was when 40,000 people lined
:11:53. > :12:03.the banks of the river to watch the two main spans being lifted into
:12:03. > :12:07.
:12:07. > :12:17.And at the turn of the century, this film opened up Cornwall to
:12:17. > :12:21.
:12:21. > :12:24.So Brunel built it and has left us with a fantastic monument but boy
:12:24. > :12:30.does it take some looking after. The scale of the work to be done is
:12:30. > :12:38.massive. It is estimated they are going to have to carry out around
:12:38. > :12:42.4,000 repairs, and replace 70,000 rivets.
:12:42. > :12:52.But a much bigger job the crux of the whole project is about to be
:12:52. > :12:58.
:12:58. > :13:08.carried out and it's all the way up here. Hello. It is very noisy here.
:13:08. > :13:17.
:13:17. > :13:27.Yes, let us call up top and out of it. -- go. The stairs go on and on
:13:27. > :13:28.
:13:28. > :13:35.but we finally get to the top, 50 metres above the water. This is the
:13:35. > :13:45.top hanger, explain why it is so crucial. We have been swinging and
:13:45. > :13:46.
:13:46. > :13:51.pivoting on this bolt for 150 years. There is excessive movement. What
:13:51. > :13:57.are you going to do here? All the section that is highlighted gets
:13:57. > :14:07.the removed and is replaced with the structural steel. That nut is
:14:07. > :14:08.
:14:09. > :14:18.as big as my head, the largest I have ever seen. I have got to go
:14:18. > :14:28.all the way back down and back up again. It is a good job I am fit
:14:28. > :14:29.
:14:29. > :14:36.and not scared of heights. This has to be the best view in the whole of
:14:36. > :14:46.the South West. Over there is Devon. Over this way you can see Cornwall.
:14:46. > :14:48.
:14:48. > :14:53.Down below me is the river. How do you get the Tube? We go into this
:14:53. > :15:02.access hatch. It is a scramble getting in here and in this
:15:02. > :15:11.confined space these hard hats are crucial. Here we are. That is
:15:11. > :15:18.astonishing. What an amazing piece of Engineering. Why is it Oval?
:15:18. > :15:27.This is the optimum shape. A sphere it is the strongest Engineering
:15:27. > :15:33.wise. That is why it has lasted so long. I cannot believe I am
:15:33. > :15:42.actually inside the bridge. very few people have been in here.
:15:42. > :15:51.The tube is 280 metres long and contains an incredible 200,000
:15:51. > :15:57.rivets. How often do you come in here? On a daily basis. Here is the
:15:57. > :16:07.nub of the top hanger. I would have had my head on the other side of
:16:07. > :16:08.
:16:08. > :16:17.this? I absolutely. I gather you have something else quite
:16:17. > :16:27.astonishing to show me here. I have, walk this way. This board has been
:16:27. > :16:31.here since the one. As you can see people have been scribbling on it.
:16:31. > :16:41.Said and Eddie 1972. The Association of Railway assistant
:16:41. > :16:44.
:16:44. > :16:53.engineers inspected best on 13th October 1928. That is amazing. I
:16:53. > :16:59.will put you to work, let's go. have not been put to work just yet.
:16:59. > :17:08.First it is time for a peak and his crew to remove dead bolt I have
:17:08. > :17:16.just had my head against. After 150 years it will take more than a can
:17:16. > :17:26.of WD 40 to shift it. Sometimes it is just a question of brute force.
:17:26. > :17:38.
:17:38. > :17:44.But this is a lot tougher than just Eventually, the shift it. Well that
:17:44. > :17:53.is the pen that has not seen delight of day for 150 years.
:17:53. > :17:59.it is out with the Auld and on with the new. The piece slots in like a
:17:59. > :18:09.glove and absolutely perfect fit. Now it is time for me to earn my
:18:09. > :18:17.
:18:17. > :18:23.dinner. My job is baulk type Now. - - bolt tightener. Nothing to this
:18:23. > :18:29.bridge-building lark. Where was I? That pain is redundant now because
:18:29. > :18:36.of all the other new fixings. Put it back in there for a second so
:18:37. > :18:43.that it looks a original and as was. That is a job well done. It is all
:18:43. > :18:51.in the attention to detail. Congratulations. How much more work
:18:51. > :18:58.have you got to do. We have around 40% to complete for the whole
:18:58. > :19:04.project. And how long until this has to be done all over again?
:19:04. > :19:12.in our lifetime. The Bridges as good as new. Our children's
:19:12. > :19:20.children? Maybe so. The bridges strong enough to take over 400 tons
:19:20. > :19:25.worth of a modern mainline train. Let's hope the work being carried
:19:25. > :19:35.out, let's not forget I helped out in just a small way, could keep
:19:35. > :19:50.
:19:50. > :19:55.this bridge up and running for another 150 years. We live in a
:19:55. > :19:59.beautiful part of the world. We have been down to Cornwall to see
:19:59. > :20:06.something of a test case in a tussle between the environment and
:20:06. > :20:13.progress. The calm waters of Falmouth they show no sign of the
:20:13. > :20:18.row that has been swirling around here for six years. If we were
:20:18. > :20:24.talking about the last Oakwood land in England which I think this is
:20:24. > :20:31.equivalent to, everybody would understand. I passionately believe
:20:32. > :20:35.that this dredging is essential for the port to have a proper future.
:20:35. > :20:42.Now a ground-breaking scientific trial is under way which could play
:20:42. > :20:47.a key role in deciding the future of Falmouth as a port. It has the
:20:47. > :20:52.third deepest natural harbour in the world and attracts thousands of
:20:52. > :20:59.tourists every year. Some arrive on cruise ships and go on to visit
:20:59. > :21:04.local shops, restaurants and trips to other parts of the region.
:21:04. > :21:09.the shipping world, bigger is better. Today's cruise liners are
:21:09. > :21:15.being built much bigger than this and the need deeper water than the
:21:15. > :21:25.harbour can offer. For now they have to anchor out in D-Day and
:21:25. > :21:32.
:21:32. > :21:38.ferry their passengers in, or, seal on past. Deport needs to dredge in
:21:38. > :21:45.order to make sure it has a reliable future as a port. The need
:21:45. > :21:55.to improve the port to meet the needs of modern shipping or leave
:21:55. > :21:57.
:21:57. > :22:03.the irreversible decline of the port. But others who rely on the
:22:03. > :22:13.waters around here say the plant dredge is not endear interest. This
:22:13. > :22:15.
:22:15. > :22:22.man harvests native oysters. He is worried that silt will damage the
:22:22. > :22:26.oyster beds. To say it has no impact on the fishery and the
:22:26. > :22:31.benefit would be jobs created at the docks, you could use a
:22:31. > :22:38.substantial part of the South Cornwall fishing fleet out in the
:22:38. > :22:42.bay and within the oyster fleet. Opposition to the dredge is not
:22:42. > :22:48.warmly about the fish stocks. Unlikely as it seems, it is
:22:48. > :22:54.actually this stuff that is proving one of the biggest stumbling blocks
:22:54. > :23:00.to development. It can take thousands of years to form one of
:23:00. > :23:06.the busiest underwater habitats. This is what it looks like when it
:23:06. > :23:12.is alive. Falmouth Bay is the only place in England where it grows in
:23:12. > :23:17.abundance. It is protected by European legislation. It is
:23:18. > :23:22.protected because it is beautiful to look at, it is a rare and
:23:22. > :23:29.threatened species. All saw what it provides for other marine life, it
:23:29. > :23:37.has a coral like structure which gives mixed and crannies for other
:23:37. > :23:43.marine life to live among. If we lose this habitat we will lose a
:23:43. > :23:51.lot of biodiversity. This marine biologist and part-time fishermen
:23:51. > :23:56.has been campaigning against the dredge for six years. If we were
:23:56. > :24:04.talking about the last hope would land in England people would
:24:04. > :24:14.understand. It is C Reid, on the seabed, a lot of people because
:24:14. > :24:20.
:24:20. > :24:30.they cannot see it think why should they care about it. -- C Reid. --
:24:30. > :24:30.
:24:31. > :24:40.seaweed. As part of the dredge some of it will be removed from the
:24:40. > :24:50.seabed and relayed within 24 hours. Some say this will not damage the
:24:50. > :24:55.
:24:55. > :25:05.habitat. Much of it is actually dead. What we have is a five or 10%
:25:05. > :25:07.
:25:07. > :25:15.amount of live structure. It is not the high-density bed that we were
:25:15. > :25:20.considering. In an experiment believed to be the first of its
:25:20. > :25:27.kind, they will study the seabed where it is delayed for six months
:25:27. > :25:32.to see how well the habitat recovers. As far as we are aware no
:25:32. > :25:38.one has attempted this anywhere else in the world. What we can
:25:38. > :25:44.learn from our experiences, the data and scientific work may well
:25:44. > :25:51.be applicable elsewhere in the UK and in the world. The experiment
:25:51. > :25:58.does not satisfy it all campaigners. In the full scale dredge they will
:25:58. > :26:05.be draining an area that is 6,000 times larger. We will have a huge
:26:05. > :26:15.amount of silt in the water. It is known to be very vulnerable to that.
:26:15. > :26:20.This will affect recovery. number of campaigners have
:26:20. > :26:26.questioned the environmental credentials. In the past it was
:26:26. > :26:32.harvested for use as a fertiliser despite the harbour being a special
:26:32. > :26:40.area of conservation. I have raised that point. We were told relatively
:26:40. > :26:46.recently that the harbour commissioners were licensing be
:26:46. > :26:54.distraction -- extraction of this, do you regret that happen for so
:26:54. > :26:59.long? We recognise the right of existing activities to carry on. If
:26:59. > :27:06.that had historically been carried out then it would be generally
:27:06. > :27:12.compatible with the designation. The Harbour Commissioners
:27:12. > :27:18.eventually stopped the dredging. Now they hope the we will be
:27:18. > :27:22.cleared for the main dredge. The is no doubt that the regulator is
:27:22. > :27:29.extremely well tuned in to the questions and concerns that have
:27:29. > :27:33.been raised. They will be explored before arriving at a decision. I
:27:33. > :27:40.believe this dredging is important for the port to have a proper
:27:40. > :27:45.future as a port. It is essential for the community in the local area.
:27:45. > :27:55.Campaigners fear that if the scheme goes ahead in Falmouth it will
:27:55. > :28:05.clear the way for other such things in environmentally sensitive area
:28:05. > :28:07.
:28:07. > :28:10.is. Nothing else in a conservation area to be bigger than this. If it
:28:10. > :28:17.goes ahead people will say that is bigger than my development and it
:28:17. > :28:24.got the go-ahead so why can I not do what I want to do? The results
:28:24. > :28:28.are expected in a few months' time. It could be a good deal longer
:28:28. > :28:37.before or massive cruise liners and container ships are seen in these