:01:32. > :01:34.In the South West: Will the revamped right-to-buy
:01:34. > :01:44.leave the region with fewer affordable homes?
:01:44. > :01:44.
:01:44. > :30:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1738 seconds
:30:43. > :30:46.And fury at plans to build Dorset's Hello and welcome to the Sunday
:30:46. > :30:50.Politics in the South West. Coming up: The rural revolt against plans
:30:50. > :30:53.for Dorset's first onshore wind turbines. With me to discuss that
:30:53. > :30:55.and everything else today are Sarah Newton, the Conservative MP for
:30:55. > :30:58.Truro and Falmouth and, very unusually, one of her constituents.
:30:58. > :31:08.Not just any old constituent, though, but the former trade union
:31:08. > :31:08.
:31:08. > :31:18.leader and Labour peer Brenda Dean. Yes, I am one of her constituents
:31:18. > :31:27.
:31:27. > :31:34.or stop -- constituents. You are both residence in Falmouth. There
:31:34. > :31:41.is a trial about to start. For once and for all, we will be able to see
:31:41. > :31:50.that we can have commerce and conservation in Falmouth. A fair
:31:50. > :31:56.trial led by experts. I am confident we will get a good result.
:31:56. > :32:06.Falmouth needs extra investment. We know that it will bring it. We have
:32:06. > :32:09.got a coalition year on this one. George Osborne held this up as an
:32:09. > :32:17.example of the environmental concerns holding up economic
:32:17. > :32:20.development. We have to be careful that it does not. We want to keep
:32:20. > :32:25.our good environment. But people have to live and bring their
:32:25. > :32:28.families up in the area. This development in the harbour will
:32:29. > :32:38.bring a lot of inward investment which can be done imbalance with
:32:39. > :32:40.
:32:40. > :32:43.the Environment. Giving council house tenants the right to buy
:32:43. > :32:45.their homes was a defining feature of the 1980s - along with big hair
:32:45. > :32:48.and shoulder pads. Unlike those fashion statements,
:32:48. > :32:51.though, the Right to Buy has never entirely gone away. David Cameron
:32:51. > :32:54.has now given the Iron Lady's flagship policy a revamp. Discounts
:32:54. > :32:57.are being increased to make the prospect of buying easier and more
:32:57. > :33:00.attractive. But many fear that will make the present shortage of
:33:00. > :33:03.affordable homes even worse. Matt Pengelly reports.
:33:03. > :33:09.Right-to-buy was one of the cornerstones of Margaret Thatcher's
:33:09. > :33:16.policies. But it was not always popular. In recent years, sales
:33:16. > :33:20.have dwindled. But now the Right to Buy his back. This is a great
:33:20. > :33:25.scheme or. 2.5 million families have been given the opportunity to
:33:25. > :33:31.buy their own homes and the opportunity for local councils to
:33:31. > :33:36.build new homes. To reinvigorate the right-to-buy programme, David
:33:36. > :33:41.Cameron has announced discounts of up to �75,000 on council properties
:33:41. > :33:45.with a clear commitment that any proceeds from those sales will be
:33:45. > :33:53.reinvested on building new affordable housing. But there is a
:33:53. > :33:59.great deal of scepticism about that. What we receive from the Government
:33:59. > :34:06.will not give us enough money to replace the House is that we sell.
:34:06. > :34:11.We would have to sell four houses it to build one. It is reckoned
:34:11. > :34:19.that 40% of Cornwall's council housing was sold under the right-
:34:19. > :34:23.to-buy scheme. But this man was not interested in buying his house.
:34:23. > :34:28.do not agree with council houses being sold. They were built for
:34:28. > :34:33.social housing and that is how they should stay. So many social houses
:34:33. > :34:41.have been sold that there is not enough houses to satisfy the needs
:34:42. > :34:47.of people who need the House -- need a House. They is Women has
:34:47. > :34:55.direct experience of right-to-buy, she has done it twice. Now her son
:34:55. > :35:01.is living under her roof saving a deposit to buy and you might house
:35:01. > :35:11.-- to buy a new House. It is a fantastic house. Locals it want to
:35:11. > :35:15.live locally. Right-to-buy it was a good idea. It is great if that
:35:15. > :35:21.helps people to own their own property. Everyone should be able
:35:21. > :35:31.to do that. Especially if you work hard for your money and you wanted
:35:31. > :35:32.
:35:32. > :35:39.to go somewhere, not being thrown away on a rent. The rebirth of
:35:39. > :35:49.right-to-buy has had a cool reception. Labour say that there is
:35:49. > :35:51.
:35:51. > :35:57.no guarantee of housing being built in the same areas. This has been
:35:57. > :36:01.dreamt up to placate backbenchers who they get is a good idea. One of
:36:01. > :36:06.the reasons behind the current housing crisis is right-to-buy
:36:06. > :36:11.scheme. This new initiative does not get rid of their problems.
:36:11. > :36:17.there are worries about whether the banks will lend. The National for
:36:18. > :36:22.housing a federation -- National Housing Federation wants a
:36:22. > :36:27.timescale for rebuilding new homes. And joining us to discuss this, the
:36:27. > :36:35.Liberal Democrat councillor Alex Folkes. How will this work? We
:36:35. > :36:45.asked the Government about the figures, and they have agreed that
:36:45. > :36:51.it does not mean that the receipts can pay for like for like housing.
:36:51. > :36:59.I think it was wrong in the past. But what about this proposal, will
:36:59. > :37:05.it work? Each property will be replaced. How will they pay for it?
:37:05. > :37:14.Cornwall council's housing strategy shows that they have budgeted for
:37:14. > :37:19.the money to be able to do that and they do have the money... But how
:37:19. > :37:26.will the short fall be made up? They retained the receipt. They can
:37:26. > :37:32.use that money towards building a new one. It is not the only thing
:37:32. > :37:42.that is going on. Cornwall council now owns all his own council houses.
:37:42. > :37:44.
:37:44. > :37:54.That means about the... Cornwall Council will be able to borrow
:37:54. > :37:55.
:37:55. > :38:00.against future housing schemes. The community needs family homes. It
:38:00. > :38:09.will be the local decisions made in Cornwall as to how the housing will
:38:09. > :38:14.be built. I think it is a terrible idea. We have 20,000 households on
:38:14. > :38:18.the waiting list in Cornwall. We should be concentrating on building
:38:18. > :38:22.a new council houses for them to 11, not selling are the ones we have
:38:22. > :38:32.got and diminishing the market even more. We desperately need council
:38:32. > :38:36.houses. We are all we talking about 1000 new homes every year, but we
:38:36. > :38:46.have 22,000 people on at the waiting list. We cannot afford to
:38:46. > :38:56.get rid of their houses we already have. But those receipts can be
:38:56. > :38:57.
:38:57. > :39:07.used to build new homes. You Arran favour of the Right to Buy. -- you
:39:07. > :39:12.
:39:12. > :39:18.are in favour. I do not think there will -- the one for one will work.
:39:18. > :39:24.I cannot see how a couple who want to buy it is going to release money
:39:24. > :39:28.for more houses to be built. There are some social issues here. Do you
:39:28. > :39:33.want to continue having social housing in one a particular area a?
:39:33. > :39:37.You want to have a mixed communities, people who own their
:39:37. > :39:41.own homes and people who rent. I do not think this policy will do a lot
:39:42. > :39:49.for that. If you sell one house, you will not have the money to
:39:49. > :39:57.build one. And even if you do, there are 22,000 families who
:39:57. > :40:04.desperately want a home. Cornwall signs up for this, money
:40:04. > :40:09.from the sale of those council houses has to be spent in Cornwall.
:40:09. > :40:12.It may be spent in a different part of Cornwall, but that will be a
:40:13. > :40:18.local decision. There are other opportunities as well for Cornwall
:40:18. > :40:25.to be able to build more social housing which we all agree we need.
:40:25. > :40:29.My constituents do know what to see our small pot of council houses
:40:29. > :40:34.disappear and be replaced at the other end of Cornwall. That is no
:40:34. > :40:42.good to anybody. They might as well be built in Nottingham. We need to
:40:42. > :40:46.keep them local. The opposite is true. The transfer of the ownership
:40:46. > :40:56.of the council housing back to Cornwall, repatriating Babak to
:40:56. > :41:04.
:41:04. > :41:07.Cornwall, debate those events in Cornwall -- keeping those rents.
:41:07. > :41:10.Wind turbines are always controversial. Much of the South
:41:10. > :41:13.West, with the notable exception of Cornwall, has stoutly refused to
:41:13. > :41:15.have anything to do with them. One such county is Dorset, which is
:41:15. > :41:18.currently windfarm free. Now, though, its residents are
:41:18. > :41:20.contemplating a double whammy. Plans for a huge windfarm off their
:41:20. > :41:23.world heritage coast and separate proposals from the county council
:41:23. > :41:27.for onshore turbines as well. If that's not causing enough of a row,
:41:27. > :41:32.all of this is driven by Government policy in favour of wind power
:41:32. > :41:42.which is infuriating many of its own MPs. Amy Cole reports.
:41:42. > :41:51.Blackmore Vale, this stunning landscape has proved to be a
:41:51. > :42:01.wonderful inspiration for author so. -- authors. This landscape has
:42:01. > :42:07.
:42:08. > :42:12.remained unchanged for decades. Brian it Trueman it lives on a
:42:12. > :42:16.village -- Brian Trueman lives in a village on the Blackmore Vale.
:42:16. > :42:21.has campaigned it was at the Risley against wind turbines. But the
:42:21. > :42:25.issue is more prominent now than ever before. He is not against wind
:42:25. > :42:35.energy in principle, but feels it is not right for dos it and is
:42:35. > :42:45.worried that the County Council is even considering it. Having read it
:42:45. > :42:46.
:42:46. > :42:50.ought 66 pages of that strategy, wind has to be part of the proposal.
:42:50. > :43:00.Wind is the least cost-effective way of producing renewable energy.
:43:00. > :43:05.
:43:05. > :43:13.It saves the least amount of carbon. And I feel it is a flawed argument.
:43:13. > :43:18.Much of Scotland and Wales has a more wind than we do. There are no
:43:18. > :43:24.wind turbines in Dorset, despite several applications. Reliable
:43:24. > :43:33.energy experts say the county has the potential for 360 onshore
:43:33. > :43:40.turbines. Dorset County Council is keen to stress that is a
:43:40. > :43:45.theoretical figure. But they say they will have to find a room for
:43:45. > :43:50.some wind turbines to meet government targets. Earlier this
:43:50. > :43:55.year, backbench MPs signed a letter calling on the coalition government
:43:55. > :43:59.to withdraw its subsidies for onshore wind development. The
:43:59. > :44:06.majority of those MPs were Conservative. In at the
:44:06. > :44:12.Conservative heartland of Dorset, eight Conservative MPs signed that
:44:12. > :44:22.letter. In recent months, the wind industry has gone to great lengths
:44:22. > :44:32.
:44:32. > :44:41.to target sceptics. In Dorset, the Conservatives lead... We have got
:44:41. > :44:45.some good schemes, a whole range of things. I would not want anyone to
:44:45. > :44:51.think this is about wind energy alone. Part of the strategy shows
:44:51. > :44:55.quite clearly in the document that wind energy would only play a small
:44:55. > :44:59.part in this. There are lots of other schemes which will have great
:44:59. > :45:04.benefit. The strategy has already been approved by the council's
:45:04. > :45:10.cabinet. It says it has now been put out for consultation with local
:45:10. > :45:20.partners. One of the Tory MPs who signed that
:45:20. > :45:22.
:45:22. > :45:26.letter of complaint is Sarah Newton. I am all in favour of local choice.
:45:26. > :45:31.I am not in favour of a huge subsidies being given to
:45:31. > :45:36.multinational companies to build a huge wind farms when there are
:45:36. > :45:44.already enough of them. The government has already said that to
:45:44. > :45:50.meet our obligations, there are enough planning applications across
:45:50. > :45:59.the country for onshore wind. I think money should be spent on for
:45:59. > :46:04.better things like the renewable heat or solar schemes. It is up for
:46:04. > :46:14.local councillors and local councils to get involved. Are there
:46:14. > :46:21.not enough and Cornwall? -- in Cornwall? I think we all have to do
:46:21. > :46:27.our bit. What Cornwall can provide as part of the mix, if it we can
:46:27. > :46:35.use our wind power, that is are a bit. It is better than having a
:46:35. > :46:40.nuclear power station in the middle of Cornwall. Let's do our bit. They
:46:40. > :46:43.will be multinational companies. We cannot rely on community efforts.
:46:43. > :46:49.We need big companies because we need to power not just Cornwall,
:46:49. > :46:55.but the whole of the United Kingdom. Labour was pretty keen on a large
:46:55. > :46:58.scale wind farms. Yes, they were, but it has to be controlled. If you
:46:59. > :47:03.look at the number of consultations from companies to that it was a
:47:03. > :47:11.good money maker, but we cannot destroy our environment. Wind does
:47:11. > :47:16.have its place, but it does not have a prominent place. There are
:47:16. > :47:22.other schemes and we have to have a mixed energy policy. When the
:47:22. > :47:30.Government launched its policy, we talked to the umbrella body, who
:47:30. > :47:37.said they were keen on wave power, and possibly offshore wind, but to
:47:37. > :47:41.meet targets in the short term, the only technology was onshore wind.
:47:41. > :47:46.do not accept that. The problems with wave power were also there
:47:46. > :47:56.with wind power and we will find a way through them. In at the next 10
:47:56. > :48:03.years? Yes, and we are already on track to exceed or obligations.
:48:03. > :48:10.Deep geothermal could produce 17% of the UK's energy. It is a proven
:48:10. > :48:18.technology. There are better ways to spend money. At the size of some
:48:18. > :48:28.of these turbines! Thanks, Alex. Now our regular round-up of the
:48:28. > :48:28.
:48:29. > :48:38.political week in 60 seconds. A council of war in the Truro to
:48:39. > :48:46.
:48:46. > :48:54.fight plans to put VAT on past days. -- pasties. They are living in
:48:54. > :49:02.cloud-cuckoo-land. Best teachers will be attracted to areas where
:49:02. > :49:07.pay is higher. The dispute over search-and-rescue helicopters.
:49:07. > :49:17.Devon County Council has announced it has shed over 2000 jobs and are
:49:17. > :49:30.
:49:30. > :49:37.now they are announcing to turn of street lights. -- trun off.
:49:37. > :49:40.Should the teachers' strike about local pay? As a trade union, it is
:49:40. > :49:45.one of the last freedoms about you have it will stop it is up to them
:49:45. > :49:53.to decide whether they are going to or not. But if pay is going to be
:49:53. > :49:56.reduced, as the government say they intend to, what else can we do? But
:49:57. > :50:04.no one wants teachers to go on strike. But this statement that the
:50:04. > :50:09.government has made is most unfair. We are a small country and a
:50:09. > :50:19.national pay is something that is fair. If the government do this,
:50:19. > :50:19.