24/09/2014

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:00:08. > :00:10.The Oxfordshire based Caterham Formula One team

:00:11. > :00:12.at Leafield has been referrdd to the pensions regulator.

:00:13. > :00:15.It's paid nothing into employees? pension schemes since new owners

:00:16. > :00:22.The troubles at the West Oxfordshire`based Formula One firm

:00:23. > :00:28.It was sold in July to a Swiss Middle Eastern consortium who

:00:29. > :00:31.dismissed a total of 44 members of staff almost immediately.

:00:32. > :00:35.This pub is said to be a favourite amongst Caterhal stuff

:00:36. > :00:41.Now understandably, none of them wanted to appear on camera.

:00:42. > :00:44.But, one employee has told the BBC the firm stopped paying

:00:45. > :00:50.Around 300 people are affected and I can confirm,

:00:51. > :00:56.the F1 business has been referred to the Pension's Regulator.

:00:57. > :01:10.But is this part of a much bigger financial problem for the industry?

:01:11. > :01:15.It costs around ?60 million a year to run the smaller tdams

:01:16. > :01:20.But the bigger ones are spending more like ?250 million.

:01:21. > :01:23.The implications are felt in our region, where hundreds of companies

:01:24. > :01:32.Some tell us they are now h`ving to wait months to be paid.

:01:33. > :01:35.This uncertainty leaves manx worrying about their dependdnce on

:01:36. > :01:42.It's not clear who employs the staff at Caterham F1.

:01:43. > :01:45.When we asked, Caterham told us the staff are employed by a company

:01:46. > :01:48.that is a supplier to the company that holds its F1 licence, the

:01:49. > :01:53.licence that allows it to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship.

:01:54. > :01:58.I asked the editor of Race Tech Magazine, William Kimberley if he

:01:59. > :02:06.I try to discover the entitx that owns the Caterham F one teal,

:02:07. > :02:09.even going to companies house, but I'm afraid I've drawn a blank.

:02:10. > :02:12.It seems extraordinary that a company can be so mysterious

:02:13. > :02:17.It must be very unsettling for the staff at Caterham to not

:02:18. > :02:23.Especially when this new group came into by the team.

:02:24. > :02:27.The first thing they did was basically make 50 people redundant

:02:28. > :02:31.and that has a very unsatisfying effect throughout the whole team.

:02:32. > :02:34.Let's talk a bit more widelx about Formula One, it's an dxpensive

:02:35. > :02:38.How do you see the future for smaller teams like Caterham

:02:39. > :02:41.I think the future is prettx dire, I'm afraid.

:02:42. > :02:44.The cost of competing is ?64 million a year minimum.

:02:45. > :02:48.And to have that sort of money, have the infrastructure

:02:49. > :02:52.and the team to become compdtitive and move up the grid is acttally not

:02:53. > :03:00.Do you think there's a way of making it easier for the smaller tdams to

:03:01. > :03:06.Cost capping, making sure teams don't spend money

:03:07. > :03:10.willy`nilly has been in fashion and out of fashion for quite a while.

:03:11. > :03:14.But until the FIA gets to grips with it and actually take a firm hand,

:03:15. > :03:18.Hundreds of companies in this area supply the Forlula One

:03:19. > :03:24.to, what effect is the currdnt uncertainty having on them?

:03:25. > :03:28.If you supply a Formula One team, you do realise that there's teams

:03:29. > :03:33.at the low end of the grid light be gone next year or the year `fter.

:03:34. > :03:37.But there is an association called the Motorsport Industry Association

:03:38. > :03:45.If you are a member, you have access to this and who the bad paydrs are.

:03:46. > :03:50.Next, Thames Water engineers have started to repair a water m`in

:03:51. > :03:53.in Oxford which burst, flooding more than 50 homes.

:03:54. > :03:56.The flooding caused severe damage in 23 homes in Normandy Crescent

:03:57. > :04:00.68 residents were put up in hotels last night

:04:01. > :04:03.and alternative accommodation is being found for them.

:04:04. > :04:08.It may be six months before some people can return home.

:04:09. > :04:11.Only a handful of the homeowners and businesses who suffered during

:04:12. > :04:14.last winter's floods in Oxfordshire have applied for grants to help

:04:15. > :04:19.A Government grant of up to ?5, 00 has been available since March.

:04:20. > :04:21.So far only 61 applications have been made.

:04:22. > :04:25.Councils say they've used social media and road shows to let

:04:26. > :04:30.people know, but some feel there hasn't been enough informathon.

:04:31. > :04:34.Obviously they should write to us or send the forms so we can fill

:04:35. > :04:38.If they don't send it, how would we know?

:04:39. > :04:41.The priority should be to inform the people.

:04:42. > :04:43.It's not just me, there's lots of other busindsses

:04:44. > :04:46.on this road and nobody knows and nobody has claimed.

:04:47. > :04:54.More than ?400,000 a year is spent in both Oxford and

:04:55. > :04:59.In Oxford, four tonnes of rtbbish is picked`up off the streets every day.

:05:00. > :05:02.The City Council says if people put their litter into bins the loney

:05:03. > :05:04.saved on clearing`up costs could be put towards other services.

:05:05. > :05:13.An early start for rubbish collectors in Oxford and thd usual

:05:14. > :05:19.We start at six o'clock in the morning and go through

:05:20. > :05:24.Today there is probably over 40 operatives on the roads and eight

:05:25. > :05:30.The council now wants more of us to make an effort.

:05:31. > :05:32.A huge pile of rubbish was on display

:05:33. > :05:35.in the city centre this morning to show the full scale of the problem.

:05:36. > :05:41.It amounts to about four tonnes and that around the weight of

:05:42. > :05:46.We are wasting all this mondy on clearing rubbish which wd could

:05:47. > :05:48.be spending on building council houses, improving our parks,

:05:49. > :05:54.It's just clearing up litter that is often thoughtlessly left.

:05:55. > :05:56.Clearing up after the millions of people either working,

:05:57. > :05:58.visiting or studying in Oxford, takes up a significant porthon

:05:59. > :06:03.And for those caught litterhng, they will also be hit

:06:04. > :06:11.Hundreds of people were findd last year, but would you tell

:06:12. > :06:18.I was met with abuse, so it put me off doing it again

:06:19. > :06:23.I don't think I would be brave enough to do that.

:06:24. > :06:25.Sometimes I throw rubbish on the floor,

:06:26. > :06:30.Across Oxford and Aylesbury Vale, more than ?800,000 a year is spent

:06:31. > :06:41.A habit both councils hope to get rid of.

:06:42. > :06:44.Sarah Farmer's on the way with the weather.

:06:45. > :06:56.Tonight, is a rather chilly affair whth clear

:06:57. > :07:10.Towns and cities down to eight or 9 degrees.

:07:11. > :07:12.Rural spots could get down to two or three.

:07:13. > :07:14.A chilly start to Thursday morning and a bright one.

:07:15. > :07:17.Sunny spells but we will sed cloud piling in from the North.

:07:18. > :07:19.Perhaps producing spits and spots of light rain or drizzle.

:07:20. > :07:22.Highs up to 18 degrees and the breeze picking up

:07:23. > :07:26.Looking ahead to Friday it hs cloudy perhaps with one or two showers

:07:27. > :07:32.The weekend is looking cloudy but one for the time of the year.

:07:33. > :07:45.Good evening. Many of us had some welcome rain for the gardens

:07:46. > :07:48.overnight. But away from the north-west, rain doesn't feature

:07:49. > :07:52.heavily in the forecast for the next few days. We did have some good

:07:53. > :07:53.sunshine. These were captured by Ted