21/03/2014 BBC Oxford News

Hello, and welcome to South Today. That's all from the

Hello, and welcome to South Today. In tonight's programme: The ?12

million project to stop Oxford from flooding. A plan to keep water away

from homes and businesses bx building a channel moves a step

closer. Also tonight: Concerns about the

impact of 600 new homes ` the village that's due to doubld in

size. The maths error that's sparked a new

row over rent rises in Oxford's Covered Market.

And later on: A piece of history going under the hammer ` thd German

warship bell which spent decades as a garden ornament.

Good evening. It's been agrded that a new multi`million pound flood

defence system should be buhlt around Oxford. Representatives from

groups like the Environment Agency, Network Rail, and Thames Water have

met today to discuss how to deal with the continual flooding problem.

But there are already concerns about funding and the knock`on effects on

other areas. In a moment, wd'll hear from Oxfordshire County Council But

first, Adina Campbell explahns how the proposed defence system would

work. It's been the same story for years.

This is Oxfordshire in 2007. And this is how it looked a couple of

months ago, Oxford's Abingdon Road submerged. But there is now new hope

of solving these problems for good if a new flood defence systdm is

built. The four`mile channel will carry water around the west of

Oxford. The idea is to relidve pressure from the River Thales,

making better use of flood plains south of the city. It is hoped this

would improve the flow of w`ter protecting more homes and

businesses, as well as transport links. But the project would be

expensive, costing about ?125 million. It's not yet clear who

would pay for that, and there are also concerns about areas lhke

Abingdon being more at risk of flooding if the flow of watdr

changes. News of a flood defence for

Oxfordshire will come as good news to many ` but the question hs how

quickly can it be built? I `sked the deputy leader of Oxfordshird County

Council, Rodney Rose. The projection we were given today

was for a build period, including planning and the land acquisition

that is needed for it. What has to happen to make it happen? It starts

off with needing three years to get the business case completelx up to

speed. We don't even know the exact location of where it would go on the

ground. At the moment, it is a strategy rather than when wd will

put the spade into the ground. It has to be done first, and then it is

five years of building the channel. How important was today's mdeting

about making the channel a realistic option? It was very important. It

showed there was commitment from Oxford and stakeholders that we

actually do want to have thhs, and to see if we can get the money

together. Solving the issue of flooding in Oxford is a really

important thing to do, isn't it Why would businesses locate to Oxford or

Oxfordshire if they're going to be shut for a week or two becatse the

city is closed? If I was investing millions in a high`tech bushness or

in the space business or anxthing like that, I'd be looking to make

sure I could keep continuitx of my workforce getting to work, ly staff

getting in and out. I would be looking at that. The whole world

wants to attract these businesses. We have to give what they w`nt. So

it has a long`term economic impact? It is a national problem. It is an

economic impact. I think more of the economic impact needs to be looked

at in the context of how we prevent flooding. What about the idda that

the A34, the underpasses thdre could be blocked off to water? We had that

idea yesterday. How about that as a cheaper solution? With all of these

submissions, you would have to know what you were doing, and wh`t you

were doing further down the track. I think until it has been moddlled by

the Environment Agency, unthl you have scientific fact behind it, you

could be making things a lot worse, or a lot worse elsewhere. The

channel might not happen. If it does, it's a long way off. What

about short` term? We're through winter, but in 2007, the flooding

was in summer. If it floods in summer, what has changed from 2 07

for homes and businesses? Wd have protected a lot more individual

homes. We have temporary barricades and that sort of thing. We don't

have anything in place that would stop Oxfordshire coming to `

standstill. That is just a problem to me. In the next seven or eight

years, it is as it is? We'rd trying to focus on shortening that period,

because eight years is a long time. Thank you.

A man's been arrested on suspicion of murder after two teenagers were

shot in Milton Keynes. 19`ydar`old Mohamed Farah and 18`year`old Amin

Ismail were fatally shot in an alleyway on the Fishermead dstate in

May 2011. Brahim Hajji was `rrested in Holland yesterday. He appeared at

Reading Crown Court this morning and was remanded in custody. Last year,

two other men were jailed for the same murders.

An Oxfordshire village could double in size in the next five ye`rs if

new housing plans go ahead. There are proposals to add another 60

homes to Shrivenham, which hs just outside Swindon. People livhng there

are worried that the local community will suffer and that the

infrastructure won't cope whth the increased demand. Charlotte Stacey

has more. Eddie has been a landlord hdre at

the Prince of Wales pub in Shrivenham for three years. Even

though more homes might mean more customers for him, he is ag`inst a

big expansion. I think it whll spoil what we have, and that's thd thing.

Everybody knows everybody. Xou can walk up the street and everxone And

say hello to you, and if yot want to stop and chat, you can do that. But

to double in size will lose that unique feeling. But many ard

concerned about the effects more houses could have on servicds and

amenities, which they say are already struggling. There is not the

infrastructure in place to support that amount of growth. At the

moment, you struggle to park on the high street in the mornings, and

that is a good thing for business, but it will reach a breaking point.

It's a great community spirht here, and I feel if the village w`s

expanded too much, we would lose all that. If there are going to be any

jobs available, and people hn this village are able to get jobs, they

would have a massive commutd to the other side of the vale. Two large

areas of land are earmarked for development. Here on the sotth edge

of the village, they are proposing building 200 new homes, and here to

the north, they are building 40 . Shrivenham accepts that it will need

to expand. Our concern is the level of expansion that is planned for

Shrivenham. If the vale would look at these other villages and

redistribute the growth a lhttle more evenly, it would be much

fairer. The South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district

councils say they recognise the concerns of the people living here

in Shrivenham, but say therd is an urgent need to get new houshng plans

in place, and difficult dechsions will have to be made. Howevdr, they

say they are looking forward to a public meeting here next wedk, and

will continue to assess othdr options.

A Government task force has said the HS2 rail project needs a minister to

co`ordinate local growth projects along its route. The high`speed

service will run through North Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire The

HS2 Growth Taskforce says a dedicated minister worked wdll for

the Olympics and Paralympics, and it could do the same for HS2. The first

section of the HS2 line, th`t will run from London to Birmingh`m, is

set to open in 2026. Traders in Oxford's Covered Market

have criticised the City Cotncil for asking to put their rents up by

20%.The increase is nearly three times higher than that recently set

by an independent arbitrator. It had been hoped his decision could be

applied across the market to settle a long`running dispute. But the City

Council says an error in calculations means that's not

possible. Helen Catt reports. Butchers, bakers and...well, candle

sellers, are among the shops filling Oxford's covered market. For the

last two years, they have bden at odds with the City Council over how

much more they should be paxing to be there. Last year, it was hoped an

independent arbitrator would settle the question for good. Five shops

here went to arbitration. The results were rent rises of between

3% and 12%. But the council has now written to other shops saying it

wants much more than that. The traders' view is very clear. If

we've got to have an increase, at least give us the same incrdase that

the others have been given by going to arbitration. Let's stop this now,

and let us get on with tradhng without this cloud hanging over us.

The council says it's not that black`and`white. We went to the

arbitrator on these five unhts in expectation we would be abld to use

that as a model for the othdr offers. As it happened, the

arbitration award that was lade contained an error, so it is not a

good basis for making offers to our other tenants in the market. The BBC

has not been able to contact the arbitrator or see his report. The

City Council says if the lower rate was applied across the markdt, it

would lose out on ?500,000 over five years. But traders say they can t

afford a bigger increase. If the two sides can't agree, the only choice

will be for them too to go to arbitration.

The F1 team Red Bull has bedn given the freedom of the borough of Milton

Keynes. The honour has only been bestowed four times before `nd is a

ceremonial title. The motor racing team have been based in the Tilbrook

area of the new city since 2004 The team has won 47 Grands Prix, and its

driver Sebastian Vettel is ` four`times World Champion.

They are a fantastic asset to us in Milton Keynes. We're really proud to

have them. And they are protd to be here in Milton Keynes as well. They

never miss a chance to menthon Milton Keynes when they get on the

news, and that is really appreciated, and the way thdy have

worked with us. This is an absolutely right recognition. We are

proud to be doing it. Now, if you'd like to get in touch

with us here at South Today to tell us about stories you think we should

be covering, you can e`mail us. Or join the conversation on our

Facebook and Twitter pages. That's all from me for the loment.

I'll have the headlines at 8.00 and a full bulletin at 10.25. Now more

of today's stories with Sally Taylor.

commended in the latest honours Still to come in this evening's

South Today... You're all good sports ` and you've been dohng your

bit for charity ` we see sole of your Sport Relief fundraising

moments. It's often easy to forget about what's lying around otr homes

` but if you look closely enough you may just uncover a piece of history.

For more than 70 years an iron bell sat in a garden. It turns ott that

it belonged to a German warship which played an important p`rt in

the first attack on British soil in World War One. The story ends in

Southampton but started 100 years ago off the North East coast. Chris

Robinson reports. When Germ`n battleships attacked Britain in

December 1914, the coastal town of Hartlepool took a direct hit. The

shelling killed more than 100 people, injuring hundreds more.

Violet was a seven`year`old girl at the time. She was interviewdd by the

BBC for a recent documentarx. I went upstairs and looked out the bedroom

window. I could see the flashes I thought they were going to come and

take us, and kill us. One of the ships was this vessel. It fought in

the Battle of Jutland but after the war was sunk when the German fleet

surrender. She was submerged until 1938 when she was raised and sold

for scrap. Locked away in storage in Southampton, this is the shhp's

Bell. It spent 70 years sat in a garden. It was only when other items

were looked at to be auctioned was its history being told. Havhng found

it in a brush, I thought, this is something special. `` rush. I was

not sure, but I and did somd research. How significant is this?

Very significant. There are very few of these Bell is left in exhstence.

I know of one other. The Dell will be auctioned tomorrow and is

expected to fetch ?5,000. The music and fashion industries are

still reeling from the news earlier this week that Mick Jagger's

girlfriend L'Wren Scott had been found dead. Fellow Rolling Stone

Ronnie Wood has Tweeted that all their thoughts are with Mick and

L'Wren's family. The band are currently on tour, something which

has been a trademark of thehr long musical career. Five decades ago,

the Rolling Stones were just making their way in the industry. @nd they

were making their way across the Solent to play on the Isle of Wight.

Alex Dyke looks back on that event. 1964, it is the birth of pirate

radio. Goldfinger is the latest James Bond film. The Beatles had

just completed then you single. The Rolling Stones played... Brhghton

Pavilion? Tickets went on s`le on the 23rd of vibrate for the two

shows here at the Pavilion. They were a brand`new chart band. ``

February. By the time they played here, they were playing thehr

version of Not Fake Away. Lhmousines were not on the cards for the

Rolling Stones. They arrived in Cortina. Security was stretched ..

All 12 of them. New `` was ht the huge deal that we all think it was,

or was it another chart band visiting the island? It was probably

the first chart band to visht the island. I think the only bands I had

seen previously were Tommy Steele, and I saw the Shadows play hn

Portsmouth. The Rolling Stones played two shows here, and they

decide to stay all the way over here, at the Rye Castle. Thd person

who was here at the time thought it would be a good idea to get the word

out that the Rolling Stones were staying here. They put lots of

adverts up. What happened? Xou can guess. Tell me about this

photograph. That is the Pavhlion, is it not? This is Brian Jones? Yes.

And that is Mick Jagger. Funnily enough, the Rolling Stones did

return to the Isle of Wight. It was not until 2007, but this tile, it

was a little bit to get! `` a little bit bigger! I am excited about the

sports tonight. I'm excited because Tony might sing. No, I could not

compete with these guys! I thought you were joining in! I was never one

for the punk rock. It is a big weekend, though. It is one of those

occasions where the whole town rallies round. It will be a great

day at Wembley. Gosport Borough s players had a look around Wdmbley

today as they prepare to face Cambridge United in Sunday's FA

Trophy final. It'll be one of those days where a town goes eerily quiet

as more than 12,000 fans follow the team to the national stadiul. And

the backing is already noisx. # This is my town. This is ly town.

The song is Gosport town. This is a local band appearing on BBC Radio

Solent today, celebrating Gosport's first trip to Wembley. It is a

tradition that has been lost with all the big clubs. We going back to

the 1970s and 1980s, where our are, and we are trying to revive the cup

final song. We have joined hn, and we are sticking our boot in as well.

It is good for our communitx. The band and Gosport fans know that they

are the underdogs against C`mbridge United. But that is music to the

ears of the manager who is returning to Wembley after leaving Wilborne.

We can go out and play without fear. The expectation is on Cambrhdge s

shoulders, and so it should be. We are looking to get back in the

league. Bertini used Reading's training ground today. This man

knows a bit about winning at Wembley, and at Cambridge. Ht was a

great day, against Cambridgd. If the great Lakes to play football. If we

lose, the memories are sourdd, so it is important we go there and win it.

On Sunday, 12,000 travelling fans will be there with them. Go,

Gosport! My town! This is mx town! You can sing! Do you know what? The

whole song is on the BBC Sport website. Without Tony! It is worth

listening to! Gosport's plaxers will be at Wembley tomorrow to w`tch the

rugby fixture between Saracdns and Harlequins. It's big day for Gosport

Borough and for BBC Radio Solent this Sunday. Former Portsmotth

striker Steve Claridge, who's played for both Gosport and Cambridge,

joins Kris Temple and the tdam for a live show from Wembley Stadhum. And

the action begins at five p`st one on Sunday with commentary from the

1.30 kick off between Spurs and Southampton which will conthnue on

96.1 FM while on other freqtencies there's the build up and live

commentary of the Trophy final which kicks off at three. To the league

football this weekend and Rdading hope to move back into the

Championship's top six. Nigdl Adkins men go to Birmingham, lying seventh,

but only a point behind Nottingham Forest. Hal Robson Kanu is out,

Pavel Pogrebnyak is nursing an ankle injury. The other Championship games

see Bournemouth at Barnsley and Brighton and Hove Albion who are

eighth entertain Ipswich. In league One Swindon host Preston, MK Dons

are at Stevenage. In League Two Oxford United play Hartlepool

tonight with Micky Lewis in charge for the last time, an announcement

about a successor to Chris Wilder will be made tomorrow. Portsmouth

are still searching for points but they face the division's form side

York at Fratton Park. Rhys LcCabe could make his debut on loan from

Sheffield Wednesday. And we'll round up all the weekend's football, plus

have an emotional interview with Portsmouth legend Alan McLotghlin on

his battle with serious illness in Monday night's Late Kick Off. That's

here on BBC One at 11.20. London Irish stage their biggest g`me of

the season at the Madejski stadium tomorrow when they face Bath. The

teams will be led out by Exhles legend Declan Dannahr who h`s

announced his retirement from the game. The game also marks London

Irish's St Patrick's Day celebrations. Always a big crowd

there. Indy. Onto the weathdr. It is going to get cold. It certahnly is.

There is going to be an eight degree drop. Daisy has the right idea in

Thame, sheltering from todax's brisk wind. This photo was taken by Roger

Bishop. Inquisitive lambs at Manor Farm and Country Park in Halpshire,

captured by Dieter Valerius. And Robert Stidworthy took this photo of

two Canada Geese in the sunshine at Titchfield Haven. So, let's talk

about the weather. We have ` contrast in temperatures from last

weekend. Last weekend, 18 Cdlsius. This weekend, nine or 10 degrees.

You will need those thermals if you out and about. Tonight, we will have

some showers. They will drift in from the West and will be some

torrential downpours at timds, but they will clear in the second part

of the night. We may have whnter we showers over the Chilterns `nd

Cotswolds. Maybe a dusting of snow here, but it is likely to f`ll as

rain or hail. Temperatures dropped to two or three Celsius. A chilly

start tomorrow morning, and the showers will get going once again. A

wintry element across Oxfordshire, but elsewhere it will fall `s rain

or hail. I am not ruling out lightning or funder. A high of eight

or nine Celsius. `` funder. `` funder.

With winds fairly light, thdre is a risk of a touch of frost first thing

on Sunday morning. Similar temperatures to tonight with lows of

23 Celsius. We are expecting some showers to start the day on Sunday,

but Sunday should be an improving picture with a slight ridge of high

pressure building in from the south. It will turn more settled in the

afternoon, and thence they settled into Monday. This area of low

pressure will bring rain in on Tuesday. Let's talk about the

weekend because we are expecting some wonder we showers tomorrow We

could have some lightning whth that `` thundery showers. A cloudy start

to Monday, but a very chillx start, and the risk of a hard frost. A

Lexus, thank you. A big night tonight, of course. Running,

pedalling, climbing, swimming.. Whatever the feat of physic`l

endurance, someone's almost bound to have had a go in aid of BBC Sport

Relief today. Thousands of poor and disadvantaged people in the UK and

around the world will benefht greatly from what's grown into a

hugely enjoyable sporting spectacle. Let's see what people around the

South have been doing, starting with a not so mild mannered maths teacher

in Berkshire. There was no sign of Mr Dennis' altar ego drawing this

maths lesson this morning. Ht is something he had kept hidden from

his students until now. # What does not kill you makes you

stronger! This maths teacher by day is a weekend wrestler. Eddid Dennis

is a pro. I am a bit more ndrvous than other shows. I am quitd

exposed, and it shows a different part of your personality and your

life to the kids. Sport Relhef is as good a time as any. He helps to

boost fundraising efforts bx ?2 00. The teacher is nothing without

respect, but Willie ever live this down? It is great, it is qu`lity

because not many teachers do it I thought he was going to throw the

other person into the audience! I definitely will not be doing my

homework now! This is my brdak time. I would get changed quickly and go

back to the GCSE maths lesson. Here's a cool teacher, definitely.

This primary school in Littlehampton sang their hearts out for Sport

Relief. In Southampton, thex splashed and laughed their way to

the finish line. Children from the school mixed with Rio's hopdfuls in

2016. It makes you more aware of what is going on around the world.

It was a great day to hop, skip and jump on this beach. Pupils from this

primary school took part. Today was not reserved for the young. Elderly

residents, volunteers and staff from a care home walked more than a mile

along the seafront, collecthng many smiles from passers by. Thex got on

their hands and knees at thhs school. 940 human wheelbarrows were

completed for charity. I am so tired! Your hands and wrists really

hurt. It is really good and makes people know that people want to do

something about it. It is rdally good. The aim for this year was to

cycle, swim or do anything, and that is exactly what people did. Well

done to all of you. All that money going to great causes. The programme

kicks off straight after thhs programme, with all sorts of fun

things to night. Dell `` thdre is also the first play of Engl`nd's

World Cup song. Give as a btrst # This is my... You did not join in!

You promised you would join in! Bye`bye.