20/06/2014 BBC Oxford News

Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford.

Building a workforce. Construction companies say there's a growing need

Also, ?168 million in the pot to fix pot holes `

is your area getting its fahr share of Government cash?

And battle lines drawn ` as boaters move off a backwater and onto land

Later in the programme, famhly values, the fight to keep their

autistic son close to home. Members of the construction industry

are warning the south will need thousands of skilled workers ` to

meet demands on building sites over the years to come. As the economy

picks up an increase in housing and infrastructure projects can't be met

by the current pool of bricklayers, painters and other trades. Our

business correspondent has been to Reading where they're trying to head

off the crisis. This man is 20 years old and

unemployed. He wants to be ` bricklayer and his timing could be

spot on. Buildings are always being built.

There are jobs out there. I just have to get the qualifications and

training. Has been difficult to find permanent work?

It has been hard. I wouldn't be here today if I had found a job.

Obviously, it is hard. But H have to keep going. There is a shortage of

labour in construction. What has happened is that growth has taken

off. We have a massive need for construction in the area. There is a

lot of housing coming onlind. We need young people coming into the

sector and we need to be able to train up the next generation. You do

not have to look far to find building work here. I have found six

major projects bringing in new residential areas. The industry says

many more people will be nedded If the talent is not on hand, that

could mean a slower economic recovery and stalled developments.

If we do not get those jobs, we will not be able to continue to grow at

the rate we are. It is important we have the talent and skills to

continue at the pace we are going. The upturn is already being felt at

this college. Courses in carpentry and plumbing have seen a rise in

interest in recent months. The industry estimates that thotsands

are needed across the South, it means many more will need to be

trained to stave off a potential massive shortage of skills.

The president of the Oxford Union has said people arrested on

suspicion of rape should relain anonymous ` after a case ag`inst him

was dropped. Ben Sullivan w`s arrested in May on suspicion of rape

and attempted rape ` but was cleared this week. Speaking on the BBC's

Newsnight, he said he wanted a "happy medium" ` to protect people's

I am not an extremist. I thhnk your identity should not be reve`led

until after you are convictdd. But I do not think everybody's iddntity

should be revealed if they `re arrested. There should be a happy

medium to protect identities. Until at least the conclusion of the

investigation. It's been described as the biggest

investment in roads since the 1 70s ` and is in response to dam`ge

caused by recent bad weather. ? million is to be spent in

Oxfordshire alone repairing potholes. Local authorities have to

publish monthly progress reports and complete work by March next year.

But critics say more money needs to be made available. Peter Cooke

reports. For many motorists ` it's their

biggest gripe about our roads. Over ?150 million's been handed out to

English councils to tackle the issue. Our region's getting nearly

?5 million from that pot. Oxfordshire will get the bulk, 3

million, and Buckinghamshird will receive around ?1.5 million. Swindon

will be given more than ?300,00 . There are too many roads nedding

fixing. I hope this road gets attention because it is such a main

route into London. I have h`d punctures and I'm pleased to hear

there is funding. But it enough It has cost a lot of money, so I do not

blame the council, any sensd. They do their best. The council said this

money will help fix the thotsand potholes across the county. Is that

enough, given the condition of some of our roads?

It will be enough for us to cover the potholes we have planned. It

will give us the opportunitx to fill pot holes but also to check how the

potholes fit into roads and whether it would be simpler to clean off

sections of the road and patch it that way. An ongoing problel, but

much`needed investment to provide at least some silver lining.

An Aylesbury man's been sentenced to more than four years in prison ` for

dealing heroin. Zahid Shah ` who is 39 and from Eastern Street hn the

town ` was arrested in Bedgrove in February. He's been handed ` four

Buckinghamshire's hospitals have been removed from special mdasures `

after proving they've improved their standards of care. The servhces `

including those at Stoke Mandeville and Wycombe were found to h`ve made

significant progress ` during an inspection back in March. The NHS

trust for Buckinghamshire w`s deemed to be failing last year ` after a

report found examples of poor care and nursing standards.

Firefighters across our reghon are due to strike again tomorrow. It's

the 13th walk`out ` and part of ongoing national industrial action

over pensions. All services have contingency plans in place to deal

with emergency calls. The w`lk`out is due between 10am and 5pm.

An agreement is in place for the Union to call off the dispute and

therefore the firefighters will return to duty in order to fully

complement the incident we `re attending.

A group of boaters has defended its decision to take over a strdtch of

the waterfront at Jericho in Oxford. The houseboat owners say nobody owns

the land ` and are hoping to make a claim for it. The group says it has

done work to improve the arda, but some local residents say thdir boats

are in the way and are an exesore. Victoria Cook reports.

Shamen Hazzard has moored hdr boat here for nearly six years ` without

permission. Together with the other boat owners here, they've formed a

group. They're now trying to make a claim for this patch of land in

Jericho. The problem is no`one knows who owns the land. Shamen s`ys

getting a license for a run`down boat is impossible. And this is her

only option. Shamen isn't the only one. Alan Joyce lives on a boat

I have to live somewhere. Do you want me to live with you? I have to

live somewhere! Where else will I live? She is not the only one. This

man lives on a boat further down. permission. He says it's thhs or

homelessness. Some residents are unhappy the boats are there. But not

everyone wants them to leavd. I have a small business and people

on low incomes need somewhere to live for a city to be viabld. Some

residents are unhappy the boats are there, but not everyone wants them

to leave. I would much rathdr they were living on a boat and bding

happy rather than on the streets with no shelter. It could do with a

dash of paint, but at least they are not on the streets. It is not

causing problems, so why not? The canals and rivers trust says it is

trying to ascertain who owns this piece of land and therefore whose

responsibility it is to takd action against these boaters. In the

meantime, it is working with businesses and local groups to

resolve the problem. A site in Banbury which plaxed a key

part in WWII is set to be brought back into use ` after being empty

for six years. The Alcoa Europe site ` in Southam Road ` where aluminium

was produced ` closed in 2008. Cherwell District Council h`s now

given permission for a new warehouse, offices, car parking and

a service yard ` in a bid to return Harrison Ford's publicist h`s

confirmed that his leg was broken during an accident on the sdt of the

new Star Wars film last Thursday. The Hollywood star was flown by air

ambulance to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital and underwent surgdry.

That's said to have gone well ` and he's looking forward to rettrning to

work after a period of rehabilitation. It's understood the

injury was caused when he w`s caught in the entranceway of the f`mous

Millennium Falcon spacecraft. Finally ` it's the latest

attraction in Wallingford ` and it?s c`using a

bit of a stir. This six foot wooden castle was put up by town council

gardeners on a roundabout e`rlier this month, close to the ruhns of

Wallingford's actual castle. County councillor Lynda Atkins warned it

could distract drivers but ht's been welcomed by other people in the

town. We have not had anything like this

before. It shows imagination and initiative. It looks a bit lore

professional. It is useful. We really like it. I think it hs

fantastic! They had a Saint Georges flag. I guess that comes down now.

Now more of today's stories, with Sally Taylor.

Still to come in this evening's South Tod`y.

Jo Kent has the sport and Alexis the weather and they re

Will the weather stay like this Find out later in the progr`mme

And yet a third of top performing athletes in this country went

Well the chief schools inspector thinks so.

Sir Michael Wilshaw believes sporting excellence is linkdd

He was in Berkshire today to explahn.

Skiing and scuba diving werd just some of the events on the ctrriculum

today ` at the Festival Of Dducation at Wellington College.

This independent school's rdnowned for its sporting excellence `

and today sport was being brought to the front of the class by Ofsted.

The chief of inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, says too many

sports stars come from priv`te, not state, schools and speaking here

It is implemented by the he`d. That is the big finding of the rdport.

That can energise and enthuse the staff. It works. They understand the

crossover between success on the sporting field and success

academically. This school h`s its own cricket ground and excels at

rugby. Should going to an independent school matter when it

comes to being good at compdtitive sport? Clearly it helps if xou have

amazing facilities. But if xou do not have facilities there whll be

facilities in the local comlunity that you can use.

There's now concern from the teaching union that's just

another headache for headte`chers already feeling the pressurd.

It is stating the obvious. H am worried it will be another criteria

that a school can be field by. What will teachers think when thdy hear

this? Ofsted and Government interfering again.

The summer holidays haven't even started yet `

but it's clear that the homdwork for September has just been set

Simon Lawrence is severely `utistic `

he needs constant supervision and care to keep him safe.

Simon's parents currently h`ve to make

But they're so worried he may have to move to

a residential home even further away, they've started a fundraising

campaign, in the hope of buhlding in their home county of Surrey.

A rare treat ` lunch with Mum and Dad.

Simon Lawrence has only has a handful of visits home to see

He's epileptic, as well as `utistic, and has grown very strong.

If you give him two minutes on his own in the toilets he'll unscrew

the toilet roll holder and he'll eat the screw or help cause a flood

He really needs to be watchdd every moment of the day.

When he's frustrated he'll get really excited and here he

We would love to, but we can't, which is why he left home

It broke our hearts, but it had to happen because of his disabhlity.

It is a fight for people with disabled chhldren,

but it's even harder, we're beginning to learn, for people with

disabled adult children bec`use there are just not the facilities.

Simon's been living here at the highly rated Prior's Court

It's a two hour round trip for his parents.

But in future he may have to move even further away, as this centre

Simon has to leave Priors Court in two or three years? time and at that

We have friends whose autistic son has ended up in Yorkshire

So today the Lawrence familx launched an ambitious campahgn.

To build a home for Surrey's autistic adults themselves.

The options for adults with autism is a real challenge,

not just for Surrey County Council, but for many parts of the country,

If they can find us some land, then we can build in phase one a house

for six people and then in phase two we will build another six.

First though, today's newly created Simon Trust must raise ?2 mhllion.

Tonight we have thoughts, stnshine, tattoos, all from the sunny Isle of

Wight. The Round The Island Race is now one of the biggest parthcipation

sporting events. The seals are. A silver Olylpic

medallist at the helm. This is my first Round The Island Race. You

would fit 65 of my boats on here. On`board has bought tomorrow will be

David Dimbleby. He brought the house down at a press conference

displaying his tattoo. I have sealed in Chichester Harbour.

Tomorrow I am in the hands of real experts. I will have to do what I am

told, which I am not used to doing. The race reasons thousands of pounds

for charity. `` thousands of pounds are raised for charity throtgh the

race. You cannot have a better day. It is wonderful. You were whth me in

2007. It was a wonderful experience. Tomorrow things will not be so

relaxed. People will be rachng each other to get around the isl`nd. But

this has to be one of the greatest spectacles that ceiling has to

offer. There are all sorts of sailors on

the water. I joined now by David Dimbleby and Ben Ainslie.

We want to know about the t`ttooed. I had done because I made a

programme about Britain and they see. We were in a shop and H was

asked that I want one. We wdre told to have some fun so I had it done.

You did the race 50 years ago. I had a horrible time. The tide w`s

against us. The next day thd newspaper said that this CD was

Atlantic. You got the multihull record last year. The conditions do

not look like it will be possible to break a record this time. I am sure

everyone will have a great day. Is it more of taking part than the

winning and the records? Thhs is a participation sport. People who have

never sailed on a ball before will be racing tomorrow. There are 1 ,000

competitors. `` sealed on a boat. He lets me and my son take the helm.

One bit of other sport ` teams from our region are involved

in three T20 matches tonight At Cardiff, Surrey were put into bat.

At Southampton, Hampshire won elected to bat.

And at Canterbury Sussex chose to bat.

You can keep up`to`date on the website. The weather is looking good

Now, if yacht racing is a bht too, well, speedy for you this wdekend.

Perhaps you'd like a trip b`ck in time with an altogether slower

A collection of vintage coaches has trundled through Winchester today.

This was the pinnacle of co`ch travel. It was luxurious. That is

why this is so fondly remembered. Here is the weather. Here is the

satellite picture. We can expect temperatures to reach 15 Celsius

overnight. Today we saw a hhgh of 21 degrees. Overnight the skies were

clear. Temperatures will fall away rapidly in the countryside. It will

be a dry start to the day tomorrow. For the sailors the sea bredze will

get going at 11 o'clock in the morning. Pleasant to the afternoon

with lots of sunshine. Hard to say exactly where the sunshine will be.

Slightly cooler along the course. Tomorrow night is similar to

tonight. There maybe patches of missed on Sunday morning. Qtite a

mild night tomorrow night. Lilder than recent nights. The outlook is

good. Apart from if you showers on Monday or Tuesday he is of 20 and

21. `` apart from some showdrs. Lots of events taking place this weekend.

There is the Round The Island Race. There is also a walking event. Wind

is not exceptional tomorrow. But there will be lots of sunshhne.

That this offer now. Goodbyd. I saw you before and I thought

you were so beautiful. I wish that love could

come into my life. You were with someone!

Who was it? Who were you with? Murdered By My Boyfriend,

a true story.