:00:00. > :00:20.Good evening. Network Rail has been criticised over its preparation work
:00:21. > :00:23.to electrify the Great Western Line. Bridges have to be demolished and
:00:24. > :00:27.rebuilt so power cables can be installed. Work is due to take place
:00:28. > :00:30.in Oxfordshire later in the year. But in Wiltshire, where it's already
:00:31. > :00:36.started, there are complaints about the disruption. Robin Markwell
:00:37. > :00:41.reports. Electrifying 300 miles of real way to make it cleaner, greener
:00:42. > :00:44.and faster. This is how we'll soon be travelling to London and South
:00:45. > :00:47.Wales. Electrifying the line will see tired old diesel`powered trains
:00:48. > :00:50.replaced by a faster, more reliable fleet. A souped`up version of this
:00:51. > :00:54.machine will lay the overhead cables. It will work nights and
:00:55. > :00:57.weekends to cut down on disruption to rail passengers. But it's those
:00:58. > :01:00.travelling by road who are first noticing a difference. Dozens of
:01:01. > :01:03.bridges are having to be rebuilt or replaced to allow the power`lines
:01:04. > :01:07.through. They've already started in Wiltshire and councillors say
:01:08. > :01:13.they're running late. We've been very disappointed in the
:01:14. > :01:17.pre`planning. They haven't planned the project or find out the
:01:18. > :01:21.conditions or wildlife that is living under the bridges. All
:01:22. > :01:26.communities have been blocked off from using or accessing the roads
:01:27. > :01:30.and it is a real problem. That's disputed by Network Rail which
:01:31. > :01:33.insists it has carried out the right surveys and has been open with
:01:34. > :01:36.councils about its plans. Network Rail's Swindon HQ is the nerve
:01:37. > :01:39.centre for this billion pound project. The new broom at the helm
:01:40. > :01:47.is a Californian, fresh from electrifying the West Coast mainline
:01:48. > :01:52.and redeveloping Reading station. Personally I would be very excited
:01:53. > :01:57.about what is coming, it will be much better than the system that
:01:58. > :02:03.exists to date. It will transform Great Western into a new error and a
:02:04. > :02:15.more efficient system of delivery as we move forward into the next
:02:16. > :02:19.decade. `` either. `` era. It was the age of steam that put Swindon on
:02:20. > :02:31.the railway map. Now it's hoped electrification could restore that
:02:32. > :02:33.former glory. A ?67 million investment in Oxfordshire, to get
:02:34. > :02:37.cutting`edge science and technology products on to the market has been
:02:38. > :02:40.announced by the Chancellor, as part of a deal to boost the local
:02:41. > :02:43.economy. George Osborne made the announcement during a visit to
:02:44. > :02:46.Begbroke Science Park. He said ?30 million would come from central
:02:47. > :02:49.government and the rest from local councils and universities. The
:02:50. > :02:52.money's designed to help innovative small firms sell their products to
:02:53. > :02:56.the rest of the world. Work is due to start on the country's first eco
:02:57. > :02:59.town, on the outskirts of Bicester, towards the end of March. The
:03:00. > :03:02.project has been five years in the planning. But some people say
:03:03. > :03:06.Bicester isn't ready for hundreds of new homes and the extra traffic.
:03:07. > :03:09.Here's Adina Campbell. In just eight weeks, this rain space will see a
:03:10. > :03:12.big transformation. It's the moment developers have been waiting for. We
:03:13. > :03:14.know that building work will take place year over the next three
:03:15. > :03:19.years, what will we actually see on this field? We will see 370
:03:20. > :03:23.energy`efficient homes built here. We will have a primary school and
:03:24. > :03:28.the business Centre to start creating jobs. We will have some
:03:29. > :03:32.shops and offices they are. But this is just the beginning. There will
:03:33. > :03:36.eventually be 6,000 new homes built here over the next 20 years, as well
:03:37. > :03:38.as an eco pub and allotments. Some of the features include triple
:03:39. > :03:46.glazing, water recycling and solar panels. Apart from the sheet there
:03:47. > :03:52.is not much to see on these 80 acres of farmland but by spring 2015 the
:03:53. > :03:55.first phase of homes will be deadly. Once finished, the idea is to create
:03:56. > :03:57.a top`class environmentally friendly community using energy which
:03:58. > :03:59.releases no carbon emissions. There'll be new cycle routes,
:04:00. > :04:03.charging points for electric vehicles and bus services. There's
:04:04. > :04:06.also a promise to make big reductions in waste during building
:04:07. > :04:11.work, meaning no rubbish will go to landfill. Only the London 2012
:04:12. > :04:15.Olympics has achieved this so far in the UK. Developers are now preparing
:04:16. > :04:23.the site, which includes paving the way for new access roads. Around 200
:04:24. > :04:26.campaigners have been protesting in Oxford over possible cuts to
:04:27. > :04:29.services for homeless people and victims of domestic violence. The
:04:30. > :04:32.County Council needs to save ?93 million in the next four years. Some
:04:33. > :04:40.homeless hostels could lose almost 40% of their funding. The remains of
:04:41. > :04:44.2,500 people could be moved from a graveyard in Buckinghamshire to a
:04:45. > :04:48.new location plans for HS2 go ahead. The high speed rail line is due to
:04:49. > :04:57.cut through the site of the old Stoke Mandeville Church. Sinead
:04:58. > :05:01.Carroll reports. Moss covered but not forgotten. This Buckinghamshire
:05:02. > :05:08.graveyard is the latest site to be affected by plans for High Speed 2.
:05:09. > :05:11.If it goes ahead it will cut through here, across the field, right
:05:12. > :05:21.through and into this woodland area where we are standing. The site of
:05:22. > :05:29.the church first built in 1190. What we have is the side of the church
:05:30. > :05:34.art and its cemetery. We estimate 2600 people at a minimum. There is
:05:35. > :05:45.also a water mill which is mentioned in the Domesday book. Like macro
:05:46. > :05:49.Campaigners say if HS2 limited is going to build here the area should
:05:50. > :06:01.receive compensation, just as you would if your house was demolished.
:06:02. > :06:02.It is the remains of many people, families who live here keen about
:06:03. > :06:20.these people. The consultation on the
:06:21. > :06:32.environmental impact poses next month. In football, Swindon were
:06:33. > :06:41.held to a 1`1 draw by promotion chasing rivals Walsall. MK dons lost
:06:42. > :06:49.3`0 away at Carlisle. Now the weather forecast. Showers on the
:06:50. > :06:55.cards tonight. They could be on the heavy side perhaps with the odd
:06:56. > :07:00.rumble of thunder and heal. Tomorrow we pick up an easterly breeze which
:07:01. > :07:04.will certainly take the edge of temperatures. Showers will continue
:07:05. > :07:10.drifting in from the safe. They could be on the heavy side with some
:07:11. > :07:15.heal and thunder. More rain and sunshine. Temperatures will reach
:07:16. > :07:20.four to five Celsius. The breeze will make it feel cold out in the
:07:21. > :07:26.open. The risk of snow over the hills, not amounting to March. We
:07:27. > :07:30.have the ice risk tomorrow night lasting into Thursday morning.
:07:31. > :07:31.That's all for tonight, good night.