08/05/2014 BBC Oxford News

first look at The Papers over on the BBC News Channel, but now on BBC

Good evening. There are concerns One, its

Good evening. There are concerns hundreds of jobs could be at risk at

the Kenco coffee factory in Banbury. The UNITE union say it's worried

because the company's owner has announced it's merging with another

business. It's one of the town's biggest employers.

Behind those factory gates, almost 600 people help reduce Coffey for

household names like Kenco. But staff at this factory are being told

by the current owners about eight planned merger which will see that

Coffey making arm merge with a rival firm. The problem for workers is

that the deal comes with no guarantees there will be jobs at the

plant. It will be anxious because you have got a lot of people who

have worked here for up to 40 years. Hopefully it won't come to losing

our jobs. The union says they have reservations as well. This plant

have been here for 50 years. It is the best employer in the area. Any

loss of jobs or attacks on terms and conditions will be massive. But

after speaking with the company, there is more faith that lending B`2

Coffey firms work out the best. Each successive owner has invested more

money in the plant. It is one of the largest copy processing plants in

Europe. I have little doubt that a further owner will continue to

invest money. The current owners said:

reassuring words perhaps, but for staff going home to night, they may

feel a dark cloud could linger over head for some time yet.

It's claimed house prices in Kidlington have risen steeply,

following the planned work of a new railway station, linking the north

of Oxford to London. The Oxford Parkway station's expected to open

next year, near the Water Eaton park and ride. Estate agents say the

number of properties up for sale in the area, has fallen, creating a

shortage of supply. It's a flood defence plan costing

more than ?125 million and earlier the Floods Minister was in Oxford to

see for himself how it would work. The western conveyance project will

see a channel built to the West of the city to carry water during heavy

flooding. Our political reporter Helen Catt has more.

Appropriate weather for a visit from the Floods Minister. Local Lib Dems

had invited him to North Hinksey to hear about Oxford's flood problems

and a multi`million pound proposed solution ` the Western Conveyance

Channel The scheme would see a four`mile channel dug around Oxford

to take water away from the city. Oxford experienced flooding Jing the

winter period. It has happened time and time again. We want to invest

money in the area. The Conservative and Independent led County Council

and Labour led City Council have both backed it. We support the

project, as well as it stacks up technically.

UKIP, who are standing candidates in the upcoming City election, say they

wholeheardtedly support it, too. But some are worried that what might be

good for Oxford might not be so great for other areas. We are

concerned that whilst it will take waterway from Oxford, it will send

the water further south. That is our big worry and it is a long`term,

expensive project. Now nobody's saying the conveyance

channel would be a quick fix. The Environment Agency says it would be.

In the meantime, measures like permeable pavements are being

suggested. Those ideas will be discussed by the County Council on

Tuesday. The Oxford Stadium, the former home

of speedway and greyhound racing in the city, s now available for lease

as a leisure site. It means there's a big possibility sport could return

to the site in Blackbird Leys, with plans for more than 200 new homes

put aside. Artists in north Oxfordshire are

hoping to raise tens of thousands of pounds for charity through the sale

of hundreds of sculptures in Kingham. Around 300 pieces of art

have been delivered to the area. Jeremy Stern has been to see them.

In the extensive grounds of! Lodge there are some unusual visitors.

Hundreds of exhibits have been welcomed as part of Oxfordshire arts

week. We did it a couple of years ago and about 3000 people came to

see the sculptures. We hope we will have more visitors this time. The

first Oxfordshire arts week was held in 1981. Since then thousands of

creative types have exhibited across the county. It is really on because

it gives a platform for amateur and professional artists to show what

they have been doing. For Ashley Chamberlin, it is more than a past

time. He spent 40 hours creating this. I have gone for an abstract

should of an owl. I always do spiral work. The lodge will be open to the

public on Saturday and a portion of the money taken will be donated to

charity. Scientists in Oxfordshire have paid

tribute to the space scientist Professor Colin Pillinger, who's

passed away at his home. He worked with scientists at the Rutherford

Appleton lab in Didcot as part of the Beagle II mission to Mars.

Contact was lost with Beagle II in December 2003. Time now for the

weather. A lot of dry weather tonight, but a

risk of one or two showers. Temperatures will remain in double

figures. The showers could be heavy in a few places. They will be fairly

scattered. Tomorrow, a few showers to start that will eventually ease

as the day wears on. A lot of sunshine as well. In the sunshine

with a brisk wind, we can expect highs of 15 or 16 Celsius. It will

stay on settled into the weekend. Bring to start on Saturday, followed

by showers. Showers on Sunday that the course of tomorrow and through

the weekend as well. The evening. Hello there. Fancy escaping the rain

this weekend? We will be looking at the weather further afield in a

moment. Another area of low pressure out here is lined up to the weekend.

There will be some sunshine in between. Overnight tonight, most of

the wet weather is across the North and the West, but later on in the

night, showers will spread right the way across the country. Another cold

night, temperatures are staying in double figures. Tomorrow, some

places fare better, others worse. An improving story from the south

across the country. Snapshot mid-afternoon, some showers across