08/01/2014 BBC Oxford News

goodbye from me. On BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where

A this is both today from Oxford. `` this is so today from Oxford. A

man has died in floodwaters. Homeowners say more needs to be done

to protect their properties. Every animal counts. The new additions

that are part of the annual stock take at the Cotswold wildlife Park.

Later, powering up electric cars in a flash. High Speed two recharging

points coming to motorway service stations.

Good evening. There are fresh warnings tonight

about the dangers of going into flood water after the death of a

cyclist. The man who was in his 70s got into difficulties on a road at

Wytham near Oxford. He's the second person to die in floodwater in

Oxfordshire since the weekend. The flooding has brought more problems

on the roads and the rails today. A second main route into Oxford the

Botley Road has now closed. It's led to long delays for drivers and buses

have had to be re`routed. Train services have been affected with

delays and cancellations. Outside Oxford many other roads are closed

and the Thames is still rising. Our reporter is in Wytham just outside

Oxford. What do we know about the man who's died?

Well, police have just told us in the past hour that the man was 73

years of age. Behind me was a road. It is now or ever the flooding

fields on either side. He was taken to hospital for he was pronounced

dead. His next of kin had been informed. We have no identity as

yet. Others turned back when they realised it was too dangerous. He is

the second man to die in the last couple of days within the county.

There was a 47`year`old man travelling across a bridge in Oxford

on a mobility scooter. He was taken away by the water. The water is

rising. There is a danger for people trying to travel through roads like

this. Botley Road is usually a major

thoroughfare into Oxford. Today it was more quiet. Some were prepared.

For those in cars, turning around was their only option. The road

closure has been devastating for some businesses. It has been quite

severe. We do a lot of passing trade and rely on the traffic. We have

lost all of that trade that we would normally have. January is usually

quiet anyway, but the weather has not helped. It is quite a dramatic

effect on business. Across the county, bus diversions and road

closures caused major delays. And trains were running much more

slowly. This road is usually closed to traffic. It was opened to ease

congestion. Flood defences might not have helped the allotments, but many

properties have remained dry. The defences have done a good job. Lots

of pumps are going. They have been here all night. It is hard to sleep

because of the noise, however. Despite that, resident here I've

been told to prepare for evacuations. Some have already

packed up and left their homes. How effective have flood defences

being? The Environment Agency say flood

defences are holding their own. Have safety pumps ready to go for

required. As we just heard, surrounding roads around Botley Road

or affecting thousands of motorists. Residents are being told they might

have to evacuate because defences will not hold. In so think say, ``

in this town, homes have flooded. Underwater again. Peter Rawcliffe's

home has been flooded four times in the last ten years. We need to do

more for people, for business and we need to do more sooner rather than

later. Today the Prime Minister told the Commons more than 100 flood

warnings are still in place across the UK. He asked the public to be

vigilant. We have been coordinating this at a national level. We will

continue to meet until the threat has passed. We advise people to pay

attention to local information. Things have got worse over the last

24 hours. We have been successfully holding back water on Botley Road

since Saturday, but levels got too high and we had to let water in.

Oxford city counci are worried about the impact flooding will have on

Oxford's economy. If you have pictures of flooding

where you are you can send them to us at [email protected].

While there's too much water in many places, in Upper Rissington near

Burford, there's the opposite problem a lack of it. Hundreds of

residents keep losing their water supply because of building works

nearby. Our reporter has been to meet some of the people affected.

Boxing Day came, my waters broke and there was no water. I couldn't have

a bath or flush the toilet. Katie never knows when the water will be

on or off so she's resorted to buying in water to sterilise her

baby's bottles. The washing machine stops when it pleases. You can't do

the washing up. It is an absolute chore. She's not alone. Over 300

homes in the village are affected. Karen's spending ?5 a day on bottled

drinking water. We don't know what is happening. No one is telling us

if the water is safe to drink. We asked over a week ago and they have

not told us of the water is safe to drink. The problem is linked to a

new housing development where the local the water system's being

replaced. In a statement Rissington Management Company apologises for

the disruption and says: But some residents think they

haven't acted quickly enough. Cotswolds District Council says it

has received a number of complaints and is holding urgent discussions

with the management company. The council's environmental health

officers are testing the quality of the water but residents have been

told by RMC that the issues will be dealt with in the coming days.

People living in Goring in South Oxfordshire are challenging Tesco

tonight over plans to open a new store. The retail giant is hoping to

convert a former pub into a Tesco Express. But more than 900 people

have signed a petition opposing the plan. Residents will hold a vote

tonight at a meeting at the Village Hall. Tesco says the company's

investment would create new jobs. A decision is expected later this

evening on plans to build housing on the site of the old greyhound

stadium in Oxford. Developers want to put 200 homes on the site which

closed in December 2012. But there's been a vocal campaign, backed by the

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, for the track to be re`opened. Planners at

Oxford City Council have recommended refusal of the scheme.

Imagine trying to count a case full of stick insects or an enclosure of

bats. That's what keepers at the Cotswold wildlife park have been

doing. They've been carrying out their annual animal stock take this

week. There are a couple of extra humps to

count in this enclosure. The baby camel was born last month. Asterix

is six months old, the baby rhino. And these baby leopard cubs are so

new they don't have names yet. The ringtail bloomers all look the same.

`` lemurs. You have to count several times to make sure you have the

correct number. One, two, three. Well, that is the giraffes done. But

there are 1500 animals including tiny insects. We have 78 fruit bats.

They can have babies without us knowing. They hide a babies under

their wings. They are tricky. Some of the birds are difficult. They can

estimate bushes and you don't know about it. The headcount is nearly

done. The data will be used to share with others used to assist in

reading programmes. home for more than one battery

charge. Unions representing lecturers and

support staff at Bournemouth University say they're insulted by

the pay rise given to their boss. The Vice Chancellor, Professor John

Vinney, received a 19% increase last year `` taking his total annual

package to almost a ?250,000. Teaching staff were offered a 1%

rise which they're currently fighting through industrial action.

James Ingham is here with more. Thanks Sally. Details of this latest

pay rise come at a difficult time for universities, with campuses in

the midst of a pay dispute ` teaching staff campaigning for

better salaries. Professor Vinney's 19% rise takes his total package to

?244,000. It's an increase that's higher than the average given to

captains of industry in the UK's top 100 companies, where salaries went

up by an average 14%. Bournemouth's boss is not the only one to benefit

from large rises. Southampton University's leader Don Nutbeam was

awarded almost six percent ` taking his total annual earnings to almost

?33.000. And at Winchester University, Joy Carter got a 12 per

cent rise ` she now earns 222,000. Meanwhile university staff, who've

had six years of pay restraint, are limited to a 1% rise. Most students

I met on campus, whose ?9,000 annual fees contribute to staff salaries,

thought the pot should be more evenly shared.

I think it's unfair on the lecturers, seeing as they are doing

the hard work. It depends on job roles. If he's doing more for the

University, he deserves it. It does sound like a lot. Bournemouth, like

many other Universities, benchmarks senior salaries within the UK and

abroad, and against similarly sized public and private organisations. So

how do they compare? Professor Vinney has a billion pound budget

and fourteen hundred staff. The Chief Executive of Hampshire County

Council, one of the largest in the country, has a similar budget, but

seven times more staff. He earns slightly less. Surrey Police has a

?200 million budget, and four and a half thousand employees. The Chief

Constable gets just under ?140,000. Bournemouth University has told us

its most senior managers have taken on extra responsibilities, and they

don't set their own salaries. Remuneration for its senior staff is

Unions will resume their industrial action in the next few weeks, with

more strikes at campuses across the country ` as this increasingly

bitter battle continues. No`one from Bournemouth University

was available to come onto the programme to explain the pay awards

` and the group which represents most universities, Universities UK,

didn't have anyone free either. A short time ago, I spoke to Simon

Renton, the president of the University and College Union. I

asked him how angry his members were about this and other pay rises.

I would like to say that they were disappointed by this unequal, uneven

handed treatment, but I think they are now so accustomed to it, that

they remain angry but I think they are not surprised. Is it not about

attracting the best talent in these jobs? For example, the vice

Chancellor of Southampton is from Australia. I have no doubt that if

you wish to attract the best talent then decent salaries must be paid.

That's precisely the argument that we made, in favour of our members

who are university professionals, who are the best, the most dedicated

talent you can find. The universities are made up principally

of their staff. They are much more important than the vice chancellors

are ` they come and go. Is that fair? We're not talking about

educational institutions, so much as businesses they are running. Trying

to attract from overseas, sometimes with premises overseas. This is a

very different job, it's a business. I do see that point, but the reason

it is a major export industry, one of the few remaining healthy exports

that the UK still has, is based on its reputation for quality. It's the

quality of the teaching and of the support staff, which makes it

attractive to students from overseas. You've had many years of

pay restraint ` do you anticipate that you will be striking again this

year? Do you honestly think it will make a difference? Since 2009, we

have lost 13%. We have had two days of strike action, together with

other trade unions. Industrial action will certainly continue into

this year, both in terms of strike action and action short of a strike,

perhaps, including disruption of marking. A new centre has opened in

Berkshire with the aim of dealing with what's been called the dementia

time bomb. Reading's already one of a group of communities gearing up to

deal with the growing number of people living with the condition.

Now, the Town's university and local NHS have teamed up to carry out

cutting edge research into dementia as Joe Campbell reports.

Few universities can boast facilities like this. By working

with the NHS, academics will gain access to patients with a personal

interest in tackling dementia. Already, a list of areas worth

exploring is taking shape. We know that diet and health are linked to

the incidence of dementia, and the progression of dementia. That's one

of the areas we will be doing a lot of work in. It's not just a set of

new offices that's generating enthusiasm for the centre. To be

able to help patients and advance clinical science is fantastic. The

fact that we are collaborating with the University of Reading is a

logical next step for where we need to be going. We've all seen the

messages from charities, that with a little more funding, together, we

can beat cancer or tackle heart disease. But dementia has always

been something of a Cinderella. Now, it seems as though they're playing

catch up. That's welcome news for Ruth, whose husband was diagnosed

with Alzheimer's four years ago. When you're living with someone who

you've known for a long time, and you see changes in them that you

know could cause problems, you want to get help as soon as possible. No

one can predict when a breakthrough may come, but the work starts

tomorrow when patients arrive for the first clinic.

After four days, exhibitors and say that big deals are being signed at

the London boat show. Princess and caught up with southerly yachts.

Last March, the West Sussex Yard stopped trading with the owner went

bust. The brand has continued after the business was restructured.

Today, a show of confidence. It's been an interesting period. Sales

across the industry are moving forward. A positive outlook. A very

good on the water show, generally. A different dynamic of customer. With

more than 100 businesses from across the leisure marine industry,

exhibitors from the South were a dominant force. Getting a sense of

the deal is taking place isn't easy, but one boat builders sold three

yachts on the first day. There is a tangible sense of optimism in this

sector. We believe we are seeing a recovery in the UK boating market.

Last year, there was good reports of sales across all sectors. That has

been sustained over the last few months. We are very confident that

2014 will be good for the boating industry. This company makes

waterproof dear. They have been in business for eight years and are

growing steadily. There is definitely growth this year. We are

certainly seeing an uplift in confidence. This industry is more

resilient than most. Their exports are increasing, but the domestic

markets still needs to pick up. To do that, attendance at shows like

this is essential. He may have retired from Olympic

sailing, but Sir Ben Ainslie has a very busy diary for 2014. He was at

the London Boat Show, today, announcing his racing ambitions for

the next year. This is what Sir Ben has lined up for 2014 ` the Extreme

Sailing series. It's a glamorous global circuit, where the multihulls

reach up to 30 knots. It's not called extreme for nothing. It's a

very different type of racing, with very short courses. It's very close

to the shore, so great for spectators. The racing is very close

quarters ` quite often, the boats are wiping out and getting close to

each other. We do a lot of races, so I guess it's a high impact type of

racing. He's immediately pitted himself against another south`coast

rival ` Lee McMillan from Southampton has been the winning

skipper twice, and is the current series champion. We've got a strong

line`up of British sailors in the Extreme Sailing, this year. That's

fantastic, particularly as Ben is trying to put together an America's

Cup team. Hopefully, if we can make a strong presence in the Extremes,

it really shows what we're capable of, and gives us a good grounding

for future cup campaigns. Last summer, Ben dedicated his

record`breaking win at the Round the Island race to fellow Olympic sailor

Ben Simpson, who died in a training accident in San Francisco Bay in

May. Known to everyone as Bart, Simpson's sister Amanda, and some of

his friends, came up with the idea of Bart's Bash. It's a mass

participation event, and has been billed as the largest dinghy sailing

event in the world. They were the ones who really camp up with the

idea to have a global race of clubs all over the world, having a race at

the same time on 21st September, to get as many people out there sailing

in memory of Bart as we can. It's a fantastic idea. It's very fitting of

his memory. The one thing then wouldn't be drawn on today was any

more detail of his America's Cup campaign. We'll have to wait until

the spring before any further announcements.

Our next story is about a rubbish art exhibition. That's not a

comment, because Lou McCurdy and Chloe Hanks make displays using

pieces of plastic dumped or washed up on the Sussex sea shore. It's to

raise awareness of the need to re`use and re`cycle. When Lou's

sister`in`law came to see their latest work, she was amazed to see

it included a shoe she'd lost on the beach years before. Ian Palmer has

the story. For three weeks, Lou McCurdy on the

beach between Shoreham and Birling Gap. Little did she know, that one

day, she'd pick up the shoe her sister`in`law lost four years

earlier. It had only moved up the beach, about four or five beaches

up, so 300 to 400 yards up from where she had it on, swimming that

day. I suppose it's quite a funny story. Elaine McCurdy lives in

Oxford, but on a visit to the London Road gallery in Brighton, she was

astonished to find her long lost shoe was part of the exhibition. I

was really surprised. I was walking along the shelves with my niece, and

I said, I wonder if Louise will ever find my shoe? And, literally, at

that minute `she was next to me and can verify it ` looked down, and

there was my shoe. I picked it up and shrieked down the exhibition:

Louise, you've found my shoe! Elaine kept the remaining shoe, on the off

chance her sister`in`law would find it. However, tired of waiting, she

threw it away. She bought them in Greece, and she went back to the

shop, and they don't do this particular kind of shoe any more.

So, she was a bit upset. I said I'd sell it on eBay! The exhibition of

rubbish is trying to raise awareness about what we consume, and what we

throw away, and the everlastng nature of plastic. Plastic memories

` lost and found. Onto today's weather, and Spike

Holifield took this another band of rain on its way

tonight. The high pressure starts to build. The rest the week should be

slightly weaker. But rain band will clear through the Purley errors of

the morning, particularly for areas south of Berkshire. Temperatures

dropping to a mild seven to eight Celsius. The winners will start to

increase through the course of the Purley hours of the morning.

Tomorrow, it will be quite blustery. It should be an improving

picture throughout the day, some sunny spells will develop. Drier end

to the day with a high of nine Celsius. Tomorrow, there is still a

risk of a shower. Temperatures falling away rapidly. The risk of

ice and Patsy frost, as well. Reticulin Purley in the countryside.

To or three Celsius, perhaps, perhaps down to the freezing. ``

down to freezing. I dry start on Friday. It should stay may be

driving through daylight hours. We are expecting this whether France to

greet them, maybe light to moderate rain. That will arrive after dark on

Friday, lasting through the Purley hours of Saturday morning. On

Saturday, it should be a damp and cloudy start, with sunny spells for

the rest of the day. Tomorrow, we can expect a few showers. Any

showers throughout the day could be quite blustery, with strong

south`westerly winds. Radiation the drive, with the odd scattered

shower. The winds are lighter than tomorrow. `` Friday should be

drying. The chilly start on Sunday, and the possibility of further rain

overnight into Monday