18/02/2014 BBC Points West

Welcome to BBC Points West with Sabet Choudhury and Alex Lovell Our

main story tonight. Will the land still be fit for farming? As we get

a temporary break from the rain ` questions are asked about the future

of the Somerset Levels. And out with the emergency services in

Gloucestershire ` they haven't stopped since Christmas. We have

been very busy and supported a number of residues on supporting the

community. `` rescues. They elected mayor faces a big challenge to his

authority. The end of the road. Swindon Town's dreams of a Wembley

final disappear in a penalty shoot`out. And the two Bristol

students on an epic voyage across the Atlantic ` but it's not quite

going to plan. The hard talk about the future for residents and farmers

on the Somerset Levels has started in earnest ` as the recent stormy

weather begins to ease just a little. Last night's BBC Panorama

programme included views of some commentators who think parts of the

land may have to be abandoned if there's a repeat of this year's

rainfall. While some have told us they'd sell up if they could, many

have said all that's needed is some basic maintenance of their beloved

landscape. Scott Ellis reports. The Leader of the Opposition meeting

flood victims in Fordgate today Ed Miliband also wading into the debate

about what's happened on Somerset's Levels and Moors. People have said

that the government was too slow in responding and lessons have to be

learned. Last night the BBC's Panorama asked whether more could be

done to protect the UK's towns and villages. Or should the Government

now be making tough choices about which places to save? I think there

are communities where it will be hard to remain viable if we are hit

with stuff like this. Today, something of a backlash in

Burrowbridge. I think there is hope that I object to the tens of

millions of pounds spent now getting us back to a level playing field and

then tens of millions of pounds more in proving which I think is

wasteful. They need to talk to these people and do not need to talk to

the boffins. They need to talk to people who understand how the system

works. Dredging's promised. And the public's views are still being

sought on a 20`year action plan for the Levels. It's a debate not just

about homes. But agriculture, too. Farmers helping gather feed for

their flooded colleagues say their livelihoods need protecting too We

have to go back to basics and find out what we want. Do we want to feed

the nation and look after people or forget about Truman beings are after

wildlife? With the Dutch pumps at Dunball back on today ` everyone's

hoping water levels will soon drop. The short`term's about getting back

to normal. The long`term, more complex ` ensuring this never

happens again. So plenty of issues to debate about

the future of the Levels and we re going to be doing just that in a

special programme here in the West in a few weeks' time. Whether it's

the way the emergency's been handled, the pros and cons of

dredging or the best way forward ` we'll be asking the questions you

want answered. And if you'd like to come along and take part in the

programme then you can. Just go to the Somerset page on the BBC website

and click on "Inside Out's Flood Special tickets" to find out how and

the tickets are free. And flooding continues to impact across our

region despite the break in the rain today. One of the main commuter

routes between Bristol and Bath is still closed at Kelston, due to

subsidence. Specialist engineers have been there all day and say

it'll be Sunday evening at the very earliest before it can reopen. Some

bus services are being diverted via Saltford. Plans to cut more than

1000 jobs from councils in the West could be confirmed tonight. Three

local authorities are meeting tonight to discuss spending. First

is Bristol. The meeting has been going on for three and a half hours

but before councillors arrived that there were protesters standing

outside concerned about the effects to leisure services and libraries.

Some of the more drastic cuts which were proposed in November when

abandoned before the meeting began today.

What about the planned by the Mayo to increase Council Tax?

That will go ahead. The Liberal Democrats propose that this be

scrapped but that was voted down. There is a 2% rise which is an

average of about 50p from the average Band`D home. George Ferguson

must when votes from all the political parties to get his budget

approved this evening. Neither of the other two authorities are

raising their Council Tax and are making cuts. This is controversial,

not least in the BANES. But councils are having to do the is take money

off children's centres which is proving very unpopular. The Liberal

Democrats say they have to do this to make the savings that they need

to. It is a little bit easier in North Somerset with the

Conservatives have an overall majority in the hoping to make the

required savings through efficiencies. We are working on

things and we have done a report on ways in which we can save more money

and we're looking at those under that through further reorganisation

we can concentrate our services in one place and work with other

authorities. One area where they hope to save money is waste

recycling. North Somerset councillors are voting on changes to

black`bag rubbish. In future, it could end up being sent to Sweden to

generate electricity. Julia Causton reports. Inside these metal

buildings, a tremendous transformation is taking place.

Rubbish from wheelie bins all over the West is brought here in bulk.

The huge rubbish mountain you can see behind me is about one day's

worth of rubbish. It's sorted, sifted and shredded. And ends up as

this, raw rubbish ready to be burnt to make electricity. We turn this

fuel into gas and we then use that to generate electricity which goes

down the normal electricity wires and ends up where electricity gets

used locally in houses and so on. But there's not enough capacity at

the moment to turn all the rubbish into electricity. The waste that

isn't made into energy heads to the Netherlands where it's used to light

and heat homes there. North Somerset already sends almost half of its

black`bin rubbish here. If councillors agree tonight, another

tens of thousands of tonnes of waste each year will be bound for Sweden.

From a different Avomouth plant it'll travel by sea to Scandanavia.

It is a pity we have not got our act together in the UK yet but they are

doing it in Sweden. We will get our act together in the fullness of time

with our other partners and other operators in something good will

come out of it. Until that time that we catch up at least some of the

rubbish we generate here will carry on generating electricity in other

parts of Europe. Julia Causton, BBC Points West, Avonmouth.

North Somerset councillors discussed that in the meeting which started at

six. In Bristol, the council meeting started at 2pm and there is no sign

of that ending whatsoever. They are discussing the budgets and Maher has

to get other parties on board. The Conservatives are behind him but the

Liberal Democrats and Labour could vote against his budget which raises

the possibility it may not pass tonight which means we would have to

come back here in March and do it all again.

We had the bit of a break from the rain today and we will have a full

forecasts for you later. England's Roman's cricket captain brings the

Ashes to Somerset. And we need the singer hoping to triumph at the

Radio 2 folk awards tomorrow. Covering 50 areas of a celebrated

landscape with poly tunnels could violate it say protesters who say it

could destroy view is revered by some of our greatest poets.

These fields have been admired for decades and some of our most famous

writers met here. Edward Thomas and Rupert Brooke what inspired here.

This is on a par with the lake district. Modern farming practices

are intruding on the area. Poly tunnels have already been put up in

the area. This farmer says poly tunnels will let him grow asparagus

all year round. Our history is important but we need to look to the

future and there will be some visual impact from certain areas but I do

not think it is changing the landscape that drastically or

permanently. These proposals mean that a footpath in memory of the

poets will have to change. If the plans have the go`ahead, there will

be a difference of 120 metres. The friends of the Dymock poets have

created this exhibition and fire them the words of the heroes will be

forever tainted if this area is covered with poly tunnels. The trek

by Bristol schoolboy Lewis Clarke to the South Pole has been officially

recognised by Guinness World Records. The 16`year`old has

officially become the youngest person ever to reach the most

southerly place on earth. Guinness has personally invited Lewis to

accept a certificate at their London office. Swindon will not be going to

Wembley for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy this season. Their area final

against Peterborough was settled by a penalty shoot out, but as Alistair

Durden reports, supporters blamed the referee for the defeat. The

worst way in football to lose. The referee cost us the game. Swindon

were trying to make it to Wembley for the third time in five seasons.

The game was level at two`all after the first leg. But it was decisions

like this that got the home fans backs up. Dany N'Guessan appeared to

be fouled as he ran towards goal ` but the referee said no penalty

Swindon took the lead before half`time. Some generous

Peterborough defending allowed Alex Pritchard to score. But they started

to tire, and a mistake in defence gave Britt Assombalonga the sort of

chance he rarely misses. No more goals, so onto penalties. With one

left each up stepped Swindon's Brazilian winger Tee`jan ` surely a

safe bet. And he has put it wide. That gave Tommy Rowe the chance to

win it ` no mistake this time. Peterborough are off to Wembley

Only one team can win and unfortunately it was not us tonight

and we have to pick ourselves up and go again. And that's still possible

with Swindon eighth and a third of the season left to play. Alistair

Durden, BBC Points West. Tonight Yeovil play one of their two games

in hand in the Championship. They're at home to Watford. Yeovil are

bottom of the table and seven points away from safety. Wiltshire's Paula

Walker is competing in the Winter Olympics and she'll be hoping to

finish in the top ten. The England women's cricket skipper passed on

tips today. Spilling her first century at the County ground, makes

Taunton Place of happy memories for Charlotte Edwards. Today she gave

some back and it also marked her first appearance as a full`time

England professional after the announcement of a new ECB deal. Last

Wednesday when we got the news I was overwhelmed and I do not think it

has sunk in yet. I am very honoured to be one of the first professional

women to play cricket and hopefully I have a few more years to enjoy

that time. At ?40,000 a year it will likely help her job of inspiring

youngsters. The numbers of girls playing cricket are already on the

up and has scheme has seen 1 million take part already. It is important

that we are in schools and visible the younger roles because I did not

have any role models when I was growing up in the sport which I

play. It was all male role models and is important that we have

success on the pitch but when we go into schools we act in a way that

hopefully inspires girls to play the game. Charlotte hopes to sow the

seeds to make these girls have memories and show the men what they

can do. Next, do you remember all the things you've done since the

beginning of December? It's been 11 weeks and chances are, you've packed

in quite a lot. So spare a thought for two Bristol students who have

spent every day since then, crammed into a small boat, surviving on

rations, hardly sleeping ` and trying to row their way across the

Atlantic. The students were hoping to finish their epic race today `

but all is not going according to plan, as Laura Jones reports. We

followed them on a map on a daily basis and it is updated every four

hours which gives the position on the Atlantic Ocean. Considering the

difficult times they are having their making progress. Waiting

anxiously for news back home. John Lawton's daughter Hannah, along with

her friend Lauren, are currently stuck, in a very small boat, in the

middle of a very big sea. They are having a very difficult time and we

have all seen these horrendous weather conditions that we have

experienced in the UK for some time now and they are going through those

conditions on a daily basis. They are coping with them very well but

nonetheless it is very difficult. Hannah and Lauren met at the

University of the West of England in Bristol, where they developed a love

of rowing, which ultimately led to this epic race. The teams set off in

December last year heading for Antigua in the Caribbean. Several

had to drop out but the others have got the apart from Hannah and Lauren

were stuck 1000 miles from the finish line. `` who are stuck.

They've had a tough time. Their GPS stopped working just 20 minutes into

the race. On day two, their steering went. Then, a battery fire destroyed

their navigation charts ` and their rudder fell off. Hannah and Lauren

are taking part in the race in memory of their close friend Eleanor

Ellis, who tragically died from cancer. In a recent blog, the

students spoke of their motivation and said that they were "continuing

to be inspired" by their friend ` and what "she had gone through" And

that no matter how tough it gets ` they won't give up. Laura Jones BBC

Points West. They have not got the luck but they certainly have the

spirit. Gloucestershire singer Hattie Briggs will find out tomorrow

if she's won the BBC Radio two Young Folk Singer Award. The ceremony will

be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and ahead of the big night

Hattie joins us now. We'll be speaking to her in just a second,

but first let's hear her sing. # This one's about a friend I've known

for years I wish my friend was writing songs about me. Tomorrow

night is a mass of note for you What does it mean for you? I have

never been there before and there will be a lot of people in the

industry there as well. Even if I do not when, to get to this stage is

amazing and a huge honour. What stage argue that at your career You

said you do not have a manager? I did not have anything. I have a

producer who I have been working with my new single but up till now I

only took the decision to do music full`time about a month ago. I

dropped out of university to do that. You have played locally? I

have been playing for 89 months locally and in London but I took the

plunge quite recently. How difficult is it for a young recession at the

moment? There are a lot of us trying to do it. You can see on you Tube

and many people are trying to do the same thing. How did you come to be

nominated for the folk awards? I sent the track in to the e`mail

address I saw. I hope it is the beginning of great things for you

and Hattie will sing the rest of that song if you stick with us.

Millions have tuned in to watch Jeremy Paxman's series on the Great

War here on BBC One. Next week Points West and our local BBC Radio

stations will be broadcasting a series of reports on what was

happening here in our region during the conflict. Here's a little taster

of what to expect. Bristol zoo is one of the oldest in

the world. By the time the war broke out in 1914, it had been going for

70 years. This place would have been packed with wounded troops. He

single`handedly brought down an enemy zeppelin. He is illegal and

should be remembered as one. They died so young and so far from

home. He is a `` hero. It was this beauty that inspired attempt on Mac

`` Ivor Gurney in northern France. The memory of Rex lives on. C of

that rain will keep away. We will have a few showers to

content with. There will be a band of rain arriving later in the gale

force when is that I was talking about. The rainfall could amount to

have financial of rain. Over the next day we are expecting a weather

front to push through and introduce a few showers which may last through

the course of the night before the next batch of rain arrives tomorrow

evening and overnight into Thursday morning. We will see some gale force

wind gusts of around 40 mph to 0 mph. Over the next 24 hours, those

showers will be with us and they will gradually ease and we're

showers to clear `` where showers do clear will see temperatures of four

or five degrees. Tomorrow there will be highs of ten to 11 Celsius and

through tomorrow night, though winds will increase up to gale force in

some places, there will be brisk winds along the south coast and the

band of rain will clear around lunchtime on Thursday and following

that, we will have a few blustery showers and maybe some hail and

perhaps some thunder. Next they will be fairly windy and we could have

some hail and thunder. Here is the outlook for the rest of the week.

Tomorrow there will be a few showers initially and a band of rain will

last until Thursday morning. Here is Hattie the players out. ``

play us out. SHE SINGS.