:00:00. > :00:13.2% Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford. In tonight's
:00:14. > :00:16.programme: Council tax rises. Bucks County Council considers the five
:00:17. > :00:21.percent increase. Also coming up: A UK first. Driverless vehicles to be
:00:22. > :00:24.tested in Milton Keynes. The government are funding the trial.
:00:25. > :00:28.And later on: The woman who has chosen to live in her car for four
:00:29. > :00:39.months. The pensioner with autism fighting the Council for a home.
:00:40. > :00:46.Pay more to protect your vital services. That's what taxpayers in
:00:47. > :00:49.Bucks are being told by the County Council which wants to increase
:00:50. > :00:53.council tax for the first time in three years. It is holding a
:00:54. > :00:57.consultation asking residents if they would like ` be willing to
:00:58. > :01:02.accept an increase of up to 5%, which could trigger a referendum.
:01:03. > :01:06.Our reporter has more details. What is the council suggesting? Bucks
:01:07. > :01:13.County Council, like all of our local councils, is seeing its budget
:01:14. > :01:17.squeezed. It needs to make ?60 million worth of savings over the
:01:18. > :01:23.next four years. Taxpayers in Bucks are being asked how much council tax
:01:24. > :01:41.should go up by. A two percent rise would mean paying ?.41 more per week
:01:42. > :01:51.on a band D property. `` 41p more. It is also considering a 5% increase
:01:52. > :02:04.which would see band D taxpayers paying ?1.04 per week. 2% would
:02:05. > :02:11.enable us to keep more services for the most vulnerable. We could ring
:02:12. > :02:18.fence and use this money solely to improve our roads and even
:02:19. > :02:26.pavements, that is something we could do, but only if we got the
:02:27. > :02:31.higher council tax increase. Are their any other options? Why does
:02:32. > :02:41.the council have to increase council tax? There is a funding incentive
:02:42. > :02:46.from the government equivalent to the 1% increase if they freeze
:02:47. > :02:54.council tax. They are saying they are facing things like an increasing
:02:55. > :02:59.population, more children, so they will need more money for more school
:03:00. > :03:06.places. We spoke to people in Aylesbury today to find out if they
:03:07. > :03:13.were willing to pay more. I would be willing to be more because we need
:03:14. > :03:17.new services to much. I think it does not matter how much we pay in
:03:18. > :03:23.council tax, things would not improve. You'll macro if they end up
:03:24. > :03:31.doing it, it will be a struggle for everyone. The findings of this
:03:32. > :03:40.consultation will find out just how much, it is almost certain it will
:03:41. > :03:48.go up. I asked this expert what he thought about the proposals. It will
:03:49. > :03:54.hit those on lower and middle income is hardest. They are already
:03:55. > :04:06.struggling with rising prices and stagnant wages. I think the need to
:04:07. > :04:14.not take the easy `` easy option of placing the burden on hard`pressed
:04:15. > :04:19.households. If they raise it by as much as 5% that would trigger a
:04:20. > :04:26.referendum, what do you make of that? We have seen councils try to
:04:27. > :04:32.increase just below the referendum to avoid asking people what they
:04:33. > :04:36.think. The idea that they have to either cut services or increase
:04:37. > :04:41.council tax, there are other options like cutting waste, doing things
:04:42. > :04:48.differently. Ultimately, realising that after a decade of rises,
:04:49. > :04:54.residents can no longer take council tax increases. Freezing council tax
:04:55. > :05:01.is a vital way of easing pressure on family budgets. Some people we spoke
:05:02. > :05:07.to today said they would support an increasing council tax if it meant
:05:08. > :05:14.protecting services. That is a false choice that you either protect
:05:15. > :05:21.services or increase council tax. It has been going up far and above
:05:22. > :05:27.inflation. The fact people need to dip into their pockets once more is
:05:28. > :05:31.completely incorrect. Councils need to get smarter, leaner, more
:05:32. > :05:38.efficient. The kind of things businesses have had to be doing for
:05:39. > :05:45.the last decade. A man from Wantage has been sentenced to 15 years in
:05:46. > :05:49.prison for child sex offences. 46`year`old Bradley and tall was
:05:50. > :06:01.convicted of 14 offences including one count of rape and two counts of
:06:02. > :06:08.assault on a child under 13. Simon Rogers was fined ?1500 and Martin
:06:09. > :06:15.Pace 250 falling an eight`week trial at Oxford Crown Court. The peer
:06:16. > :06:22.worked at a business where the committed fraud. A top government
:06:23. > :06:28.minister has been visiting one of the country's most innovative
:06:29. > :06:32.schools. Students at Silverstone University technical college
:06:33. > :06:38.specialise in high tech skills while still learning a regular curriculum.
:06:39. > :06:46.Vince Cable visited to see how the first term was going. Business suits
:06:47. > :06:49.instead of uniforms and a 9`to`5 working day instead of traditional
:06:50. > :06:59.timetables, school life is very different for students year. People
:07:00. > :07:02.are very focused on their career. I want to work with cards and
:07:03. > :07:11.programming, it is really good experience. It is a very different
:07:12. > :07:17.way of learning. They run a normal curriculum but students also
:07:18. > :07:25.specialise in high engineering or hospitality and events management.
:07:26. > :07:30.It is a great experience, 14 to 18`year`olds who want to do
:07:31. > :07:34.practical things. Some will go to university, some straight into
:07:35. > :07:38.apprenticeship training. I can already see the difference that is
:07:39. > :07:47.made by having a course linked to practical work. The world`famous
:07:48. > :07:51.Grand Prix track is just metres from the schoolroom. The hope is that
:07:52. > :07:57.students will develop the right contacts in business now to set them
:07:58. > :08:01.up for the future. Part of the reason companies want to work with
:08:02. > :08:08.us as partners is because they have the same skill gaps and want to
:08:09. > :08:14.involve people who are the very best, they get to cherry pick at the
:08:15. > :08:18.end. I'd macro specialising so early might not be for some but for those
:08:19. > :08:27.students who know what they want, it is an opportunity to race ahead.
:08:28. > :08:36.Many of us travel by bus or train every day but we do be happy jumping
:08:37. > :08:43.into a driverless bar? `` vehicle. Pods that can carry two people
:08:44. > :08:49.shuttling back and forth. Jump in and the pod will drive itself to
:08:50. > :08:55.where you want to go. If you arrive at the train station, you can summon
:08:56. > :09:01.a pod using your mobile phone. You can pay for it doing that as well.
:09:02. > :09:06.You can travel into Milton Keynes for the businesses and shopping
:09:07. > :09:13.centres. For now you can take a bus or taxi but will people like to
:09:14. > :09:19.travel by pod? It is a good idea, eco`friendly, I think I would use
:09:20. > :09:24.it. I think I would just walk, it would be far safer than that. I
:09:25. > :09:33.would certainly be up for it, new technology. The pods with travel
:09:34. > :09:39.across Milton Keynes' many walkways. You could catch up on news and
:09:40. > :09:43.special sensors would manoeuvre you away from obstacles in your path.
:09:44. > :09:48.You'll macro what about children running around? How do you make sure
:09:49. > :09:56.everyone is comfortable? It is testing how people deal with this,
:09:57. > :10:03.can people be confident with the opportunity and feel it is safe. 100
:10:04. > :10:11.are planned here, all will be driverless. That is all from me for
:10:12. > :10:17.now but join us at eight o'clock and litre for the news at half past ten.
:10:18. > :10:20.Now here is Sally Taylor. says she's been forced to live in
:10:21. > :10:24.her car for the last four months because the local council cannot
:10:25. > :10:29.find her a suitable home. Su Seymour is 62 and has autism. The council
:10:30. > :10:39.says it's offered her homes nearby but she has rejected them all.
:10:40. > :10:46.I need a home where I can make myself a cup of tea or whatever. For
:10:47. > :10:52.Sue and her dog, this has been home since July in this car. I do not
:10:53. > :10:55.choose to be like this. I just want to be settled. She sleeps on the
:10:56. > :11:01.front seat ready to drive off at any point. Some drunks got on the car
:11:02. > :11:07.and one of them had a bottle and he wanted me to take him somewhere, but
:11:08. > :11:10.I just drove off. She lost her home in 2011 when her husband died and
:11:11. > :11:14.she was evicted from rental accommodation for months ago. She
:11:15. > :11:18.has been on the council waiting list for three and a half years but her
:11:19. > :11:22.autism means she has to live in a specific part of Gosport and cannot
:11:23. > :11:27.cope with shared accommodation or a shelter. Gosport Borough Council
:11:28. > :11:31.says she is insisting on being placed in a small area whether or
:11:32. > :11:37.nor free homes but it says it has offered her property is five minutes
:11:38. > :11:44.drive away. She has had the authors which are near to where she wants to
:11:45. > :11:47.be. They have all been two`bedroom offers because we recognise her
:11:48. > :11:53.medical condition and that she needs family or carers to stay. All three
:11:54. > :11:55.have been rejected. Sue says the council is not acknowledging her
:11:56. > :12:02.mental health needs and that moving would lead to heart having
:12:03. > :12:06.meltdowns. Having to move house and moving out of an area where you
:12:07. > :12:10.normally left, out of your support structures, the community that now
:12:11. > :12:16.you, can be extremely disruptive and lead to additional difficulties. If
:12:17. > :12:21.I move out of the area I would have to change GP again which I could not
:12:22. > :12:26.cope with. I need to be any familiar area and that is when I have to help
:12:27. > :12:31.that come and stay with me. For Sue, the wait goes on.
:12:32. > :12:34.Five men have been jailed after they were found with thousands of pounds
:12:35. > :12:37.worth of Class A drugs in Southampton. Some of the men were
:12:38. > :12:41.caught after the taxi they were travelling in was stopped by police.
:12:42. > :12:44.Inside they found two golf ball size wraps containing heroin and cocaine.
:12:45. > :12:48.?16,000 worth of illegal substances was subsequently recovered. The
:12:49. > :12:54.prosecutions were part of Hampshire Police's Operation Fortress drugs
:12:55. > :12:57.crackdown. The UK would be "foolish" not to
:12:58. > :13:01.adopt the process of fracking. That's the view of a US energy
:13:02. > :13:05.expert who has spoken to the BBC ahead of addressing a group of MPs
:13:06. > :13:08.in the Commons today. Chris Faulkner, who is nicknamed the
:13:09. > :13:11."Frack Master" in America, visited Balcombe in Sussex, the scene of
:13:12. > :13:21.huge protests at the possibility of the controversial process being used
:13:22. > :13:29.there. Test drilling at Bolcom, most
:13:30. > :13:34.protesters gone. Visited by a man from the United States who is known
:13:35. > :13:38.as the Phrack master. In Texas where I live, underneath universities and
:13:39. > :13:45.beneath homes and buildings, what we have got here is at least an open
:13:46. > :13:49.area. There has been no fracking in Sussex yet but the idea brought out
:13:50. > :13:53.the protesters in the summer, top of the concerns water contamination.
:13:54. > :13:59.The key thing is the contamination of the water. You have to wonder
:14:00. > :14:07.whether the conditions are therefore safe fracking to take place. If the
:14:08. > :14:10.process was flawed, if we were contaminating drinking water, there
:14:11. > :14:17.would be massive issues in the United States Coast to Coast with
:14:18. > :14:20.contamination. There have already been problems with earth tremors.
:14:21. > :14:27.Are the protesters right to worry? There were faults where they were
:14:28. > :14:32.fracking. They made a mistake by doing it there. Yes, they will admit
:14:33. > :14:37.they made a mistake by fracking there. If you look at the one and a
:14:38. > :14:43.half million we have been using in the United States, we have set the
:14:44. > :14:48.layers of cement, three layers of steel pipe, and then we drill down
:14:49. > :14:56.3000 or 4000 metres, that is where fracking occurs. Fracking `` to say
:14:57. > :15:03.that it contaminates water is foolish. Some say that the oil is
:15:04. > :15:09.shallower and the rocks might not remain stable. We have three major
:15:10. > :15:15.faults in this village alone. Those can be used as conduits and bring up
:15:16. > :15:19.the gases from the bottom up to the surface and it would be very
:15:20. > :15:26.unhealthy. There is a natural resource beneath the UK. If it were
:15:27. > :15:31.to be extracted it would give you 50 years worth of energy.
:15:32. > :15:34.All this week we have been seeing some of the projects that have
:15:35. > :15:37.benefited from your donations to Children in Need. The projects we
:15:38. > :15:43.support help children in all sorts of ways, sometimes confronting
:15:44. > :15:46.uncomfortable issues. One such project is the Southampton Rape
:15:47. > :15:51.Crisis Centre which helps over 40 children a week in coming to terms
:15:52. > :15:54.with sexual abuse. A counsellor at the project came to the studios to
:15:55. > :16:05.tell me how they support these youngsters. The young people come to
:16:06. > :16:08.us because they have experienced an unwanted sexual experience. We work
:16:09. > :16:13.with young people from the age of 11 upwards, young men and women. We
:16:14. > :16:17.will offer them an assessment just to make sure we are offering them
:16:18. > :16:23.the right service and then we can offer them one`to`one counselling,
:16:24. > :16:30.or we can offer them group therapy. How difficult is it for them to come
:16:31. > :16:34.to you and talk about it? It can be extremely difficult. They can be
:16:35. > :16:36.incredibly reluctant. We have to make sure we form a good
:16:37. > :16:43.relationship with them. And support them. When they turn up, it is such
:16:44. > :16:52.a brave thing for them to do and we realise that. How do these horrific
:16:53. > :16:56.experiences make you feel `` make them feel? They have problems with
:16:57. > :17:00.relationships, with family and friends, they have trust issues,
:17:01. > :17:06.they often feel very guilty or ashamed, often they are self harming
:17:07. > :17:11.as a coping strategy, they can feel suicidal or have attempted suicide.
:17:12. > :17:15.Many different problems. We see a lot of young people who have been
:17:16. > :17:24.abused within the family and also by peers. Children in need has helped
:17:25. > :17:28.you, how? It has given us the means to employ specialist counsellors who
:17:29. > :17:33.can work with these young people, it has helped us to employ an outreach
:17:34. > :17:37.worker so the outreach worker can go out and work with these people who
:17:38. > :17:42.cannot get into the service, and we have started up a young people's
:17:43. > :17:45.creative arts group, because it is important for young people to suit
:17:46. > :17:50.meet people who have gone through similar experiences and see what
:17:51. > :17:56.coping strategies they have. What would you like these youngsters to
:17:57. > :17:59.take away with them? We want to be able to give them a chance in the
:18:00. > :18:03.future to be able to get back into education, to make them feel
:18:04. > :18:08.worthwhile, their self`esteem can be really low. We want them to be able
:18:09. > :18:16.to get on with their lives and also make the best of what the future
:18:17. > :18:25.holds. I am so pleased that you have received the help.
:18:26. > :18:33.They are doing so much great work and it is all thanks to you.
:18:34. > :18:45.Children in Need helps many children. A report tonight begins on
:18:46. > :18:48.the Isle of Wight. The activity centre gives teenagers
:18:49. > :18:52.with physical and learning disabilities the chance to improve
:18:53. > :19:01.their balance, coordination and also get an appreciation of the great
:19:02. > :19:10.outdoors. Children in Need have donated dozens of pounds. ``
:19:11. > :19:16.hundreds of pounds. Lacking in coordination, mobility, and gaining
:19:17. > :19:20.an appreciation of the environment. It would be nice to see them able to
:19:21. > :19:24.carry on and do things after the project. We have been able to get
:19:25. > :19:32.them into clubs and things. It makes a big difference. You often hear
:19:33. > :19:40.teenagers say, there is nothing for us to do, but this group puts on
:19:41. > :19:44.sports like badminton and activities like camping. It is not just
:19:45. > :19:52.something to do, it can build self`confidence and has a really
:19:53. > :19:59.positive impact. What we support is not as obvious as other
:20:00. > :20:02.organisations. We have 9800 children and our purpose is to build up their
:20:03. > :20:08.confidence so we can help them improve those skills that they need
:20:09. > :20:12.to manage their lives better. I was quite shy, I never had much
:20:13. > :20:16.confidence. I did not think of myself the way I am today because I
:20:17. > :20:21.am quite outgoing. I did not think I could have as many friends as I have
:20:22. > :20:34.now. We are very grateful for the money that was donated, without that
:20:35. > :20:37.these guys would miss out. The Elizabeth Foundation supports more
:20:38. > :20:44.than 50 families of children with a range of hearing impairments. As
:20:45. > :20:49.well as group activities they can also offer one`to`one sessions. We
:20:50. > :21:00.feel really lucky to have been given just over ?73,000 by children in
:21:01. > :21:03.Need. It is making a real difference for their language development and
:21:04. > :21:07.they're listening development and they are leaving us with nearly
:21:08. > :21:12.age`appropriate if not age`appropriate language skills. We
:21:13. > :21:15.never thought he would be going to mainstream school, which he will be
:21:16. > :21:25.in September, all thanks to everyone here. Thank you.
:21:26. > :21:28.We will have plenty more tomorrow, including finding out who the
:21:29. > :21:36.presenter is. I will be interviewing her.
:21:37. > :21:41.If you are a Southampton football fan, this is great days. Three
:21:42. > :21:52.players called up to the Roy Hodgson squad. Lallana, Lambert and now
:21:53. > :21:55.Rodriguez. It's the first time Southampton have had three players
:21:56. > :21:58.named in an England squad since 1986, when Shilton, Wright and Danny
:21:59. > :22:01.Wallace were in the late Bobby Robson's squad. It's play like this,
:22:02. > :22:05.Lallana to Lambert to Rodriguez, against Fulham at St Mary's last
:22:06. > :22:08.month which has earned them a call up for the friendlies against Chile
:22:09. > :22:12.and Germany as boss Roy Hodgson starts preparations for next year's
:22:13. > :22:15.World Cup finals in Brazil. Rodriguez has scored four goals this
:22:16. > :22:29.season while Lallana and Lambert have also starred as Saints have hit
:22:30. > :22:35.the top six. I could not believe it. Was it in your mind this might come
:22:36. > :22:42.along? I don't know. I just relief August on my club game. I just need
:22:43. > :22:47.to work hard and keep myself grounded and focus on that and if it
:22:48. > :22:51.comes, it comes, and it has come and I am delighted. I still cannot
:22:52. > :22:53.believe it. Meanwhile only Rodriguez featured in
:22:54. > :22:57.a much changed Saints side which went out of the Capital One Cup last
:22:58. > :23:00.night at Sunderland. Southampton squandered a good chance before half
:23:01. > :23:04.time when Gaston Ramirez fired wide. Sunderland took the lead when Phil
:23:05. > :23:08.Bardsley got the final touch from a goalmouth scramble. The game was
:23:09. > :23:13.effectively decided four minutes from time when Seb Larsson slotted
:23:14. > :23:17.home. Saints did get one back, Maya Yoshida with a header two minutes
:23:18. > :23:27.later, but it wasn't enough and a much changed team was out.
:23:28. > :23:39.Happy for the performance. Good games for the players. I am very
:23:40. > :23:42.happy for the performance. The racing world is saluting
:23:43. > :23:45.Lambourne's AP McCoy tonight after he rode his 4000th career winner,
:23:46. > :23:48.the first jockey in history to do so. The winning ride came at
:23:49. > :23:53.Towcester this afternoon in the 15:10. McCoy was riding Mountain
:23:54. > :24:04.Tunes, and he had plenty of work to do approaching the last. A
:24:05. > :24:16.tremendous attack on the outside as commission might. I really enjoy
:24:17. > :24:22.what I do. It is very simple. I love what I do. I have spent quite a few
:24:23. > :24:26.nights in the hospital in my life. It is physically and mentally
:24:27. > :24:30.demanding at times, but there is no better sport in the world and I am
:24:31. > :24:39.lucky to work with great people, fantastic courses `` horses and the
:24:40. > :24:48.people who turned up today shows what a great sport it is. It has
:24:49. > :25:00.been said that he is the greatest sportsman. Well done to him.
:25:01. > :25:05.As we look ahead towards the weekend, one good day, one bad day.
:25:06. > :25:08.Horses grazing in water in Corfe Castle today captured by Robin.
:25:09. > :25:12.Sarah took this photo of her dog Poppy enjoying the low tide at Hill
:25:13. > :25:18.Head this morning. And an egret in the Harnham Water Meadows in
:25:19. > :25:23.Salisbury captured by Linda Brooks. We will see a few clear spells but
:25:24. > :25:26.also one or two showers and those showers are more likely driving in
:25:27. > :25:32.from the south coast or along the M4 corridor, but there will be some
:25:33. > :25:43.clear spells as well. Their butchers will not drop to freezing, but they
:25:44. > :25:47.will hover around six? Temperatures. A band of rain starts edging its way
:25:48. > :25:56.in during the course of the morning. The latter part of the morning and
:25:57. > :26:00.through the afternoon has heavier burst and temperatures tomorrow
:26:01. > :26:03.ranging between ten and 13. When is brisk from the waist or the
:26:04. > :26:10.south`west. The rain will eventually clear away, following a showers
:26:11. > :26:18.driven along the south coast and down the M4 corridor. Their butchers
:26:19. > :26:26.very similar to tonight. `` temperatures. Another weather fronts
:26:27. > :26:31.starts moving its way in which will produce showers, gusty winds,
:26:32. > :26:36.showers at times, merging into longer spells of Ranger in the
:26:37. > :26:39.afternoon, but the chance of some sunshine during the afternoon. A
:26:40. > :26:47.mixed picture towards the weekend but looking at Sunday it will be a
:26:48. > :26:51.frosty start, dry in places, but also some sunny spells, it should
:26:52. > :26:56.stay mainly dry until Sunday evening when we are expecting further rain
:26:57. > :27:04.which will last into Monday and the temperatures will pick up as well.
:27:05. > :27:07.Showers gifting in along the English channel. A band of heavy rain
:27:08. > :27:12.through the afternoon and that will mean the rush`hour drive home
:27:13. > :27:20.tomorrow night could be wet, suffers water, localised flooding. Saturday
:27:21. > :27:31.is a mixture of showers and then Sunday is dry and bright.
:27:32. > :27:38.We are back at 8pm and 10:25pm. We will be looking at Rugby
:27:39. > :27:41.tomorrow. Good night.