07/01/2013 Inside Out West

Hello from Gloucestershire, where we are investigating a row over the

future of our rubbish. Tonight: Concern is that a giant new

incinerator plant near the village of Haresfield is a potential health

risk. Also tonight: Olympic legacy - what

Olympic legacy? We ask a local gold medal-winning Olympian to take a

closer look. Do you think there was any legacy in my gold medal?

not really. And an after-school club like no

other. The state school in Somerset leading the way in orchid

conservation. First to delight, burning rubbish

to generate electricity. It sounds like a great idea and here in

Gloucestershire, there are plans to spend �500 million to build a giant

waste incinerator just behind me. But the proposals are meeting with

is a divided opposition, with concerns it is a waste of money and

Rubbish - we throw plenty away every day. And even the recycling

is on the increase, what is left us to go somewhere. We are producing

too much rubbish. We cannot landfill waste any more. It is

getting too expensive. Gloucestershire, the council wants

to burn rubbish bin in incinerators to generate a electricity but that

has got people all fired up, especially Claire Card, whose

family will have to live next door. It is the wrong concept at the

wrong time in the wrong place, costing an exorbitant amount of tax

payers' money. Blair is worried it will be a health hazard but other

countries have used them for ideas. -- Claire. It is so automated, it

will always ensure that what comes out of the stack is as clean as it

can be. Perhaps a visit to see the technology will help Claire to

decide whether she will back an incinerator. First impressions - I

am quite horrified, really. Quite shocked. We don't want incineration.

20th October 12 and Claire Card is part of a claret -- crowd that has

gathered outside of Gloucestershire's shire hall. It is

a last chance to stop a contract been signed between the county

council and the company that wants to build the incinerator. Claire

and lives near the proposed site and is worried about the impact if

it goes ahead. We live within less than a five-mile radius so we are

concerned about what is coming out of the chimney on a daily, hourly

basis. Also the traffic around the roads. Our children are very young

and we do not know the effect on their health. It is very

frightening. A but the protest failed. The contract was signed.

The only hope now is to stop planning permission to prevent the

incinerator being built. This is where the council wishes to but it

- a patch of land it owns right next to junction 12 of the M5. The

building will be almost 50 metres high with a chimney reaching over

70 metres, taller than anything else in the skyline and higher even

than Gloucester Cathedral. It will burn up to 190,000 tonnes of waste

every year and generate enough electricity to power 25,000 homes.

We cannot landfill waste any more. It is getting too expensive. A huge

taxes are being put on land filling waste. This year, we will pay �9

million in taxes alone just to get rid of Gloucestershire's rubbish.

70% is recycling and 30% is being used to recover energy. I think it

is something to be proud of. People in other counties and other

countries will look to a Gloucestershire as a model. But it

will also mean over 200 lorries on the road every day - one every

minute at peak times. There are also worries about Havel toxic

particles coming out of the chimney -- harmful, and it will have to be

there for 25 years. Just down the road is the village of Haresfield,

home to Claire Card and other families who say the incinerator is

not necessary. We are encouraged to recycle more and reusable. We do

not think there will be a need to have an incinerator for 25 years -

because that is the commitment they will be making - to burn the volume

of rubbish they are talking about. Today, they are making posters for

another protest. This time the children are sending their message

to the council. For the demonstration, they are heading up

to the Haresfield Beacon to look down across the incinerator site.

It is in the middle of biddable countryside. No incinerator!

Fantastic. We are overwhelmed with the support from the children of

the village. It is great. Nobody can give us a 100% guarantee that

it is safe. So, could see in an incinerator for real change

Claire's mind? She has agreed to go to Denmark, where they have used

the technology for decades. This is the perfect opportunity for me to

see whether or not the reality is actually better or worse than what

we are seeing on paper. This is Aalborg in northern Denmark. They

have had a waste incinerator here since the 1980s. It produces

electricity for 36,000 homes and heating for 20,000. It is a short

taxi ride away on the edge of the city, on an industrial estate.

quite horrified, really. The scale of it, the plume of smoke. This is

still quite early in the morning but there are lots of refuse

lorries arriving already and there is rubbish around the site. First

impressions - quite shocked. I can see lots of things in that pile of

rubbish that could easily be extracted and recycled. First stop

is the waste arrival area. Thousands of tonnes come here every

day, and fuel for the fire. But look closely - it is full of

bottles, cans, paper - recitals. lot of stuff in that rubbish should

be recycled. That does not seem right to me. The plant runs 24

hours a day and there is not enough waste locally to keep it going.

They have to imported from other districts, even other countries. A

lot of it comes from the UK. The rubbish is all put straight into

the burner, where the temperature is over 1000 degrees Celsius. It

destroys most things but does produce some harmful by-products.

So, at various levels, you have of filters to remove a... Yes, we have

a flu system. Are you concerned about the dioxins that debt in to

the system? Were you are removing the dioxins. The gas coming out of

the burner has toxic ash and other chemicals like dioxins and furins

in. It has to be cleaned with special filters and chemical

scrubbers. Computers constantly monitor the incinerator to make

sure pollutants are below the limits allowed by European Union

rules. This is what I consider the most important. From here, we

control the electricity production and we monitor the emission values.

Have you ever had an accident here where the dioxin levels have

exceeded what the required levels are, and have you ever had to turn

the plant off all react? In the cleaning system, we have so far not

had anything's causing a shutdown of the plant. But of course when we

are handling waste, there can be things that mean we need to stop

the plant and then we do that. Looking at the chimney, I am

concerned about what is coming out of the chimney, and what about the

local population? The local citizens are not worried and I

think they can really trust the plant, mainly because what you see

here is water evaporating. So how much plume you can see is actually

depending on the outdoor temperature. It is so automated

that it will always ensure that what comes out of the stack is

actually as clean as it can be. Back in the UK, the Health

Protection Agency is investigating whether more babies and children

die near incinerators, and whether there is a connection. It is due to

report in 2014. Its view is very clear and remains such - there is

no impact of these incinerators on public health. But if there were

adverse effects, we would have to stop and think again. We are not in

the business of poisoning people in Gloucestershire. If there were any

evidence that we were, we would not be pursuing this route. 250 of

these are working in Europe. There are many hundreds in the States and

there is no evidence of anything happening. The Environment Agency,

the European regulations, would ban these facilities if there was a

problem and there are still many being developed. But Claire has

seen enough. This incinerator has convinced her that the one in

Gloucestershire should not be built. I am more concerned, in a way. I

did not expected to be quite such a large building. You look up and see

the plume coming out of the top and I am worried about what the effects

might be in 20 years. We are all familiar with the phrase

Olympic legacy. Indeed, the original bid for London 2012

included a pledge to inspire or one million people to take up sport.

That pledge has since been watered down and now five months on from

last summer's games, some sports report seeing little changed at all.

We asked Olympic shooting gold medallist Peter Wilson to take a

London 2012 - sensational, captivating and hailed as a great

national success. And for Peter Wilson, the Games brought personal

triumph, too. Peter Wilson has done What we have begun at will not stop

now. The spirit of these Olympics On a damp December day, Peter is

back at his home range. Thatched York -- glorious summer of so

bought feeling like a distant memory. He has not practised for

That is what you call a complete mess. It doesn't take long for the

magic to return. Someone said to me, Peter, you are the legacy. You are

the legacy of shooting. It is pretty scary to think that is on my

shoulders. In the warmth of the club house, Peter asks the range

owner whether more people are taking up shooting. Do you think

there has been a major search? not really. I don't think there

will be at all. People like to talk about you and read about you, but

it doesn't encourage them to take up shooting. I was really surprised

and slightly sad and. This is my home ground, this is my base, so

knowing what it has been like for shooting here, I am keen to find

out what is going on in other sports.

Olympic handball was one sport that inspired a surge of interest. Not

least of all here at the Bristol handball club. For months on,

sustaining that wave of enthusiasm is proving to be a challenge. Sport

England is the government body task with a meeting that challenge.

Peter talks to the man in charge of the south-west. What do sport

England mean by legacy? We mean more people playing sport and

sustaining the Sporting habit. A key target of our audience is 14th

to 25 euros. Equally, as people get older we want to keep them playing

sport. Overall, we have 1 billion to invest and create a sporting

habit for life. To achieve that, one idea they have come up with his

at programme called Sport Makers. That legacy is about everybody

being involved. Workshops are held locally to enthused volunteers and

encourage friends and family into Peter is on his way to the black

belt Academy in Bristol. A type 1 go class is in full swing, led by

Grand Master Andy Davis. It is not just teaching kicking and punching

people. We want to teach people to be good members of society and

contribute. Don't stop! Legacy, have you seen a massive influx

here? I don't think there is any legacy at all. There is no evidence

of people coming in as a result of the Olympics. I have spoken to lots

of clubs and not one has had an extra member. Inspiration does not

equal participation. To qualify for funding, clubs have to be

affiliated to the national governing body. There was an

announcement by Sport England for grassroots funding. Is that

something you will be able to access? No, like a lot of clubs we

don't belong to the governing body. I have to fund it through income

generated by the club. All of the income coming down would, people at

the top benefit and the bottom do not. How are you existing? Just.

Andy Davis, true inspiration. The kids and parents love him, but he

is struggling with the politics in the sport. Paralympians also ran

faster, through further and achieved more. They changed

perceptions about disability, but what about encouraging disabled

people to take up sport? In Yate, the South Gloucestershire council

run a service called Choices 4U. They help people with learning

difficulties gain access to sports facilities. They have just received

�50,000 from Sport England and today they are playing Boccia.

is a tactical sport, but it is really whoever can get the most

balls to the jack. Let's have a go. Go for it. I will do a couple of

substitutions. The pressure. Great shot, Peter. Excellent! As well as

Boccia, fencing is proving a favourite.

You have some money from Sport England, what do you plan to do

with it? We plan to help an additional 30 people with

disabilities to access the service. It gives them a social network and,

by being able to do physical activity, they become healthier.

You are very good. You beat me. love being with you. I loved being

with you as well. Thank you. Peter's journey ends where his

career began, Millfield School in Somerset. It holds a lot of

memories. This is where it all started. The track is used by the

Mendip and -- athletics club. you say there has been an

increasing number since the Olympics? We have had 25 youngsters

joined since July. I ask them, why have you come here and they said

they had seen it and want to be a part of it. We have a waiting list.

Interestingly, one of the problems we have is there is never enough

coaches. You can have lots and lots of youngsters, but we can't coach

hordes of children. Evidence that more people are getting into sport

is patchy, so his balding and confident in its plans? To me, it

sounds like the fingers crossed hope and pray moment. When you are

investing a billion pounds. It is absolutely not. How are you going

to be certain the money is not wasted? We have close relationships,

process is in place which mean that the bodies that deliver a more

participants will qualify for more funding. We have plans and

programmes in place to deliver the legacy and we can see it taking

root already. The legacy is difficult to pin down and to see. I

would like to believe that the Olympic legacy is alive and kicking

in the south-west, but from what I have seen, I think the jury is

still out. I am an optimist and would like to think we can do

things differently. All the money in the world can help, but whether

it will change things is different altogether.

Now, they're among the most exotic and sought-after plants on the

planet and growing them used to be the preserve of specialists. But a

state school in Somerset is now a world leader in the propagation of

orchids for conservation. In our final film tonight, we've been to

Writhlington School in Radstock to meet members of an after-school

club like no other. 13-year-old Jacob Coles is an

expert on orchids. This week, Jacob and his fellow

volunteers at the Writhlington Orchid Project are getting ready

for to their annual open evening when they invite the public into

the greenhouses. But with just two days to go, will one of the stars

of their collection be ready? Even before he gets dressed, Jacob

Coles is thinking about orchids. He has a collection of more than 800

different species in his bedroom. This is the largest plant I have.

Then I have this little one here which I have had least two feet

tall last year. And orchid growing is not Jacob's

only surprising hobby. My morning routine involves uni-

cycling to school. I leave home at 7.30am and arrive at about 7.45am.

Watering can take half an hour to three quarters of an hour at this

time of year, but in the dry season in summer it can take almost an

hour to do. This week it's especially important

that the plants look their best. There are just 48 hours to go until

they open the doors to visitors and there's still a lot to do.

We're not ready, at this stage I can say we're not ready at all.

Still got all these plants to sort out and all those pots there.

There's a lot to do. But when the school day starts,

Jacob has to go to lessons like everyone else. Meanwhile the orchid

houses double as a classroom. soon as we open the lid it is not

sterile any more. Simon Pugh Jones is the science teacher who started

the Orchid Project over 20 years ago. How many plants do you reckon

we have got here? Any people can get involved with the business.

We've got students from age 11 to age 18 and they come and get

involved in the plants and show some enthusiasm and then I put them

in charge of a group of plants. So either a genus or a group from a

particular country and they do everything to those plants - they

water them, they pollinate them and they take them to the shows. Over

the years, the project has won an impressive array of national and

international awards. The open night in two day's time is a chance

to show local people what it's achieved.

The depths of the winter is a fantastic time for orchids really

because a lot of their habitats have their dry season at this time

of year and dry season is a good time to flower and a lot of our

best plants are in flower. It's break time and Jacob has come

to check up on another important part of the Orchid Project's work.

Are you ready for tonight? He's visiting the propagation laboratory

to meet fellow pupil Zoe Barnes. The students are in charge of every

part of the project and, between lessons, 13-year-old Zoe runs the

lab. The Orchid Project is about more than horticulture. It's also a

thriving business and Zoe's lab is at the heart of the enterprise.

Here we have an orchid seed pod and you can see, rolling about in the

bottom, all the little seeds. In one orchid seed pod this size, you

can have up to 2.6 million seed. We can get seeds from our own plants

for nothing. 2.6 million plants, each sold at �10 so the majority of

the money we get for the project comes from the lab.

And that money has taken the Writhlington Orchid Project around

the world, from Brazil to the Himilayas, with its own unique

model of conservation and rural development. Last year students

visited Laos in South East Asia. They helped set up a laboratory to

teach local people to grow native orchids from seed to replace the

illegal trade in wild plants. At lunchtime, the volunteer's head

back to the greenhouses. With two days to go, they need to sort out a

photo quiz for the opening evening. Despite their best effort, there is

no guarantee that all the stars of the project will show up on the

night. This is one of Alan most dramatic plants. We really hope

these will open up on Thursday night. It is known as Darwin's

orchid. If it blooms in time it is a fantastic Greenidge, White Star

and has a fantastic Saint. It is perfect for an evening event.

school day is over, but volunteers are still at work using plants to

sell at the Open the evening. one at the back looks perfect.

I am very anxious. It will really test all of us, but we have done a

lot bigger shows than this so there is no doubt in my mind we will pull

it off. It is the day of the event and with just a few hours to go

before the orchid project opens its doors to the public, everybody has

a job to do. As darkness falls, there is just time for our last

check on Darwin's orchid before visitors arrive.

Here it is and it is definitely still a bird. It is not going to

open. We will have to have another celebration just for Darwin's

orchid. At 6:00pm, the doors open There are the flowers here.

I can show you this one in particular.

It is lovely to see so many people in the greenhouse. It is what it is

all about. A lot of people think this is a planned project, but

It is going well at the moment. Sales are doing brilliantly. 2013

is a big year. We are off to Africa in February setting up orchid

projects with schools. In March I have a group heading to the

Himalayas. It is clear that Jacob's adventures are just the beginning.

He is set to qualify as the youngest Orchid judge in the UK and

one day he hopes to work at Kew Gardens. Orchids, to me, me in the

world. They keep me going and keep me coming to school at 7:30am and

staying in school as late as I can. They give me that edge. I don't see

how I did without them now. The Iron pleased to report that the

science teacher featured in that fail was awarded an MBE in the New

year's Honours List as was Peter Wilson, said the congratulations to

both of them. That is about it tonight. Don't forget you can keep

in touch with what we are up to one Twitter or if you would rather it

Next week we investigate the spiritual healer who claimed she