12/02/2014 BBC Oxford News

heading our way and wet and windy again. That is all

Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford. In tonight's programme:

First the rain, now strong winds are causing problems.

A roof has blown off a block of flats, writing off a car, and a tree

has fallen across a railway line in Oxford.

Meanwhile, keeping the traffic moving ` fire crews are praised for

pumping out water on routes into Oxford.

Also tonight: He survived this plane crash ` also saving the life of his

godson ` but six months on, Giles English says he doesn't know if

he'll ever fly again. And later on: The cuts continue `

the force where another 500 jobs are to go.

The flooding was bad enough. Now, storm force winds are adding to the

disruption being felt right across our region. Tonight, hundreds of

homes are without power after electricity lines came down. The

roof was torn from a block of flats in Oxford, damaging cars, although

luckily, no`one was injured. A man is in hospital after the tree fell

under his car in Farringdon. In a moment, we'll hear about travel

disruption and what the weather's going to throw at us next. But

first, the man leading the Thames Valley's response to the continuing

crisis says the emergency services are being pushed to the limit.

Victoria Cook reports. Powerful and destructive. Strong

winds came with yet more rain today tearing through the Thames Valley,

taking this roof with it. It has being classed as a major incident.

Emergency services are working with the army to tackle the floods.

Police officers are being asked to cancel leave and work longer hours.

We have got members of the public and have had their lives disrupted

by floods. The least we can do is to work hard and long hours to make it

as bearable as it possibly can be. On the ground, fire crews working

round the clock to keep water away from homes and successfully keep

roads open. It's in stark contrast to last month when roads were closed

for days, homes flooded and the city at a standstill. This time, the

emergency services have tried a different approach. New pumping

techniques have mostly kept the floods away. Vital routes like the

Botley Road were protected. This afternoon, the Abingdon Road also

reopened. Using the Botley Road in deploying hoses was a new method and

that seems to work quite well. We're trying the new method of pumping now

to see where we can put that water and we're putting its great back in

attendance at the moment. `` straight back in the Thames. The

smarter emergency service response has meant much less disruption to

everyday life. The state I work on was totally flooded. This time it is

what free. It has been brilliant, yes. I was expecting not to be or to

get through Botley Road but it is marvellous. They have done a

splendid job. Especially in one to places like outside church. `` one

or two places. Officials say that whatever happens in the coming days,

their priority is to keep main routes open and continue to try and

divert flood water from people's homes and businesses.

While the major roads have been faring better today, rail travel

from Oxford remains severely hampered by flooding further down

the tracks. This was Hinksey two days ago. Trains were forced to

travel no faster than 5mph. By this afternoon, the waters on this

section had subsided. But services haven't been able to return to

normal because of flooding down the line towards London. A tree across

the line in Wolvercote means trains are having to be diverted. Later in

the programme, our transport correspondent Paul Clifton will be

looking at the impact the weather is having on travel and what we can

expect in the days ahead. A short time ago, I asked our

weather forecaster Alexis Green just how tricky today has been.

The rain has not been a massive problem today but obviously flooding

is a big problem at the moment. Any rainfall is very unwelcome. But

today was the winds. We saw costs of 55 mph across the region and that

has caused a bit of disruption. There is another storm forecast for

later in the week, isn't there? Yes, there will be any area of low

pressure from the Atlantic on Friday and into Saturday morning. The Met

Office have the issued and yellow weather warning for strong winds. We

could see gusts of 60 mph yet again and more rainfall. We're looking at

perhaps rainfall totals of up to one inch. I will have a full five`day

forecast for you later in the programme.

Again you've been sending us pictures of flooding near where you

live ` thanks as always. Here it seems the level of the Thames in

Henley has dropped a little since yesterday in this picture from Mark

Chappell. It's not all grim ` these beautiful

colours and reflections at Blenheim Park were taken by Brian Taylor from

Woodstock. And thanks also to Joy Bithell for

her view over Hurst Meadow ` although it's currently more of a

lake ` near Dorchester Abbey. Thank you for sending those in.

Other news now, and for months, we've been warned that deep and

damaging cuts to public services were inevitable. Now it seems at

least some of what was under threat isn't any more. Oxfordshire County

Council says it will reverse ?1.3 million of planned cuts and invest

?3 million more into improving services. This from our political

reporter Helen Catt. The leader of Oxfordshire County

Council stayed a lot longer than 15 minutes when he visited Jill and

David Cooper this morning. And soon, the couple's carers will be

able to as well. ?800,000 has been set aside to ensure all personal

care visits last at least half an hour in future. It is excellent,

because sometimes when we haven't seen anyone all day except

ourselves, it is good to have a chance to talk to people in the

evening. Maybe tell the carer what we have been doing. Under the new

budget changes, some cuts will be scrapped as well. Oxo's Pegasus

Theatre will keep its grand along with welfare advice centres after

better than from the Government. We found an additional ?4 million and

we have used that on the priorities that we think are necessary for the

County Council to distributed evenly across priority areas. But

controversial proposals are still going forward. Cuts to a fund which

supports homeless people will be rephrased but not reduced. We are

disappointed about this. We felt we had a strong case and we couldn't

follow to the council and hoped they had listened to us. I gather they

have some money they can be putting back into services and I am

disappointed at not chosen to put it back into homelessness services. The

newly tweaked budget will go to a vote of all councillors next Judy.

`` next Tuesday. A pilot who suffered serious

injuries after being involved in a light air crash near Banbury six

months ago says he doesn't know if he'll ever fly again. Oxfordshire

businessman Giles English was praised for his quick thinking which

saved both his own life and that of his 11`year`old godson. He has been

speaking about the experience publicly for the first time to our

reporter Jessica Cooper. I was at the back here. You flew the biplane

from the back and all would have been here. We had back injuries and

were cut out. It is now not looking so good. This is what is left of the

front of the plane. Yes, the two wings have been taken off now and

this is the engine, which was all twisted when they moved it

afterwards. Obviously, part of well the engine stops, the propeller

would have been poking into the ground. It is complete terror

instantly and then you have to gather your senses of what is going

on and what has happened. But you only have ten seconds to deal with

this. It happens extremely quickly. It was a very different day six

months ago when Giles took from this airfield. After flying for 15

minutes, he was heading back here when the engine cut out and the

plane came down to miles away. It crash landed in the grounds of

Canons Ashby House, a National Trust property. The air ambulance was

quickly on scene to treat Giles and his godson who between them had

broken multiple bones. Giles is now back at work at the Henley company

he created with his brother. They were taught to fly by their father.

We spent the whole time in a workshop with him as kids making

things. He was an aeronautical engineer from Cambridge so he used a

stick is in the workshop, restoring old and watches will stop that is

why aviation and watches have gone so closely together for us.

With a handful of 1930s De Havilland Gipsy Moth aircrafts still in the

skies, Giles is planning to restore his, but whether he'll fly it again

is another question. I have got to give it some time. I

have been through two plane crashes a family. My father died in a plane

crash. It is hard to take. That's all from me for the moment.

I'll have the headlines at eight and a full bulletin at 10.25. Now more

of today's stories with Sally Taylor.

called to the office in St Mary's Butts in Reading yesterday

afternoon. Officers say the packages were intended to cause injury. No

other devices have been found. Still to come in this evening's

South Today... More bad weather on the way? Alexis will have the

forecast. Gusts of just under 100 mph today, and another storm on the

way. More details later in the programme.

Police officers in Hampshire say they're deeply concerned about

further cuts to the force. More than five hundred posts will be closed

over the next ten years as the force saves twenty five million pounds

from their budget. The Chief Constable of the force says he is

worried about the impact on remaining staff but says Hampshire

Police will still provide a good service to the public.

The bobby on the beat. It's what the public say they want to see. But as

Hampshire police face a further budget squeeze, front line staff

will be cut. But the force hopes by working more closely with other

agencies like councils and reorganising its management, the

savings can be made with as little impact as possible. The public will

be worried and concerned, and my staff will be worried and concerned,

and the important thing is to give them a clear vision of how we get to

this and protect those essential services for them, to keep them

safe. And I'm confident that in two years time, we will still do a great

job from the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. But there is no

question. Tough decisions have had to be made which will result in new

ways of policing. Police stations moving into council buildings, more

calls handled without officers being dispatched. It is the officers and

civilian staff of Hampshire police that work in police stations like

this across the county who would be most affected by the changes. In the

last four years, anyone hasn't posts have closed, now there are proposals

for another 500 anorak concerns about the impact that will have on

those that remain. That could potentially place police officers

that and 24/7 responding to emergencies, that could put them in

a more dangerous place and likewise the public. Yes, we have had to

adapt, but we have gone beyond the tipping point. Preventing crime and

putting victims first will remain a priority in Hampshire, but it will

be a considerably leaner force putting that into practice.

The emergency services have been out in force across the region today to

help towns and villages feeling the brunt of the weather. In the village

of Shaw near Newbury in West Berkshire the Army joined the fight

to hold back the flood waters. Around eighty homes have been

affected, and the police say they will issue fines to motorists

ignoring road closed signs. All afternoon, it has been a case of

watching and waiting as the waters get ever closer. It is getting

higher and higher and we are very worried and panicking and scared. It

came underneath the house, we managed to get this board appear,

and inside, you can see the water is already underneath the house. It is

a matter of moving everything we can and then keeping our fingers

crossed. Council staff are much in evidence today, but for some, there

are rival is too late and anger is rising almost as the river. The buck

is being passed to left, right and centre and nobody seems to be able

to make a decision, and now it is too late, because there are

thousands of tonnes of water in that river and it has now reached the

banks, so we do not know how deep it will get. There is a two centimetre

rise in the river which would mean that most properties internally

could remain dry. With water and sewerage coming up from a low, using

nearby troops to build a sandbag wall wasn't the answer. Sandbags can

be very effective in some locations, but in some places, they can create

a down and make it worse. Tonight, the police began fining motorists

who ignored road closures as the water begins to rise. The water

rising is just one concern with the people charged with making sure

people stay safe. The concern is that children on their half term

holidays will find the water too tempting and could be swept away if

they get too close to these fast flowing rivers.

Almost every railway route in the region has seen delays or

cancellations. But by far the most critical problem is in the Thames

Valley. Tonight there are suggestions that it might not be

fixed for weeks. Our Transport Correspondent is here. Things have

has got worse today. When a train company advises people

not to travel by train, you know things are really bad. I want to

show you a picture of a metal box. Here it is. It contains signalling

equipment on the Great Western at Maidenhead, and it's not working.

This isn't a flooding river, it's ground water bubbling up. Network

Rail has no idea when this will be sorted out but it could take weeks.

It means instead of running 25 trains an hour each way, First Great

Western can only run five. Remember the sea wall collapsing in Devon,

and taking the railway line with it? The train company says that in terms

of disruption, the problem at Maidenhead is very much worse. The

fact that we have got the signalling out of use in such a critical part

of the network is a massive issue, and I would not want anybody to be

in any doubt that we face a very major challenge running the railways

without this signalling available. Clearly a very serious problem And

it is by no means the only problem on the railways.

All our train operators have had disruption today. For hours there

were no services west of Salisbury or west of Bournemouth. There were

delays and cancellations around Southampton, and Portsmouth, and in

West Sussex. They can be fixed. The Great Western in Berkshire is in a

completely different league. And road closures too. So many I

couldn't begin to list them. Dorset Police took the unprecedented step

this afternoon of telling people not to travel at all. And tonight there

are several main roads in Wiltshire that are only just about passable.

Thank you. Get all the local information on your BBC local radio

station. The Enterprise Zone at Lee`on`Solent

is part of a key Government strategy to boost economic recovery. The aim

is to create three and a half thousand jobs in the marine and

aviation sectors over the next twelve years and has attracted seven

million pounds of government support. It's an ambitious target,

so you'd think they'd want to encourage as many firms as possible

onto the site. But one boat company says it's been turned away because

the plan is to get a developer to market a large part of the site.

Marek Mamczur and Paul Horrocks at the site of what they hoped would be

a thriving new business employing up to 15 people. They would renovate

this disused hangar and slipway leading into the Solent, and open a

boat storage facility plus chandlery and workshop. They started speaking

with the Homes Communities Agency a year ago after seeing adverts

offering commercial development opportunities at Daedalus for marine

businesses. They commissioned plans and impressions of how their

operation would look and hoped to open this spring. They also bought

lifting equipment which they've stored on a car parking area they're

renting on a short`term basis close to the hangar. They say so far

they've spent more than ?50,000 on setting up the business. Mr Mamczur

says although they hadn't received a written agreement, they were led to

believe that would happen. There are asked to jump through hoops from the

homes and community agency. We had preplanning applications with

Gosport, we had all of her livery made, they actually told us at one

point, that we could go out and celebrate, because it was in the bag

for us. But Mr Mamczur says last month everything changed. We had a

meeting with the Homes Communities Agency at their Bristol office where

they told us their intention was to clear most of the businesses off the

site and sell it to a developer. How do you feel about that? They were

advertising one thing publicly, they wanted marina assessment, but behind

closed doors, all they want to do is sell this entire area to a

developer. In December another company, Sapphire Aviation, pulled

out of Daedalus after 14 months there, saying they had "got their

fingers burned". They'd restored three derelict hangars for cleaning

and storing planes and say they had a non`binding agreement to lease

more land. But then the agency let it to Fareham Borough Council, so

Sapphire moved out with the loss of six jobs. The Homes Communities

Agency told us the land will be used for a new innovation centre for

start`up businesses, creating 150 new jobs, and that Sapphire had been

offered different plots, discounted accommodation and an extended lease

on its current premises. In relation to Marek Mamczur's proposed boat

yard business the agency told us... Mr Mamczur and Mr Horrocks say if

their boat yard plan here is thwarted they'll consider taking

legal action to recoup some of the ?50,000 they've spent.

Let's talk about sports technology now.

Yes, you technology implemented in getting quick decisions. We will see

it all in a moment. Southampton had been stuck in ninth

place in the table for their last nine games, but finally managed to

break free with a hard`earned success on Humberside. The result at

Hull was the first time Saints had won back to back away games in the

Premier League since 2001. A denied winter hall from

Southampton to hold means a sparkling amateur football to warm

the bones, but the Saints were to be awarded for their round`trip. Rickie

Lambert made this early chance. Saint were let off when Shane Long

hit the upright at the other end. The best of the chances throughout

the evening. Jay Rodriguez also troubled the woodwork. Through the

second half, the penalty area chaos with a technological intervention.

Then there was this denial. Then a second effort triggered the legal

decision system before Rickie Lambert fired home. The girl was the

13th of the club, a lucky omen. I wasn't sure, I guess the new

technology proves it was my goal. I am happy to help the team, but most

importantly we got the three points and it was very welcome.

Some transfer news this evening, Bournemouth winger Josh McQuoid has

joined League One side Peterborough on loan for the rest of the season.

To the Winter Olympics in Sochi next, and Sussex skier Chemmy Alcott

was understandably delighted with a top`20 finish in the women's

downhill today. The 31`year`old has recently battled back from breaking

her leg for a third time. Competing at her fourth Winter Games, Alcott's

time was nearly two seconds off the pace of the winner. But having

overcome adversity just to make the starting gate, the Hove skier was

satisfied with her efforts, in finishing 19th.

Every time I have come back from these like breaks it has been worth

it, and a top 20 in the Olympics after what I have been through has

been great justice, I'm so proud, I did not disappoint myself, I did not

skate pretty, it is far from pretty, but I am so proud.

Surrey batsman Kevin Pietersen was the only one of the South's

cricketers to be snapped up, on the first day of the auction for this

year's Indian Premier League. Pietersen went for ?880,000 to the

Delhi Daredevils, the same team he played for last year. Sussex's Luke

Wright, and former Hampshire all`rounder Dimi Mascarenas will go

under the hammer again tomorrow. Meanwhile, Sussex coach Mark

Robinson has today told the BBC that he will apply for the vacant job as

England's new technical director. Andy Flower left the post after the

winter tour of Australia. The weather has meant Great

Britian's rowers, who are based at Caversham, will miss a trial in

Lincolnshire this weekend. The event at Boston has been cancelled.

Meanwhile, flooding at their training base has meant its been

tricky getting the boats in and out of the water and even getting to and

from the boathouse. The rowers have lost training days when the wind has

been too strong, but mainly they've been able to stick to their

schedule. I think the real problem is the selection period her people

are really fighting for their seats. This is all starting there.

People have their eye on the water, and there are certainly frustrations

if you can get there, but on the big screen, the team is committed, no

matter what the weather. We just hope it gets better soon.

You think they would be in their element in the water!

Obviously, they are not! Let's talk about the weather. Alexis has the

forecast. Everybody keeps talking about the number of storms coming

one after the other. Research suggests that there are

unusually high sea surface temperatures in Indonesia and the

West Pacific, which is affecting the balance in the atmosphere. The jet

stream is not in its usual position and it is unusually strong, meaning

the storms are coming in one after the other from the Atlantic. It's

hard to predict the weather beyond a few days but it is looking like the

storms in the coming weeks will be less intense. And there may be an

indication of some calmer weather as we head into March but that is

uncertain. It is all about the balance of the atmosphere, it is

being affected by things happening across the globe. It will continue,

I would tell you about the other storm in just a moment.

Humour is still alive and well in Romsey. This picture was sent in by

Kester Roberts. Heather Brooks captured a duck playing it safe in

Birdham in West Sussex. And Mike West captured the rough sea at

Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight. These are the wind speeds from this

afternoon, 96 mph on the Isle of Wight. Inland areas saying up to 50,

60 mph. The wind will be strong overnight, but we expect some wintry

showers also. To throw a spanner in the works, the risk of icy

conditions. A weather warning has been issued by the Met Office.

Temperatures falling rapidly. One, two Celsius in towns and cities with

the risk of hail and sleep it for higher areas. `` hail and sleet. The

rain, it will fall as rain with lows of three to four degrees. The risk

of ice first thing tomorrow and overnight. These wintry showers

continue tomorrow, but some sunshine and the wind will gradually ease

during the day. A better end to the day with six to eight Celsius.

Tomorrow night, the showers will ease and the wind will ease and the

window leaves, which means temperatures under clear skies will

fall rapidly to freezing in the countryside, perhaps. So the risk of

icy conditions again where there is standing water. Temperatures down to

freezing. The wind will increase first thing on Friday and we expect

another deeper area of low pressure from the Atlantic. The Met Office

has chewed a yellow warning for strong winds and heavy rain. The

wind could reach 70 to 80 mph on exposed coasts. 50 to 60 mph inland.

And Friday, Saturday, it could have another inch of rain which will add

to the flooding. This is the outlook for the rest of the week, some

showers tomorrow, and the falling as sleet and hail in some areas. Some

thunder. Friday, the slow pressure from the Atlantic and a strong wind

and heavy rain. The wind will peak in the night`time.

We always want to tell your story on the programme, so you can get in

touch with us anyway you like. Particularly if you have been

affected by the floods or the weather, let us know. Thank you for

watching, say save this evening, good night. `` stay safe.