07/11/2013 BBC Oxford News

2% Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford. In tonight's

programme: Council tax rises. Bucks County Council considers the five

percent increase. Also coming up: A UK first. Driverless vehicles to be

tested in Milton Keynes. The government are funding the trial.

And later on: The woman who has chosen to live in her car for four

months. The pensioner with autism fighting the Council for a home.

Pay more to protect your vital services. That's what taxpayers in

Bucks are being told by the County Council which wants to increase

council tax for the first time in three years. It is holding a

consultation asking residents if they would like ` be willing to

accept an increase of up to 5%, which could trigger a referendum.

Our reporter has more details. What is the council suggesting? Bucks

County Council, like all of our local councils, is seeing its budget

squeezed. It needs to make ?60 million worth of savings over the

next four years. Taxpayers in Bucks are being asked how much council tax

should go up by. A two percent rise would mean paying ?.41 more per week

on a band D property. `` 41p more. It is also considering a 5% increase

which would see band D taxpayers paying ?1.04 per week. 2% would

enable us to keep more services for the most vulnerable. We could ring

fence and use this money solely to improve our roads and even

pavements, that is something we could do, but only if we got the

higher council tax increase. Are their any other options? Why does

the council have to increase council tax? There is a funding incentive

from the government equivalent to the 1% increase if they freeze

council tax. They are saying they are facing things like an increasing

population, more children, so they will need more money for more school

places. We spoke to people in Aylesbury today to find out if they

were willing to pay more. I would be willing to be more because we need

new services to much. I think it does not matter how much we pay in

council tax, things would not improve. You'll macro if they end up

doing it, it will be a struggle for everyone. The findings of this

consultation will find out just how much, it is almost certain it will

go up. I asked this expert what he thought about the proposals. It will

hit those on lower and middle income is hardest. They are already

struggling with rising prices and stagnant wages. I think the need to

not take the easy `` easy option of placing the burden on hard`pressed

households. If they raise it by as much as 5% that would trigger a

referendum, what do you make of that? We have seen councils try to

increase just below the referendum to avoid asking people what they

think. The idea that they have to either cut services or increase

council tax, there are other options like cutting waste, doing things

differently. Ultimately, realising that after a decade of rises,

residents can no longer take council tax increases. Freezing council tax

is a vital way of easing pressure on family budgets. Some people we spoke

to today said they would support an increasing council tax if it meant

protecting services. That is a false choice that you either protect

services or increase council tax. It has been going up far and above

inflation. The fact people need to dip into their pockets once more is

completely incorrect. Councils need to get smarter, leaner, more

efficient. The kind of things businesses have had to be doing for

the last decade. A man from Wantage has been sentenced to 15 years in

prison for child sex offences. 46`year`old Bradley and tall was

convicted of 14 offences including one count of rape and two counts of

assault on a child under 13. Simon Rogers was fined ?1500 and Martin

Pace 250 falling an eight`week trial at Oxford Crown Court. The peer

worked at a business where the committed fraud. A top government

minister has been visiting one of the country's most innovative

schools. Students at Silverstone University technical college

specialise in high tech skills while still learning a regular curriculum.

Vince Cable visited to see how the first term was going. Business suits

instead of uniforms and a 9`to`5 working day instead of traditional

timetables, school life is very different for students year. People

are very focused on their career. I want to work with cards and

programming, it is really good experience. It is a very different

way of learning. They run a normal curriculum but students also

specialise in high engineering or hospitality and events management.

It is a great experience, 14 to 18`year`olds who want to do

practical things. Some will go to university, some straight into

apprenticeship training. I can already see the difference that is

made by having a course linked to practical work. The world`famous

Grand Prix track is just metres from the schoolroom. The hope is that

students will develop the right contacts in business now to set them

up for the future. Part of the reason companies want to work with

us as partners is because they have the same skill gaps and want to

involve people who are the very best, they get to cherry pick at the

end. I'd macro specialising so early might not be for some but for those

students who know what they want, it is an opportunity to race ahead.

Many of us travel by bus or train every day but we do be happy jumping

into a driverless bar? `` vehicle. Pods that can carry two people

shuttling back and forth. Jump in and the pod will drive itself to

where you want to go. If you arrive at the train station, you can summon

a pod using your mobile phone. You can pay for it doing that as well.

You can travel into Milton Keynes for the businesses and shopping

centres. For now you can take a bus or taxi but will people like to

travel by pod? It is a good idea, eco`friendly, I think I would use

it. I think I would just walk, it would be far safer than that. I

would certainly be up for it, new technology. The pods with travel

across Milton Keynes' many walkways. You could catch up on news and

special sensors would manoeuvre you away from obstacles in your path.

You'll macro what about children running around? How do you make sure

everyone is comfortable? It is testing how people deal with this,

can people be confident with the opportunity and feel it is safe. 100

are planned here, all will be driverless. That is all from me for

now but join us at eight o'clock and litre for the news at half past ten.

Now here is Sally Taylor. says she's been forced to live in

her car for the last four months because the local council cannot

find her a suitable home. Su Seymour is 62 and has autism. The council

says it's offered her homes nearby but she has rejected them all.

I need a home where I can make myself a cup of tea or whatever. For

Sue and her dog, this has been home since July in this car. I do not

choose to be like this. I just want to be settled. She sleeps on the

front seat ready to drive off at any point. Some drunks got on the car

and one of them had a bottle and he wanted me to take him somewhere, but

I just drove off. She lost her home in 2011 when her husband died and

she was evicted from rental accommodation for months ago. She

has been on the council waiting list for three and a half years but her

autism means she has to live in a specific part of Gosport and cannot

cope with shared accommodation or a shelter. Gosport Borough Council

says she is insisting on being placed in a small area whether or

nor free homes but it says it has offered her property is five minutes

drive away. She has had the authors which are near to where she wants to

be. They have all been two`bedroom offers because we recognise her

medical condition and that she needs family or carers to stay. All three

have been rejected. Sue says the council is not acknowledging her

mental health needs and that moving would lead to heart having

meltdowns. Having to move house and moving out of an area where you

normally left, out of your support structures, the community that now

you, can be extremely disruptive and lead to additional difficulties. If

I move out of the area I would have to change GP again which I could not

cope with. I need to be any familiar area and that is when I have to help

that come and stay with me. For Sue, the wait goes on.

Five men have been jailed after they were found with thousands of pounds

worth of Class A drugs in Southampton. Some of the men were

caught after the taxi they were travelling in was stopped by police.

Inside they found two golf ball size wraps containing heroin and cocaine.

?16,000 worth of illegal substances was subsequently recovered. The

prosecutions were part of Hampshire Police's Operation Fortress drugs

crackdown. The UK would be "foolish" not to

adopt the process of fracking. That's the view of a US energy

expert who has spoken to the BBC ahead of addressing a group of MPs

in the Commons today. Chris Faulkner, who is nicknamed the

"Frack Master" in America, visited Balcombe in Sussex, the scene of

huge protests at the possibility of the controversial process being used

there. Test drilling at Bolcom, most

protesters gone. Visited by a man from the United States who is known

as the Phrack master. In Texas where I live, underneath universities and

beneath homes and buildings, what we have got here is at least an open

area. There has been no fracking in Sussex yet but the idea brought out

the protesters in the summer, top of the concerns water contamination.

The key thing is the contamination of the water. You have to wonder

whether the conditions are therefore safe fracking to take place. If the

process was flawed, if we were contaminating drinking water, there

would be massive issues in the United States Coast to Coast with

contamination. There have already been problems with earth tremors.

Are the protesters right to worry? There were faults where they were

fracking. They made a mistake by doing it there. Yes, they will admit

they made a mistake by fracking there. If you look at the one and a

half million we have been using in the United States, we have set the

layers of cement, three layers of steel pipe, and then we drill down

3000 or 4000 metres, that is where fracking occurs. Fracking `` to say

that it contaminates water is foolish. Some say that the oil is

shallower and the rocks might not remain stable. We have three major

faults in this village alone. Those can be used as conduits and bring up

the gases from the bottom up to the surface and it would be very

unhealthy. There is a natural resource beneath the UK. If it were

to be extracted it would give you 50 years worth of energy.

All this week we have been seeing some of the projects that have

benefited from your donations to Children in Need. The projects we

support help children in all sorts of ways, sometimes confronting

uncomfortable issues. One such project is the Southampton Rape

Crisis Centre which helps over 40 children a week in coming to terms

with sexual abuse. A counsellor at the project came to the studios to

tell me how they support these youngsters. The young people come to

us because they have experienced an unwanted sexual experience. We work

with young people from the age of 11 upwards, young men and women. We

will offer them an assessment just to make sure we are offering them

the right service and then we can offer them one`to`one counselling,

or we can offer them group therapy. How difficult is it for them to come

to you and talk about it? It can be extremely difficult. They can be

incredibly reluctant. We have to make sure we form a good

relationship with them. And support them. When they turn up, it is such

a brave thing for them to do and we realise that. How do these horrific

experiences make you feel `` make them feel? They have problems with

relationships, with family and friends, they have trust issues,

they often feel very guilty or ashamed, often they are self harming

as a coping strategy, they can feel suicidal or have attempted suicide.

Many different problems. We see a lot of young people who have been

abused within the family and also by peers. Children in need has helped

you, how? It has given us the means to employ specialist counsellors who

can work with these young people, it has helped us to employ an outreach

worker so the outreach worker can go out and work with these people who

cannot get into the service, and we have started up a young people's

creative arts group, because it is important for young people to suit

meet people who have gone through similar experiences and see what

coping strategies they have. What would you like these youngsters to

take away with them? We want to be able to give them a chance in the

future to be able to get back into education, to make them feel

worthwhile, their self`esteem can be really low. We want them to be able

to get on with their lives and also make the best of what the future

holds. I am so pleased that you have received the help.

They are doing so much great work and it is all thanks to you.

Children in Need helps many children. A report tonight begins on

the Isle of Wight. The activity centre gives teenagers

with physical and learning disabilities the chance to improve

their balance, coordination and also get an appreciation of the great

outdoors. Children in Need have donated dozens of pounds. ``

hundreds of pounds. Lacking in coordination, mobility, and gaining

an appreciation of the environment. It would be nice to see them able to

carry on and do things after the project. We have been able to get

them into clubs and things. It makes a big difference. You often hear

teenagers say, there is nothing for us to do, but this group puts on

sports like badminton and activities like camping. It is not just

something to do, it can build self`confidence and has a really

positive impact. What we support is not as obvious as other

organisations. We have 9800 children and our purpose is to build up their

confidence so we can help them improve those skills that they need

to manage their lives better. I was quite shy, I never had much

confidence. I did not think of myself the way I am today because I

am quite outgoing. I did not think I could have as many friends as I have

now. We are very grateful for the money that was donated, without that

these guys would miss out. The Elizabeth Foundation supports more

than 50 families of children with a range of hearing impairments. As

well as group activities they can also offer one`to`one sessions. We

feel really lucky to have been given just over ?73,000 by children in

Need. It is making a real difference for their language development and

they're listening development and they are leaving us with nearly

age`appropriate if not age`appropriate language skills. We

never thought he would be going to mainstream school, which he will be

in September, all thanks to everyone here. Thank you.

We will have plenty more tomorrow, including finding out who the

presenter is. I will be interviewing her.

If you are a Southampton football fan, this is great days. Three

players called up to the Roy Hodgson squad. Lallana, Lambert and now

Rodriguez. It's the first time Southampton have had three players

named in an England squad since 1986, when Shilton, Wright and Danny

Wallace were in the late Bobby Robson's squad. It's play like this,

Lallana to Lambert to Rodriguez, against Fulham at St Mary's last

month which has earned them a call up for the friendlies against Chile

and Germany as boss Roy Hodgson starts preparations for next year's

World Cup finals in Brazil. Rodriguez has scored four goals this

season while Lallana and Lambert have also starred as Saints have hit

the top six. I could not believe it. Was it in your mind this might come

along? I don't know. I just relief August on my club game. I just need

to work hard and keep myself grounded and focus on that and if it

comes, it comes, and it has come and I am delighted. I still cannot

believe it. Meanwhile only Rodriguez featured in

a much changed Saints side which went out of the Capital One Cup last

night at Sunderland. Southampton squandered a good chance before half

time when Gaston Ramirez fired wide. Sunderland took the lead when Phil

Bardsley got the final touch from a goalmouth scramble. The game was

effectively decided four minutes from time when Seb Larsson slotted

home. Saints did get one back, Maya Yoshida with a header two minutes

later, but it wasn't enough and a much changed team was out.

Happy for the performance. Good games for the players. I am very

happy for the performance. The racing world is saluting

Lambourne's AP McCoy tonight after he rode his 4000th career winner,

the first jockey in history to do so. The winning ride came at

Towcester this afternoon in the 15:10. McCoy was riding Mountain

Tunes, and he had plenty of work to do approaching the last. A

tremendous attack on the outside as commission might. I really enjoy

what I do. It is very simple. I love what I do. I have spent quite a few

nights in the hospital in my life. It is physically and mentally

demanding at times, but there is no better sport in the world and I am

lucky to work with great people, fantastic courses `` horses and the

people who turned up today shows what a great sport it is. It has

been said that he is the greatest sportsman. Well done to him.

As we look ahead towards the weekend, one good day, one bad day.

Horses grazing in water in Corfe Castle today captured by Robin.

Sarah took this photo of her dog Poppy enjoying the low tide at Hill

Head this morning. And an egret in the Harnham Water Meadows in

Salisbury captured by Linda Brooks. We will see a few clear spells but

also one or two showers and those showers are more likely driving in

from the south coast or along the M4 corridor, but there will be some

clear spells as well. Their butchers will not drop to freezing, but they

will hover around six? Temperatures. A band of rain starts edging its way

in during the course of the morning. The latter part of the morning and

through the afternoon has heavier burst and temperatures tomorrow

ranging between ten and 13. When is brisk from the waist or the

south`west. The rain will eventually clear away, following a showers

driven along the south coast and down the M4 corridor. Their butchers

very similar to tonight. `` temperatures. Another weather fronts

starts moving its way in which will produce showers, gusty winds,

showers at times, merging into longer spells of Ranger in the

afternoon, but the chance of some sunshine during the afternoon. A

mixed picture towards the weekend but looking at Sunday it will be a

frosty start, dry in places, but also some sunny spells, it should

stay mainly dry until Sunday evening when we are expecting further rain

which will last into Monday and the temperatures will pick up as well.

Showers gifting in along the English channel. A band of heavy rain

through the afternoon and that will mean the rush`hour drive home

tomorrow night could be wet, suffers water, localised flooding. Saturday

is a mixture of showers and then Sunday is dry and bright.

We are back at 8pm and 10:25pm. We will be looking at Rugby

tomorrow. Good night.