0:00:28 > 0:00:30The East Lothian coastline -
0:00:30 > 0:00:33sweeping beaches stretch for more than 40 miles
0:00:33 > 0:00:37as they hug the Firth of Forth's southern side.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40It's a fragile landscape at the mercy of the sea.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44I'm definitely making the most of this stunning coast,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46with the minimum impact on the environment
0:00:46 > 0:00:48but maximum fun,
0:00:48 > 0:00:50because these bikes leave hardly any tracks.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Whilst I'm in the Lothians, Matt's on the Borders,
0:00:56 > 0:01:01joining the community who refused to let their lifeboat service go under.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02- ENGINE ROARS - Oh, there's the roar!
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Dear me! The power in those engines, Dave!
0:01:09 > 0:01:12We catch up with farmers working hard to clear up
0:01:12 > 0:01:15after the worst snow in years.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Believe it or not, this is the road towards Martinhoe
0:01:18 > 0:01:20and this is still blocked.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23but this is the sort of stuff we have to deal with,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26trying to get to stock and everything.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Tom meets the speculators turning green fields
0:01:29 > 0:01:32into building sites, but not everybody's happy.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34It's a real David and Goliath battle.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37There's a lot of money involved, a lot of money at stake.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41And this is something we've hardly ever seen on Countryfile -
0:01:41 > 0:01:42piglets being born.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Looks like she's thinking about doing that right now, actually.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48- There you go.- Just...- On cue.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50- Performing for the camera. - It just flew out.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Oh, look! She's going to have another one.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Well, it is Mothering Sunday after all.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12I'm on the coastline of the Scottish Borders in St Abbs,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16a small fishing village named after the rocky headland nearby.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26This coastline has a rugged beauty
0:02:26 > 0:02:31but place names like Cleavers Rock give you a clue to its character.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Exposed to the force of the North Sea,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41these waters can be treacherous.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48A lifeboat has been stationed at St Abbs since 1911
0:02:48 > 0:02:52and, in that time, more than 230 lives have been saved.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54But a few years ago,
0:02:54 > 0:02:59the lifeboat service faced one of its biggest challenges ever.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02It was decided that this small community would be better
0:03:02 > 0:03:05served by the lifeboat station at Eyemouth, couple of miles
0:03:05 > 0:03:09along the coast, and so the St Abbs lifeboat was withdrawn.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17But the St Abbs community refused to let their lifeboat service sink.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22I've come to meet the people who took on the mammoth task
0:03:22 > 0:03:24of running their own lifeboat.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Alistair Crowe knows this place better than most.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Well, Alistair, you've been a fisherman all your working life
0:03:32 > 0:03:36and a big part of the lifeboat crew for, what, over 50 years?
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Yeah, over 50 years, yes.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41It doesn't feel like that but that's what it is.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Well, you know how far away Eyemouth is.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45I mean, it's only a couple of miles along the coast.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49So why was there a real need to have a lifeboat here
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and keep it here?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Well, we have so many divers coming here,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55we have lots of canoeists, guys working on the rocks,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58fishing etc, and when somebody goes in the water,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00it doesn't take long to drown
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and we are at the moment the quickest thing you're going to get,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05you know, help on the surface here.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08And when you say divers come here, what numbers are we talking?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- Are there a lot of divers here? - Oh, a lot of divers.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13On the headland on any day in the summertime, you might see
0:04:13 > 0:04:15six dive boats, seven dive boats
0:04:15 > 0:04:18with 12 divers aboard, all under the water at the same time,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20so that's a lot of divers under the water.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23The water clarity here is superb.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25The divers flock from all over Britain to come here,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and foreign divers as well, so it's well-known, St Abbs.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31It may be a tiny village but everywhere in the world,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- if you mention diving, St Abbs will crop up somewhere.- Yeah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38And how special is this place to you, and these waters?
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Well, my wife has a great difficulty dragging me away on holiday,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- I'll tell you.- Really? - Yes, I don't like to leave it.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50People clearly believe there's a need for a lifeboat here
0:04:50 > 0:04:54but how does such a small community go about taking on something
0:04:54 > 0:04:56so hugely important?
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Well, I'm joining some of them in the local cafe.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Many are descendants of the original crew who launched the lifeboat
0:05:03 > 0:05:05more than 100 years ago.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09- Here we go, team. Here we go. - CHEERING
0:05:11 > 0:05:15It's down to the newest member of the crew to bring in the food.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18There we go. We've got raisins, we've got cheese boards...
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It's remarkable to see so many of the families still here,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24with such strong connections to the sea.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28That's your grandfather. Wow.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29I can see the resemblance.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31You can see it when you smile like that. Look.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32LAUGHTER
0:05:32 > 0:05:35His grandfather was far more intelligent, though.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Over a much appreciated teacake, a scone and a cuppa,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Euan Gibson explains how they've kept their lifeboat service afloat.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45We'd set a target of raising half a million pounds,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47which is a huge amount of money,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50and three weeks into the fundraising campaign
0:05:50 > 0:05:54we got a great cheque for £10,000 from Tunnock's through in Glasgow,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- the maker of the famous Teacakes. - A lot of money, £10,000.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- A lot of money, so we were delighted with that.- Yeah.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03And we phoned up Tunnock's to say, "Thank you very much,"
0:06:03 > 0:06:05and in the course of a very short phone call,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08that £10,000 went to £260,000.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09MATT GASPS
0:06:09 > 0:06:13So, er... Yes, we're absolutely gobsmacked. Just so grateful.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15So that puts the lifeboat back in St Abbs.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16Did that pay for the boat?
0:06:16 > 0:06:19It paid for the boat, it paid for the equipment, so within
0:06:19 > 0:06:22three weeks of the fundraising campaign, we knew we were back.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24We've had donations from all round the UK.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26We've even had some donations from abroad.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28- It's absolutely been amazing. It really has.- Yeah, yeah.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32And just keeping it going, you know, for generations and generations.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34I know, Dave, your son Euan's here.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- How old are you?- 18.- You're 18.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40On that note, who is related here?
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- I mean, obviously, you and your... - That's my son.- Yeah.- Father, uncle.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47There's two other boys that are crew that are working.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50And, Dad, what's it like for you, seeing your grandson on board now?
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- Yeah, proud. Makes you feel really good.- Yeah.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Not just because he's there,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58it's because he's carrying on a tradition to this village.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00It's always been in the family,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02- like everybody else that's in the village.- Yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05We're all related to keep that lifeboat going to sea to save lives.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07That's what we're here for.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10I want to see a show of hands here, and I just wondered,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14in all seriousness, who has been rescued by a lifeboat?
0:07:14 > 0:07:16In what they do?
0:07:17 > 0:07:18GENTLE LAUGHTER
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Really? Really?
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- Go on, Carl. Get your hand up. - I haven't been rescued.- You have so!
0:07:24 > 0:07:26LAUGHTER
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- Hand up.- Get your hand up.- Yeah. - In fact, put two up.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30LAUGHTER
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Wow. Wow. You've been on a boat with them, yeah.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37There is no way out there
0:07:37 > 0:07:40and if you're on the sea for long enough,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42you will, at some point, need a lifeboat. Whether it's a minor
0:07:42 > 0:07:45thing or a major thing, you will at some point need a lifeboat.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57The St Abbs community are keeping 100 years of tradition alive
0:07:57 > 0:08:02and this is the very building, the station that houses their pride
0:08:02 > 0:08:04and joy, and I'm on the way to go and get changed now,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08because I'm about to experience everything they've just told me.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09We're going on a training exercise
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and I've got a sneaky suspicion I'm going to get wet.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18SEAGULLS SQUAWK
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Now to this week's investigation.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24When it comes to building new homes in our countryside,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26feelings often run high.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30But now a new breed of land agent has arrived on the scene,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33offering farmers the chance to make a profit selling their fields
0:08:33 > 0:08:37for housing, whether there's a local need or not.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Tom has been to find out more.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51- TOM HEAP:- The peace and quiet of the great British countryside.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Shattered by a war over housing.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- ALL:- Save our greenbelt!
0:09:01 > 0:09:04This is the heart of a local community!
0:09:04 > 0:09:05APPLAUSE
0:09:07 > 0:09:11And now a new breed of so-called "land speculator" has stepped
0:09:11 > 0:09:15on to the battlefield and they're accused of exploiting
0:09:15 > 0:09:20weaknesses in the planning system to maximise profits,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23sometimes at the expense of local communities.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30This is Stonepath Meadow, near Hatfield Peverel in Essex.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32It's a treasured landscape for locals that offers
0:09:32 > 0:09:35a gateway into the wider countryside.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40But it's been earmarked for a 140-home development.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44What does this place mean to you?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47It means a lot to us, it means a lot to everyone in the village.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Once this has gone, it's gone forever.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52It's... To us, it's irreplaceable.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56With an overhaul of the planning system in England announced
0:09:56 > 0:10:02earlier this week, and an annual target of 300,000 new homes,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06rural sites like this one are under pressure -
0:10:06 > 0:10:09and not just from the developers themselves,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11as local campaigner Kevin Dale discovered.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15So who is it that's got their eye on this site?
0:10:15 > 0:10:18- Is it a house-builder, I assume? - Well, not really, no, no.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21What we're looking at here is a speculative agent.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25They're specialists at forcing planning permission through
0:10:25 > 0:10:29on land that wouldn't normally be suitable for housing.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31This is about making profit.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33So I gather farmland like this
0:10:33 > 0:10:37is worth about 7,000 an acre, 18,000 a hectare,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39but is it all about, once you've got planning permission...
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- Oh, yes. Yeah.- ..sky's the limit? - I mean, we're talking millions.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Land speculators, or "land promoters"
0:10:47 > 0:10:52as many now call themselves, don't actually build homes.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55They make their money by selling land onward to developers
0:10:55 > 0:10:57with planning permission in place.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01But critics say these companies are targeting vulnerable councils
0:11:01 > 0:11:04who don't have a vital policy document,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06called a local development plan.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10This sets out where homes are actually needed
0:11:10 > 0:11:14and the council has to show it has identified enough land
0:11:14 > 0:11:16to meet national housing targets.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22Without that, it has less power to resist speculative applications,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24even when other sites could be used.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31Why would you want to build on a fine rural site such as this,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33with its rich biodiversity,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36when you have a good brownfield site
0:11:36 > 0:11:40that will give more than adequate housing for the village needs?
0:11:41 > 0:11:45The company behind this application is Gladman Developments Ltd,
0:11:45 > 0:11:46based in Cheshire.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Gladman claim to be the UK's most successful land promoter.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56They're currently working on more than 300 development plans
0:11:56 > 0:11:59and they're so confident of winning planning permission,
0:11:59 > 0:12:00whatever the local objection,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04that they offer their clients no-win, no-fee deals.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09If their application is successful, they take a 20 to 30% cut
0:12:09 > 0:12:13of the profits when the site is sold on to the developers.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17These tactics have been criticised, not least at Westminster.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23I totally agree with what colleagues have said about certain,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26erm, certain firms of developers such as Gladman's
0:12:26 > 0:12:29who game the system, as has been described,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33in a, in a very aggressive way.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37So how are they "gaming" the system?
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Well, Tom Fyans is policy director
0:12:39 > 0:12:42for the Campaign To Protect Rural England.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Its new report looks at how these land companies
0:12:45 > 0:12:50use the appeals process to override any local resistance.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The report outlines over 160 cases where speculators are taking
0:12:54 > 0:12:57planning applications to appeal and they're winning over half of them.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59It's a real David and Goliath battle.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02There's a lot of money involved, a lot of money at stake,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04the profits are very high for the speculators,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07so they can afford to bring in lawyers, QCs, they will appeal,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and then they'll appeal the appeal if they don't win that.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12So it's really planning by appeal, which is
0:13:12 > 0:13:15the complete opposite of what the local plan system is supposed to do.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Speculators like Gladman's, it's really their business model.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Gladman Developments are upfront about the way they operate.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30In one recent High Court case, co-founder David Gladman
0:13:30 > 0:13:33said they specifically target local authorities
0:13:33 > 0:13:35whose planning is in disarray.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Well, now we've discovered there's no shortage of councils
0:13:38 > 0:13:41for land promoters like Gladman to target.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47We've found there are currently 46 local authorities
0:13:47 > 0:13:52across the UK that don't have a full local development plan.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58More than half of those are in England, where another 131 councils
0:13:58 > 0:14:03have a local plan that's more than five years old and needs updating.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Shouldn't your anger be directed at the local authorities?
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Because if they have a weak plan
0:14:09 > 0:14:11or if they haven't provided the housing,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13that's the gap that's being exploited.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Well, they're over a barrel. National government policy
0:14:16 > 0:14:19is driving high housing targets to meet demand.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Councils are trying to respond to that, but they can't build
0:14:22 > 0:14:25the houses themselves, so that's in the private sector.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27So councils are then penalised for something
0:14:27 > 0:14:28that they can't actually control
0:14:28 > 0:14:31and then communities like here at Hatfield Peverel,
0:14:31 > 0:14:32they suffer for that.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35So, you know, they're really the piggy in the middle here.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41We did ask Gladman Developments for an interview, but they declined.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46But there are those who believe land speculators are exactly
0:14:46 > 0:14:48the right sort of entrepreneurs we need
0:14:48 > 0:14:51to shake up the UK's broken housing system.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56And later in the programme, I'll be meeting one company that is
0:14:56 > 0:14:59profiting from selling off greenfield sites for development,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03but they also say they're providing much-needed housing
0:15:03 > 0:15:05for rural communities.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12The coastline of East Lothian
0:15:12 > 0:15:15has some of the most spectacular beaches in the UK.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20It's also an internationally important area for birdlife,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24so it's no surprise that millions of visitors flock here
0:15:24 > 0:15:28every year to drink in its charms. But enjoying its beauty without
0:15:28 > 0:15:31causing it any harm is a delicate balancing act.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Now this part of the world draws nature lovers, fresh air fanatics
0:15:35 > 0:15:38and dog walkers, but it can come at a cost,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41because people can have an impact on natural habitats.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Now I don't know the East Lothian coastline very well,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46but I am fast falling in love with it.
0:15:46 > 0:15:47It's hard not to, really.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50So I'm going to give it a good old explore.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Not on two feet, however.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53On two wheels.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02When it comes to cycling with sensitivity for nature,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05this special bike leaves no tracks.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12Bruce and David are going to take me for a cycle ride along the sands.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16But first I need to get fitted for my trusty eco-steed.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17Hello, chaps! How are you doing?
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- What the heck are these?- Fat bikes!
0:16:19 > 0:16:21SHE LAUGHS
0:16:21 > 0:16:22Hence the fat tyre.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24I've never seen anything like it!
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Basically, we use them here for riding on sand.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29They originally came from America.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Built for snow racing, originally,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33and also anywhere that a normal bike struggles.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37They leave less of a footprint on the sand than a human does, so...
0:16:37 > 0:16:39So, when you're riding around the beautiful rocks
0:16:39 > 0:16:42on the beaches around here, you're not leaving much...
0:16:42 > 0:16:44You're hardly leaving any footprint at all.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47My favourite bit is, instead of a water bottle you've got a hip flask!
0:16:47 > 0:16:51- A hip flask, yeah! Well, I'm Scottish, so...- Naturally.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- So, is this one for me?- Yeah. - This is a small-sized one,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- so that will fit you perfect. - I'm incredibly tall, so.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59All right, here we go. Let's give this a go.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03My first-ever go on a fat bike. Watch out, North Berwick!
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Ah, yes!
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Ooh!
0:17:06 > 0:17:07SHE MAKES WHOOSHING SOUND
0:17:12 > 0:17:15There's been a problem with some bikes causing erosion,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18but these fat-tyred bikes are turning the tide.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Every pun intended.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Well, I have to say, Bruce, this is good fun.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26- Yeah, it's not bad.- And why are we cycling below the tide line?
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Well, we can do this and then our tracks will soon be washed away
0:17:29 > 0:17:31in the next tide, so...
0:17:32 > 0:17:34So, there's not even a mark in the sand?
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Yeah, no-one even knows that we're passing.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42When the tide is out, you can cycle right around
0:17:42 > 0:17:45the headland, from North Berwick to the protected dunes
0:17:45 > 0:17:49of Yellowcraig Beach, and beyond to the island of Fidra.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Dave Wild is the coastal ranger at Yellowcraig,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56and, in his spare time, a fat bike fan.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Ah, Dave, what a job, being the ranger of this beach.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Oh, yeah, it's something else. It's a magical place.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03I have to say, I think you're right,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06this is one of the most beautiful beaches I think I've visited.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08- And then there's the island of Fidra.- Yeah, yeah.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09Tell me what's special about it.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Well, it's a stunningly beautiful island, for one,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14but it's got such tremendous wildlife interest that you can
0:18:14 > 0:18:17sit down on the beach here at Yellowcraig,
0:18:17 > 0:18:18which is almost within touching distance,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21and watch puffins, if they're bobbing around in the channel.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24All these islands are hugely important for the breeding
0:18:24 > 0:18:26birdlife that's found on them.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Famously, on the Bass Rock, it's the largest colony of
0:18:29 > 0:18:31northern gannets in the world,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33so we have 150,000 bright white gannets.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35They're just now starting to reappear,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39so there's a real challenge for us to try and preserve it.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47And that challenge is one we all face - plastic pollution.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50The marine life that thrives here is under constant threat,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53both from littering and what's being flushed down the loo.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58But locals here have taken matters into their own hands.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Plastics has recently become a huge issue,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03and there's as a local charity here called Fidra,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05named after the island,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09that have been cleaning up their beaches and campaigning since 2014.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Sarah and Clare from Fidra are currently taking their fight
0:19:14 > 0:19:19to the top, challenging the Scottish Government on plastic cotton buds.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Now, just looking at it, this seems like a pristine beach to me.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25It does, but if you start looking closer,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28so down in amongst the seaweed, you can then start seeing what
0:19:28 > 0:19:31we're concerned about, and that's the small pieces of plastics.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33- You can see some, here's some polystyrene.- Yep.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37I don't know what I should be picking up, if it's come down out of people's toilets!
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- I might give you a...- Oh, yeah, you can have a glove!- Thank you.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43It's interesting, because you just made me stop and think, then.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46It's like, cotton buds, oh, they have bits of plastic on them,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49and I don't know, do people flush them down their toilets?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- I mean, you can see them dotted in amongst the seaweed.- Oh, look.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55- Just here.- One, two. Are we talking about these?- Yeah.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58- Oh, that's gross.- And the problem with these is that once
0:19:58 > 0:20:00they're in the marine environment, they don't break down.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Hundreds of years, these are going to be in our ecosystem.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05Well, there you go.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- God, and this is another cotton bud, is it?- Yes.- Yeah.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12And there's a white one here. And there's a straw, of course.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15God, it's scary stuff, isn't it? These are the dangerous bits.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17All of it will just get eaten. And what are they doing,
0:20:17 > 0:20:18what are they doing to the wildlife?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21So, that size of cotton bud has been eaten by turtles.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23They've found them in turtles' stomachs.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25They've gone through the intestines of turtles,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27have actually killed them.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29They've found them, sections of them, in fulmars.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32That's an absolute disaster, isn't it?
0:20:34 > 0:20:36As a result of Fidra's pressure,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40the Scottish Government launched proposals in January of this year
0:20:40 > 0:20:43to ban plastic cotton buds entirely.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Well, hopefully you'll get the law changed. That would be fantastic.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47- Absolutely, yeah.- Yes.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- What a victory that would be! - And that will be in Scotland,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53and hopefully then other governments
0:20:53 > 0:20:55can see the change taking place.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59I'm seriously impressed that so many local groups
0:20:59 > 0:21:02have had such a positive impact on this environment.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07From a bike that leaves virtually no trace in the sand
0:21:07 > 0:21:09to positive action on the plastics
0:21:09 > 0:21:13that are harming the local sea bird population,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16this is people power and passion at work.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26We've had some pretty wild weather recently.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29But thankfully, for most of us, the worst has passed.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Just over a week ago, we were in the grip of the Beast From The East,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37whilst Storm Emma raged from the south.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41It was the worst snowfall in years,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43and brought Britain to its knees.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47But not our farmers.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Braving the blizzard to get food to their livestock,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56farmers north and south battled through the drifts,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58knowing sheep would be buried underneath.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Some they couldn't reach in time.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05These ewes were pulled lifeless from the snow in Cumbria.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11But amazing scenes like this, in Wales, brought a ray of hope
0:22:11 > 0:22:12to a desperate situation.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17And even though they were really up against it,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20farmers cleared roads with their tractors,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22keeping communities on the move as best they could.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Farmers in local, rural communities that are able to get out
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and help with snowploughs have played their vital part
0:22:31 > 0:22:33in clearing some of those rural roads.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Farming stops for neither man nor beast.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42And sometimes you've just got to get stuck in.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45LAUGHTER
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Within days, the worst had passed,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55but the storm has left its mark.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58On Exmoor and on other farms around the country,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01the melting snow is now throwing up fresh problems.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Kevin Harris, a fourth-generation sheep farmer,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11is dealing with the damage on the family farm.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15The weight of the snow, really, it's just caused the fence to bow down.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18It's pulled all the staples out, and this wire's very slack.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22It's going to take a long time to do, to try and sort these
0:23:22 > 0:23:23fences out, but it's a job
0:23:23 > 0:23:26we're going to have to try to make time to do.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31People think it's all over. You know, they're going back to work.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34For the farmers, it's just a mess. The fields are a mess.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37We've got all this repair work to do to the fences and that.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55The landscape where we farm is very exposed.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57We cut the wind really bad up here.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00We had 50, 60 mile-an-hour winds.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02And it was just blowing the snow everywhere.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Any place you didn't think there would be snow,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06it was, because the wind had just blown it in.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08It was a nightmare, really.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13I come into the field, and it was full of pregnant ewes.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It was desperate to get them to safety, really.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Poor sheep, they just lie against the hedgerow, they think they've
0:24:19 > 0:24:22got shelter, and the wind really blows the snow from one hedge
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and it pushes it right over the hedge,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and then it'd start burying the sheep by landing on top of them.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30The sheep get so heavy with the snow on their backs,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33they just sit down, they sort of give up, really, sheep do,
0:24:33 > 0:24:34quite easily.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36These were good, they were happy,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39because, you know, they'd only been in there a few hours.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41People do say that they will survive for two weeks.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43They're sort of in an igloo when they're in there,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46and as long as they can breathe.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48And they'll eat all the grass around them, so that'd be bare.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51But it's the weight of the snow on top of them, as well,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and, obviously, being pregnant, it's not good for them
0:24:54 > 0:24:56not to have feed for too long.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58If you pull them out of where they've kept warm, they think,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01"Oh, no, you're chucking us out back in the cold", and they will run
0:25:01 > 0:25:05back in so, you know, it is quite a job to keep them away from it, then.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11And it was Kevin's best friends that helped to keep his livestock
0:25:11 > 0:25:13safe in the storm.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17The dogs helped quite a bit.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21You know, especially this one here. This is Mist.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23She's quite good with her nose, so she can...
0:25:23 > 0:25:26She'd sort of smell if there was a sheep there in the drift.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29I've got Flo, she's the young pup of the crew.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32And then I've got Fern.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Good dog. She was just helping me out day-to-day, you know,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38gathering up the sheep a bit, trying to get them out of danger, really.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40They've all got their individual jobs,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and they're all very good at it, so... You can't put a price on dogs.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45They're worth their weight in gold.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47They'll do anything for you, they're loyal.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49You know, without them, it's hard work.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Believe it or not, this is a road towards Martinhoe.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12This is still blocked, but this is the sort of stuff
0:26:12 > 0:26:15we had to deal with, trying to get to stock and everything.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22On Exmoor, there's a lot of farmers clearing roads,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25because, obviously, there's little hamlets here, there and everywhere.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27The council can't get to everything.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31They've got to keep the main roads clear so, yeah, a lot of farmers
0:26:31 > 0:26:34did a lot of digging and getting people out.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37You know, it's just something you've got to do.
0:26:37 > 0:26:38- HE WHISTLES - Come on.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I've only ever seen snow like this in pictures.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50And obviously me grandad and me uncle talk about it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Me uncle says, every year, "You haven't seen a hard winter yet."
0:26:54 > 0:26:56And I keep fobbing him off and saying,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58"We won't see one, don't worry."
0:26:58 > 0:27:01But this year, I've had to really eat my words and, you know,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03nearly apologise for it!
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Looking forward to spring. I always enjoy when we're lambing.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17We're starting to lamb this weekend.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Well, today is like a lovely spring day.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23I mean, the sun's out, you couldn't get any better.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Because, you know, if we were lambing, it would have been
0:27:25 > 0:27:27a complete disaster,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29because the poor lambs, they would never survive in this.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Hopefully it won't rain too much,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34and I certainly don't want to see any more snow.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45With the Government looking to overhaul housing,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Tom's hearing how land speculators have been accused of using
0:27:48 > 0:27:51loopholes in the planning process.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53But is there another side to this story?
0:27:57 > 0:28:00There's no doubt farmland is under pressure
0:28:00 > 0:28:03as the UK looks at dealing with its housing crisis.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Not least here in Warwickshire.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11When it comes to selling off rural land for housing,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and to make a tidy profit, well, that's always going to be
0:28:14 > 0:28:17a controversial way of making some cash.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22I'm on my way to meet a farmer who's hired a no-win no fee company
0:28:22 > 0:28:24to do just that.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Richard Spencer is a fourth-generation farmer,
0:28:31 > 0:28:37with a herd of up to 200 cattle on his beef farm in Newbold on Stour.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41He turned to a land promoter, one of the new breed of land speculators,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44when he wanted to sell off part of the farm.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50The original building was put in in the '50s as a 40 cow dairy unit,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and been added onto over the years, and it was getting pretty run down,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56and it just wasn't fit for modern beef production.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00It was either sell up and do something else, or,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03I'm a farmer, I want to carry on beef farming.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Why did you go with these land promotion companies?
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Well, I guess we were a bit naive to start with.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10We didn't know about promotions and options,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13but we took good advice from our local land agent, who we've had
0:29:13 > 0:29:15a very good professional relationship with.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18- We took his advice.- What have you been able to do with that money?
0:29:18 > 0:29:20How important has it been to the farming business?
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Oh, I don't think we'd have carried on the way we were.
0:29:23 > 0:29:24It was really hard work.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27It was taking two of us, sort of three hours in the morning,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30just to look after 80 suckler cows, moving them around.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32And here it's a purpose-built building,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34it's virtually a one-man system.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36In the end, it's all been about keeping the business going?
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Yeah, definitely. I've got two boys. Whether they want to come into
0:29:40 > 0:29:42the farm, I don't know, it's a bit early to tell,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44but I'm a farmer, I wanted to stay farming,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48and this is what we had to do to carry on beef farming.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51- Is it all right if we go and have a look?- Yeah, let's go.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Building work is now well underway on the land Richard sold.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01When completed, around 50 homes will stand here,
0:30:01 > 0:30:05including just over a third allocated for affordable housing.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09How have the villagers responded to this?
0:30:09 > 0:30:11I think they've been very positive.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15Because the actual development itself is very sensitive,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17it incorporates an acre and a half of woodland.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20There's a public open space that the kids can use
0:30:20 > 0:30:22safely for football or games or whatever.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25There's a car park for the church incorporated in the site, as well,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28so we have done a lot for the village.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31What do you think when you see the criticism that's directed at
0:30:31 > 0:30:35companies like these land promoters, and also at farmers like you,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38who are, you know, cashing in on the need for housing?
0:30:38 > 0:30:39Oh, I think we're unfairly tarnished.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42I mean, in our particular situation,
0:30:42 > 0:30:44I think we've done it very tastefully,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46and it's added to the village.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51The firm behind the application was land promotion company
0:30:51 > 0:30:52Richborough Estates.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Richborough Estates is one of the companies criticised
0:30:56 > 0:31:00in the Campaign To Protect Rural England report
0:31:00 > 0:31:02we looked at earlier.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05They're currently working on 80 sites across England
0:31:05 > 0:31:08and Wales, which could deliver 20,000 homes.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14Paul Campbell is one of Richborough's managing directors.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Land promoters such as your company are often accused of money grabbing,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20well, and land grabbing. Some truth in that?
0:31:20 > 0:31:22I think it's a wrong characterisation, really.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25We promote land through the planning system.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27It's our risk on behalf of landowners.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28It's not a quick buck at all.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30The local authority here didn't have an up-to-date plan.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32Do you particularly target places like that,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35because it's easier to get the speculative element through?
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Absolutely not. But the reality is,
0:31:37 > 0:31:39less than half of the councils up and down the country
0:31:39 > 0:31:41have an up-to-date local plan.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45And sometimes we find ourselves in more combative situations
0:31:45 > 0:31:46which we'd rather not be.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Being in an appeal is really a failure.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50- We don't want to do that at all. - Really?
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Do you not particularly like appeal,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55because that's when your expensive lawyers can win the day?
0:31:55 > 0:31:57I don't think that's the case at all.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01You end up in appeal occasionally, because it's part of the system.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04You know, it's there as an independent arbiter, really, to make
0:32:04 > 0:32:08sure that the policy and law was applied in a consistent fashion.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10There's an acknowledged housing crisis in this country.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12When it comes to solving it, do you think, well,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14you're on the side of the angels?
0:32:14 > 0:32:17I think it's probably wrong to characterise angels and devils.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19There are people that are going to be living on this site
0:32:19 > 0:32:22that have been on the housing waiting list for many years, probably.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25There are memories going to be made in these homes.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28You know, there is a very positive aspect to development.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31So I feel pretty good sleeping at night, to be honest.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35But change is coming.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38A review of the appeals system in England is due as part
0:32:38 > 0:32:42of the overhaul of housing announced by the Government earlier this week.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47And back in Essex, the greenfield site
0:32:47 > 0:32:49I visited earlier in the programme
0:32:49 > 0:32:51has also been thrown a lifeline.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities And Local Government
0:32:55 > 0:32:59has now called in the application to determine it himself.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01A final decision is expected in the spring.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Of course, this battle will rage on across much of our countryside.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10But while there's such a desperate need for housing,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13and so much money to be made,
0:33:13 > 0:33:17greenfields like this will always be in the sights of the speculators.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25There are 10 million cattle in the UK,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29and whether they're chewing grass or chewing the cud,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32those animals are producing a lot of methane.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34It's one of the most harmful greenhouse gases,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37but science is helping farmers fight back.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41Adam's in Scotland to find out how.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Now, all ruminants produce methane,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50a ruminant is a mammal such as a cow, sheep or goat,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53that have a specialised digestive system,
0:33:53 > 0:33:57with four stomachs, that ferment plant-based food,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00like grass, so that they can acquire nutrients from it.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Now, the largest ruminant we farm is, of course, the cow,
0:34:02 > 0:34:04and they produce a lot of methane.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Now, most of us think that that comes out of its back end,
0:34:07 > 0:34:11but, actually, 95% of it comes out of its front end.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Here at Scotland's rural college, just outside Edinburgh,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22they're working hard to solve this gassy problem.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Professor Jamie Newbold heads up the effort.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30So, Jamie, these cattle are producing a lot of methane, then?
0:34:30 > 0:34:33They are, indeed. Full-grown animal like this,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36probably 4-500 litres of methane a day.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38And how does that compare to me?
0:34:38 > 0:34:40About half of us produce methane, half don't.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44But the half that do, half a litre, absolute tops a litre and a half.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46We're not competing.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50- So, half a litre for one of us, but 5-600 litres for them?- Yes.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53And where is it all coming from?
0:34:53 > 0:34:56It's coming from the bugs in their guts.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00And those are the same bugs that allow these animals to use
0:35:00 > 0:35:01things we can't eat.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04But, unfortunately, they produce methane as they do it.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07So, what sort of studies are you doing here, then?
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Sort of like everything. There's two challenges.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12First, you've got to be able to measure it.
0:35:12 > 0:35:13Once you've got it measured,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16you can start looking at solutions to get rid of it.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Now, there is no silver bullet,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20there's no thing for every situation,
0:35:20 > 0:35:21but we're making good progress.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23- Can I take a look at how you measure it?- Yeah, sure.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29The exact amount of methane produced varies from animal to animal,
0:35:29 > 0:35:33and breed to breed, so getting reliable measurements is tricky.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37But this snazzy bit of laser kit can get an accurate reading
0:35:37 > 0:35:40just by being pointed at the cow's nose.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43We're able to make an estimate, of a hair's level,
0:35:43 > 0:35:47as to how much methane these animals are producing.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50So, we're getting real figures, in production situations,
0:35:50 > 0:35:52of what the emissions are.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55- Amazing technology to find out this sort of information.- Oh, yeah.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58And so that's one way of measuring it, but you've got other ways, too,
0:35:58 > 0:36:00- haven't you?- Yeah, so this is really good at measuring
0:36:00 > 0:36:03sort of on a heard level, but we've got methane chambers
0:36:03 > 0:36:04which are the gold standard,
0:36:04 > 0:36:07which allow us to measure with increasing accuracy
0:36:07 > 0:36:10the amount of methane that is produced by each cow.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12We can enclose the animal,
0:36:12 > 0:36:17and we can measure the amount of air that flows through the room,
0:36:17 > 0:36:19the concentration of methane outside the room,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21the concentration of methane inside the room.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25We can work out how much gas that animal works.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27And those are really highly accurate,
0:36:27 > 0:36:29highly repeatable measurements
0:36:29 > 0:36:32that we can do on individual animals.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Well, it sounds like you've got some very clever ways of measuring
0:36:35 > 0:36:36the data, but once you've got it,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39- what you do with it?- There are three approaches we look at.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41The first is the animal genetics -
0:36:41 > 0:36:44its genetic control of the bugs in the gut.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47So, my colleagues are investigating the genes
0:36:47 > 0:36:50that are responsible for controlling the microbial population,
0:36:50 > 0:36:53in the hope that we can breed for low-methane cattle.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56But the second aspect is the food they eat.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59So, by changing the kind of diet the animal eats,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02you get more or less methane, so we've got a programme of work
0:37:02 > 0:37:06that's looking at different diets, how they affect methane production.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09And, then, finally, the use of additives.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12There are lots of chemical plant extracts, just coming onto
0:37:12 > 0:37:16the market, that have the capacity to significantly reduce
0:37:16 > 0:37:18the emissions by cattle.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Well, it's great that agriculture is taking it so seriously.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24- Lovely to meet you. Thanks very much.- Thanks. Thanks very much.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29As well as helping in the fight against greenhouse gases,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33the college is breaking new ground in animal welfare.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37Dr Emma Baxter has invited me to see the prototype farrowing pens,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40where a sow is giving birth right this minute.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43It's something we've rarely, if ever, filmed on Countryfile,
0:37:43 > 0:37:44so fingers crossed.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46- Hi, Emma. - Hi, Adam.- Good to see you.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Nice to meet you. You're just in time.
0:37:49 > 0:37:50- You've got one giving birth?- Yup.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- Got one farrowing for you. - Perfect, look at that!
0:37:53 > 0:37:55She's got quite a few already.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57She does, but she's quite a big girl,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00so I think she'll have a few more, so there'll be a few more to see.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02And how do you know when she's about to give birth?
0:38:02 > 0:38:04There's a few behaviours. The one thing is she's starting
0:38:04 > 0:38:06to suckle grunt a little bit.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09And then she'll paddle her feet a bit and squeeze, and you'll see
0:38:09 > 0:38:12her flick her tail, and looks like she's thinking about doing that
0:38:12 > 0:38:17right now. There you go. On cue, performing for the cameras.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19It just flew out! Oh, look, she's going to have another one.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21- Yes, she is.- And that one's coming backwards.
0:38:21 > 0:38:22That one is coming backwards.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25That one might need a little bit of help, actually,
0:38:25 > 0:38:26because it's come breech.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29OK, do you want to go and do what you need to do?
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Yeah, I'll just go in and clear it.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34It's not quite as bad as with a lamb or a calf,
0:38:34 > 0:38:38but breeches still can be a little bit tricky.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42We've been trying to film a sow giving birth on the farm for years.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- We've never achieved it. And here you are.- There you go.- Straight on.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47That's it. They're doing well.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49There's an awful lot of pigs being produced outdoors now, isn't there?
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Yes, so, historically, actually,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55the UK has a large commercial outdoor sector.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59I think 40% of our breeding herd is farmed outdoors.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01That's probably at its maximum,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05because we are limited with the type of land that you can produce pigs
0:39:05 > 0:39:09on outdoors, and the environmental responsibilities we also have.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13So, it's important to have different systems indoors,
0:39:13 > 0:39:17and I guess this system is somewhere in between the outdoor and indoor.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21Inside or out, pig farming is a numbers game.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23This sow has had 15 piglets so far,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26and that's not unusual for indoor commercial units.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30So piglet safety is incredibly important.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34This prototype pen is looking to address that, and more besides.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37And what is it you were trying to achieve by creating
0:39:37 > 0:39:39this pig-safe pen, then?
0:39:39 > 0:39:42A lot of it's designed in order to stimulate good maternal behaviour,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45so what we're trying to do is, in our own way,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48replicate what they would experience outdoors.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50So that's why we have these different areas,
0:39:50 > 0:39:52that fulfil different functions.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55What we find is that when the sows first move in,
0:39:55 > 0:39:57they spend quite a lot of time outside of the nest.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59They have a chat with their neighbour,
0:39:59 > 0:40:01that's why we have the chat holes there.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04And then about 24 hours before they're due to give birth,
0:40:04 > 0:40:06they want to start nest-building.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Which is what a sort of wild boar would have done in the forests?
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Yes, wild bore would retreat away from her group,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14find the most protected area she can,
0:40:14 > 0:40:16often with a bit of a vista, you know,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19but protected from the other side,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21it's like a cul de sac, if you like.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23So that she can keep an eye out there,
0:40:23 > 0:40:26but also create a nice warm environment for her piglets.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28What happens under here?
0:40:28 > 0:40:30So, this has actually got underfloor heating,
0:40:30 > 0:40:32so we call this a creep area.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35It's basically a protected area that the sow can't get to,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37but the piglets can. You know, they're very intent on getting to
0:40:37 > 0:40:40the udder, and when she's up and about, it's difficult for her
0:40:40 > 0:40:44to manoeuvre out of the way, so we want to help her lie down and help
0:40:44 > 0:40:46her manoeuvre safely around the piglets.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50Because she's a big sow, isn't she? She could so easily crush them.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53- How heavy would she be? - She is quite a big sow.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56I think she's upwards of 250, probably closer to 300 kilos.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58And they're, what, a kilo apiece?
0:40:58 > 0:41:00Well, I'm quite pleased with this lot, actually,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04- I think they're probably about 1.5. - Are they?- On average, yeah.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08And as people, we seem to be driving more towards welfare
0:41:08 > 0:41:12and where our food comes from, and this would help satisfy that?
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Yes, I think the UK consumer, in particular, I think,
0:41:15 > 0:41:17is interested in the provenance of their food,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21and they want to know it's been reared responsibly.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24This is just one of the systems that I feel that the
0:41:24 > 0:41:27animals are well taken care of.
0:41:27 > 0:41:28Well, it's been fascinating to see.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31- Hang on a minute, she's having another one!- There she goes again!
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Yup, she's producing, performing for the camera today.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38- Well, it's been great to see it in its full working glory.- Yup.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40- No problem.- Thank you, Emma.- OK.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48Innovation like this is helping drive agriculture forward,
0:41:48 > 0:41:50but it's not just intensive systems under
0:41:50 > 0:41:53the spotlight at Scotland's Rural College.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Next week, I'll be taking a look at research
0:41:56 > 0:41:58they're doing out on the vast uplands.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12I'm in the fishing village of St Abbs,
0:42:12 > 0:42:16with the community that refused to let its lifeboat service go under.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19- It's crystal clear, the water. - Beautiful.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22That's obviously why people want to dive here.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26I've seen the cake and camaraderie side of things in the cafe,
0:42:26 > 0:42:28but when the boat hit the waves, it's strictly business.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37Dear me, the power in those engines, Dave!
0:42:40 > 0:42:42So, go on, give us the stats on the engines.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46They're two 200 horsepower - 400 horsepower on the boat. Two engines.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48Dear me!
0:42:50 > 0:42:51Wow!
0:42:56 > 0:42:58This is one of the areas we work from.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01So you get a lot of diving here, it can be spread out from here,
0:43:01 > 0:43:02right the way up past St Abb's Head.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05- But this is the main area for the diving.- Right.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08You get a lot of people fishing off the rocks,
0:43:08 > 0:43:10- so it's a very, very popular area. - Goodness me,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14- I mean, it's some landscape. - Oh, it's unbelievable, stunning.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18- Absolutely stunning.- I mean, you can see why a boat like this is needed.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21- Perfect.- You see the rocks, and, actually, I guess the reason why
0:43:21 > 0:43:23you're coming out, a lot of the time, is just to keep
0:43:23 > 0:43:26- familiarising yourself. - I have an insured creel boat,
0:43:26 > 0:43:28and I work the rocks under it from here up the coast.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Been doing it a lot of years now,
0:43:30 > 0:43:32and I still don't know where every rock is.
0:43:32 > 0:43:33You're never, ever going to remember.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36So the more times we can get out and practise, take the guys out,
0:43:36 > 0:43:38ladies out, let them see the rocks and stuff.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41- It changes with the tide, obviously.- Yeah.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44We're off to a particularly tricky part of the coastline
0:43:44 > 0:43:46known as Skelly Hole.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53Oh, man, look at this place.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58Should I check this depth gauge here? We've got 11.5 metres.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Yeah, we're at 10.5, at the moment.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09Not all the crew know this place as well as coxswain Dave Wilson.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11Susan Barry is a recent volunteer.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16- How long have you been part of the crew?- About seven months.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19- Have you really?- Yeah.- Did you have much sea experience before?
0:44:19 > 0:44:23No, none. None whatsoever. So, we moved here in January last year.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26- Yeah. - And then I was approached
0:44:26 > 0:44:28to see if I would be interested in joining,
0:44:28 > 0:44:31- because I have a nursing background. - Ah, right.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35But this is very different, because I was in a clinical setting before,
0:44:35 > 0:44:37and this is, you know, at the bottom of the cliffs and the sea,
0:44:37 > 0:44:39you know, it's very, very different.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42- It's not as controlled as I was used to.- Yeah.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46So it's a huge challenge, but, no, I really enjoy it, love it.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50Susan is quickly getting up to speed, but there's always
0:44:50 > 0:44:53something new to learn in this ever-changing environment.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58Coastal recce complete,
0:44:58 > 0:45:02Dave announces we have one more exercise to perform.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05And my suspicions about getting wet are confirmed.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10We're going to do a man overboard now. Celebrity overboard!
0:45:10 > 0:45:11Why are you looking at me like that?!
0:45:11 > 0:45:14So, Matt, if you'd like to get ready.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17We have a nice volunteer. The waters are nice.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20- 5.5 degrees, so it should be... - Right, OK!- Should be refreshing.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22- If anything.- Yeah!
0:45:22 > 0:45:23What can go wrong?
0:45:23 > 0:45:25Have a go on this side?
0:45:25 > 0:45:28You go on that side, Matt, and we'll circle round about, we'll come in.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30Yeah, there's no graceful way of doing this.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33We'll come and collect you, Matt, aboard the boat.
0:45:33 > 0:45:34- Into the North Sea.- Yeah.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36Oh, thank goodness Tim's on his way.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39Tell us when you want picked up, we'll come and get you.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41- Yeah, all right. - Are you ready, then?- Here we go.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44Oh, it's pleasant!
0:45:44 > 0:45:46- It's actually really pleasant! - THEY LAUGH
0:45:53 > 0:45:56I may be in a dry suit, but watching the boat leave me
0:45:56 > 0:46:00in these freezing waters is a very unnerving experience.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Well, that is me. Completely on my own.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11And you get an enormous sense of space out here.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15It's so quiet.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17And you feel...very alone.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25Cold water shock is the biggest killer of people around our shores.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28It's even said, if you survive long enough to get hypothermia,
0:46:28 > 0:46:30you're doing well.
0:46:35 > 0:46:40And, oh, my word, that feeling of seeing the rescue boat,
0:46:40 > 0:46:44seeing a crew that are literally going to save your life.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00Ready?
0:47:07 > 0:47:10Beautiful! Nicely done, team!
0:47:12 > 0:47:14Faced with losing their lifeboat service,
0:47:14 > 0:47:19this tiny community has forged one highly professional team.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23You do actually sense the power of this piece of water,
0:47:23 > 0:47:25you really do, but, um...
0:47:25 > 0:47:26Oh, my word.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33You know, although, at times, that was quite relaxing for me,
0:47:33 > 0:47:37I was expecting it to happen and I was fully for dressed the occasion.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39Helmet, dry suit, gloves, the lot.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43I cannot imagine what it must be like to fall into a situation like
0:47:43 > 0:47:47that, just treading water, hoping that you're going to be rescued.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50But knowing that this crew is here,
0:47:50 > 0:47:52ready to go at a moment's notice,
0:47:52 > 0:47:54it goes without saying, they are a lifeline.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09You know, from my experience over the last couple of hours,
0:48:09 > 0:48:13and having to jump those waves, it's clear how quickly conditions
0:48:13 > 0:48:17out there can change, and how important the weather is to
0:48:17 > 0:48:20every single rescue that the lifeboat crew make.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22And so, with that in mind, let's have a look
0:48:22 > 0:48:25and see what the weather's got in store for the next five days.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14I've been exploring the East Lothian shoreline.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18The islands dotting the Firth of Forth have long fascinated
0:49:18 > 0:49:20writers and artists.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23It's said that Robert Louis Stevenson based
0:49:23 > 0:49:26Treasure Island on the caves here.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29And it's a landscape that continues to inspire today.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35I'm in this stunning setting to meet an artist who fuses
0:49:35 > 0:49:37what she finds on the shore line with ceramics,
0:49:37 > 0:49:40and she works right out here in the field
0:49:40 > 0:49:42at the mercy of the elements.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44So please, please, just for one day,
0:49:44 > 0:49:46Sun gods, keep smiling.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58- Hey, Pascale!- Hi, Anita! Nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you, too!
0:49:58 > 0:50:01- How you doing?- Yeah, I'm good! How are you?- I'm wonderful today.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04I mean, could we ask for better weather?
0:50:04 > 0:50:05Pascale Rentsch is an artist
0:50:05 > 0:50:09and sculptor who loves this stretch of Gullane Beach.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13- Pascale, this is your office! - I know, am I not lucky?
0:50:13 > 0:50:16- That's amazing.- It's spectacular!
0:50:17 > 0:50:21A lot of Pascale's work starts life right here on the shore line.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24What are we looking for? What kind of things do you try and spot?
0:50:24 > 0:50:28It could be anything. I look around, I wander about.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31This is lovely, this is really nice. That, actually, as well.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35- Look at the pattern on that.- See, your ability to just spot something.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38- I mean that, to me, just... - look at that colour of it.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41I use also water to incorporate in my ceramics,
0:50:41 > 0:50:44and then use cane to bind it onto my ceramics.
0:50:44 > 0:50:49Yeah, I always look out for nice pieces of wood.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51- This is nice, look at this, Anita. - Oh, wow!
0:50:51 > 0:50:55- This is almost like a painting in itself.- That doesn't look real.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57- Is that a shell?- It's amazing, yeah.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04Where you or I would probably see just a bit of seaweed or
0:51:04 > 0:51:06a splinter of driftwood on the beach,
0:51:06 > 0:51:10Pascale sees a decorative use for the sea's debris.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15She's originally from Switzerland, but has now set up
0:51:15 > 0:51:16her studio in Haddington,
0:51:16 > 0:51:19and calls this corner of East Lothian home.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23Combining nature and art is not a new thing for you, is it?
0:51:23 > 0:51:27I always used to draw and paint since I'm a little girl.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31I used to draw my mum's potato skin on the table,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34or breadcrumbs, when she was cutting the bread.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37And I had my sketchbook with me all the time.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40And I did scientific illustration in Switzerland,
0:51:40 > 0:51:43- but it wasn't quite me, because I'm quite spontaneous.- Yes.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46And then I've had an opportunity to come
0:51:46 > 0:51:48and study in Edinburgh College Of Art.
0:51:48 > 0:51:49Didn't you work at the zoo?
0:51:49 > 0:51:52I was artist in residence at Edinburgh Zoo,
0:51:52 > 0:51:56and I spent a year just being with the animals.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58You just become one with what you draw,
0:51:58 > 0:52:02- and when that moment happens, it's magical.- Magic!
0:52:02 > 0:52:06Right, it's time to translate these views into a ceramic vase.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10Pascale wants me to have a try, too. Not sure how that will go...
0:52:12 > 0:52:15- So, now, this is how you work? - Yes, this is my outdoor studio.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18- This is brilliant.- It's great, isn't it?- On a day like today!
0:52:18 > 0:52:21- It is!- I can't imagine this is quite as much fun
0:52:21 > 0:52:23when it's chucking it down, though.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26Well, you just sort of have big umbrellas,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29and you make it work or find a wee shelter somewhere.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31I need to roll this slab of clay.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33And I'm just going to bash it first,
0:52:33 > 0:52:35- it just makes it easier for me. - Uh-huh.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38And once it's sort of flattish,
0:52:38 > 0:52:40I can then start rolling it out.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46There's not much that I fear apart from art.
0:52:46 > 0:52:47- Oh, you will be fine!- I'm terrified.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49I know I've got a beret on,
0:52:49 > 0:52:52which makes it look like I'm ready to do some art.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56- You're all ready for action!- I'm ready! Right, so you bash it first.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59I mean, this, I can get down with. This is quite good fun.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03Pascale has decided to use the buckthorn berries that line
0:53:03 > 0:53:04the cliffs as today's inspiration.
0:53:04 > 0:53:09Right, so, I'm going to use newspaper.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11And I'm going to use this as a base,
0:53:11 > 0:53:12so what I'm going to do is,
0:53:12 > 0:53:15I'm going to do a type of mono-printing.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18- I start with the berry shapes first. - Mm-hmm.
0:53:18 > 0:53:19So, here is my slip colour.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23You can just dip into your colour, and you can mix them, as well.
0:53:23 > 0:53:24And once they're fired,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27these oranges will get much, much brighter.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30- OK.- Look at the berries,
0:53:30 > 0:53:33- how they're sort of shaped and clustered together.- Yeah.
0:53:33 > 0:53:38- And sort of that's what you're trying to do just now.- Great.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40I love the colours.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Oh, I see, and you're going to splodge it on.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47- And then you sort of gently rub it off, like that.- I see.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52And let's just see if it's taking. Yeah.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55OK, it needs a fair bit of the old paint.
0:53:55 > 0:54:00- There.- Beautiful.- Well, that's kind of like the idea of it.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Splodging the colour on like this means
0:54:02 > 0:54:05they clay doesn't get marked by brushstrokes.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08She transfers more layers of colour to the clay
0:54:08 > 0:54:09to bring everything to life.
0:54:12 > 0:54:17Oh, fantastic. How cool does that look? You can see it already.
0:54:17 > 0:54:18I love that!
0:54:19 > 0:54:22- Oh, Pascale, that's great. Are you ready?- Yeah.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25- Shall I go for it?- Yeah!
0:54:25 > 0:54:28It's going to be abstract.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31- Right, so now to turn them into a pot.- Yes.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37Pascale effortlessly moulds hers into a perfect vase shape.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Mine looks more like a melted welly.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42I'm just going to watch you for a second,
0:54:42 > 0:54:44- because I genuinely have no idea what I'm doing.- OK.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47So, you get, like, this kind of shape.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50It's a beautiful vase. That's gorgeous.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52What could be more lovely than to have that as a little
0:54:52 > 0:54:58- reminder of a trip to East Lothian? - Yeah! Isn't that incredible?- Yes.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01- Out from a piece of clay! - In nature.- Yeah.
0:55:01 > 0:55:06It's brilliant watching Pascale create art outside in the elements.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10And the best bit? She can take a bit of her favourite landscape home,
0:55:10 > 0:55:12immortalised in clay.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20- Matt!- You look like one of the lifeboat crew!
0:55:20 > 0:55:24- You survived!- It's absolutely freezing in there, I tell you.
0:55:24 > 0:55:25We've been lucky with the weather,
0:55:25 > 0:55:28but there is no chance you're going to get me in that water.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31Well, I love this part of the world, but my advice is stick to the land.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33- Yes!- And the sand on the beaches, not in there.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35Anyway, that's all we've got time for for this week.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38Next week, we're going to be in Pembrokeshire, where I'll be meeting
0:55:38 > 0:55:41the dairy farmers who are putting glass bottles back in our fridges.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43- We'll see you then. Have a good week.- Bye-bye!
0:55:43 > 0:55:44- Do you fancy a swim?- Um...