:00:05. > :00:14.In Wales Today: The search for gas trapped in the
:00:15. > :00:20.
:00:20. > :00:30.earth. It is opening up a new chapter in
:00:30. > :00:33.
:00:33. > :00:36.the industry a history of the UK Our other headlines tonight:
:00:36. > :00:39.Wales footballer Ched Evans denies raping a 19-year-old woman in a
:00:39. > :00:49.hotel in Rhyl. Plans are approved for 250 homes as
:00:49. > :00:51.
:00:51. > :00:54.part of a new marina development for Fishguard.
:00:55. > :00:58.It will extend the season for a much wider area.
:00:58. > :01:03.Chris Birch used to be a 19 stone rugby fan with a girlfriend. He
:01:04. > :01:08.suffered a stroke and says he woke up gay.
:01:08. > :01:12.I think that has got to be a difficult experience for anybody,
:01:12. > :01:20.especially a mother and her child. And after being brought down to
:01:20. > :01:23.earth by the Ospreys, the Blues Good evening. Gas extraction known
:01:23. > :01:27.as fracking could open up a new chapter of industrial history in
:01:27. > :01:30.South Wales. That's according to a geology expert following news today
:01:30. > :01:33.that the controversial process can continue in the UK. An application
:01:33. > :01:37.for exploratory drilling in the Vale of Glamorgan was rejected by
:01:37. > :01:47.the local authority last year. It'll now be considered by a public
:01:47. > :01:49.
:01:49. > :01:54.inquiry next month. Sian Lloyd is in the village of Llandow tonight.
:01:54. > :01:59.This is the area where a company wants to carry out exploratory
:01:59. > :02:04.drilling for shale gas, a natural commodity which some experts say
:02:04. > :02:09.has huge potential. But in order to extract it, that does involve the
:02:09. > :02:13.controversial method known as fracking. That has been in the news
:02:13. > :02:18.today because a report by independent experts says that
:02:18. > :02:23.fracking should be allowed to continue. That report was called
:02:23. > :02:28.for after a fracking operation in Lancashire last year was halted
:02:28. > :02:32.following two smaller earthquakes. The last time they tried it near
:02:32. > :02:37.Blackpool, it triggered to earth tremors. But now the controversial
:02:38. > :02:42.method of extracting natural gas is set to restart. In your report
:02:42. > :02:47.today for the UK Department of Energy and climate change, experts
:02:47. > :02:51.recommend the process should continue but with more monitoring.
:02:52. > :02:57.Fracking allows previously an accessible reserves of gas to be
:02:57. > :03:02.extracted from shale rock, by injecting it with pressurised sand,
:03:02. > :03:07.water and chemicals. This site at Llandow in the Vale of Glamorgan
:03:07. > :03:11.has been earmarked as a potential drilling site. A Bridgend based
:03:11. > :03:17.company has the 10th exploration licences across South Wales. The
:03:17. > :03:23.company believes they will filed under wraps reserves of a shell gas
:03:23. > :03:25.underneath the ground are. His planning application in the Vale of
:03:25. > :03:29.Glamorgan faced opposition. Campaigners are concerned about
:03:29. > :03:34.safety and the potential impacts on the environment. The Welsh
:03:34. > :03:38.Government is now holding a public inquiry into the application. Could
:03:38. > :03:44.this report have any impact on applications for fracking like the
:03:44. > :03:50.one in Llandow or others in the future? I think there is potential
:03:50. > :03:54.for shale gas in South Wales. How much, we need to find out by doing
:03:54. > :03:58.the fracking operation. This is a step forward. It will allow us to
:03:58. > :04:03.work out what kind of scale of resource we might have in South
:04:03. > :04:07.Wales. This caravan park neighbours the potential drilling site. Its
:04:08. > :04:14.owner is opposed to the plans and that today's report has not changed
:04:14. > :04:21.her mind. The earthquakes is one of the smallest risks associated with
:04:21. > :04:25.this process. This report is a dangerous distraction from the true
:04:25. > :04:30.risks of fracking. The Welsh Government says it believes there
:04:30. > :04:36.is a need to look at both the power -- potential of gas exploration but
:04:36. > :04:40.also concerns about the potential impacts. As the UK government is
:04:40. > :04:44.responsible for the granting of exploration licences, it says it
:04:44. > :04:49.would welcome them working with devolved administrations across the
:04:49. > :04:53.UK to put in place a robust framework for shale gas.
:04:53. > :04:57.We will hear more about the application for the Vale of
:04:57. > :05:02.Glamorgan when the public inquiry is completed around the end of May?
:05:02. > :05:06.Yes, that is when this story moves on in the Vale of Glamorgan, when
:05:06. > :05:10.the public inquiry has finished its work. It has been hearing views
:05:10. > :05:15.from interested parties at until now. We did try to contact the
:05:15. > :05:19.company involved today but we were not able to get through a. Him but
:05:19. > :05:22.with 10 licences, we are likely to hear a lot more about fracking in
:05:22. > :05:25.the future. The Wales footballer Ched Evans has
:05:25. > :05:29.denied raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel in Rhyl. The prosecution
:05:29. > :05:32.claim she was too drunk to consent. Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald
:05:32. > :05:40.is also charged with rape, which he denies. From Caernarfon Crown Court,
:05:40. > :05:47.Aled Hughes reports. Today, the court heard about Ched
:05:47. > :05:51.Evans's Korea, starting at Manchester City earning 13 caps for
:05:51. > :05:57.Wales and 35 goals so far this season. But what happened at this
:05:57. > :06:00.hotel on 30th May last year is the question facing the jury. Ched
:06:00. > :06:04.Evans and Clayton McDonald were both 23 years old, they both deny
:06:04. > :06:08.raping the woman who the prosecution claimed was too drunk
:06:08. > :06:12.to consent. Today they give evidence in their defence. Both men
:06:12. > :06:16.had been out for a night out in Rhyl and they met the woman at the
:06:16. > :06:22.end of the evening. Clayton McDonald told the jury that he and
:06:22. > :06:27.the woman took a taxi to the nearby Hotel. Questioned by his barrister,
:06:27. > :06:31.he was asked if he had forced her to have sex and he had replied know.
:06:31. > :06:36.He then asked if she was awake, able to speak and able to move by
:06:36. > :06:41.herself. He answered yes to all questions are. He then said that
:06:41. > :06:46.Ched Evans had entered the room and that he also had sex with the woman.
:06:46. > :06:56.Ched Evans will continue to give evidence tomorrow. Both men deny
:06:56. > :07:05.
:07:05. > :07:08.the charges against them. Welsh Labour is asking voters to
:07:08. > :07:10.use May 3rd's local elections as a referendum on the UK Government's
:07:10. > :07:12.budget. Launching the party's council election campaign in
:07:13. > :07:15.Newport, Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones said voters should use the
:07:15. > :07:17.poll to reject what he called the UK Government's "brutal cuts". Mark
:07:17. > :07:24.Hannaby reports. Labour launched its campaign at
:07:24. > :07:28.Newport, a council area it is keen to regain. Labour say this is a
:07:28. > :07:33.different kind of election campaign. There is no central manifesto, they
:07:33. > :07:38.promise to respond to very local concerns and recognised that what
:07:38. > :07:42.my working Newport might not work in Wrexham. There is one central
:07:42. > :07:48.idea they are pushing though, they say a vote for Labour is a vote
:07:48. > :07:52.against the UK government's Budgett. If we have less money as an
:07:52. > :07:55.Assembly and a government in Cardiff Bay, there is less money
:07:55. > :08:01.for look authorities. It is very difficult to keep essential
:08:01. > :08:05.services going. So it is a local issue. It affects people's lives,
:08:05. > :08:08.they incomes, their ability to be ambitious for their families.
:08:08. > :08:13.Welsh Labour hope the council elections will provide them with a
:08:13. > :08:18.win-win situation. On one hand, damaging the Cameroon government,
:08:18. > :08:24.on the other going back to Welsh councils they lost when a Labour UK
:08:24. > :08:29.government was unpopular. Winning because they are trusted by local
:08:29. > :08:33.people because they are from local communities. That will enable us to
:08:33. > :08:37.govern in our local councils and city councils, keeping council
:08:37. > :08:43.taxes as low as possible, improving services and making sure the
:08:43. > :08:51.council is run efficiently. At the side of the River Usk, Peter Hain
:08:51. > :08:54.claimed baseline -- strong tide was flowing towards Labour in Wales.
:08:54. > :08:57.And as part of our local election coverage, tonight we look at the
:08:58. > :09:02.cost of caring for our elderly. Councils in Wales spend an
:09:02. > :09:07.estimated �1.4 billion a year on social care. A large proportion of
:09:07. > :09:11.that goes towards those aged 65 or over. Abigail Neal reports on the
:09:11. > :09:14.challenge that an ageing population poses.
:09:14. > :09:19.Funding the cost of a residential home like Pendine Park in Wrexham
:09:19. > :09:22.is one way local authorities pay for our care. 65-year-old Alan
:09:22. > :09:32.Hassall moved in after his diabetes and asthma became too much to
:09:32. > :09:36.
:09:36. > :09:40.manage. It was affecting my wife's health. Especially at night because
:09:40. > :09:44.unfortunately with my asthma, that used to kick-off. But for every one
:09:44. > :09:47.person in a care home, there are at least three more in the community
:09:47. > :09:56.that receive funding for care in their own home. David Sharp from
:09:56. > :10:03.Tenby was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 28 years ago.
:10:03. > :10:07.frightens me because I have got it. From being fit and healthy to not
:10:07. > :10:11.being able to move, I find it very hard to grasp. David's wife Meryl
:10:11. > :10:16.provides much of his care, but they also rely on health and social
:10:16. > :10:23.services to pay for two care workers four times a day. I would
:10:23. > :10:30.be extremely worried is the system fell apart which I suppose we all
:10:30. > :10:35.know deep down that it could happen. Despite financial pressure, local-
:10:35. > :10:42.authority is are still increasing their local care budgets year on
:10:42. > :10:45.year. But as we live longer, the demand is increasing to. We are
:10:45. > :10:51.working with a similar number of people but the people we are
:10:52. > :10:56.working with have more complex needs. One area of the population
:10:56. > :11:00.that is expected to see a dramatic rise his people living in
:11:00. > :11:07.conditions like Alzheimer's. There are 44,000 people living with
:11:07. > :11:12.dementia in Wales. By 2021, that is expected to rise by nearly 30 % to
:11:12. > :11:17.56,000. The demand is increasing so much that budgets are going to have
:11:17. > :11:21.to increase. To simply have a manual increase that is less than
:11:21. > :11:24.the rate of inflation means effectively we are going backwards.
:11:24. > :11:28.But Pembrokeshire Local Authority say they are learning to work
:11:28. > :11:34.differently to make the money go further. There is some evidence to
:11:34. > :11:39.show that if you support people with a small amount of care early
:11:39. > :11:43.on, their total care needs over the course of their time when they need
:11:43. > :11:46.support are reduced. After education, the cost of care is the
:11:46. > :11:56.largest bill a council pays and it's something we are all likely to
:11:56. > :11:58.
:11:58. > :12:01.need at some point in our lives. A Welsh MP has called on the UK
:12:01. > :12:11.Government to make the cords used to open and close window blinds
:12:11. > :12:13.
:12:13. > :12:16.safer. A man from Cardiff has been warned
:12:16. > :12:19.he faces jail after his dog attacked a six-year-old boy.
:12:19. > :12:22.Cardiff Crown Court heard how Erfan Ali had his face mauled whilst in
:12:22. > :12:25.his garden in the city last year. 27-year-old Kevin Large, who lived
:12:25. > :12:28.next door, admitted failing to control his dog. He's been released
:12:28. > :12:31.on bail and will be sentenced next month. The Newport West MP Paul
:12:31. > :12:34.Flynn was speaking during a debate called following the death of a
:12:34. > :12:37.toddler in his constituency. 22- month-old Joshua Wakeham died in
:12:37. > :12:42.January after becoming tangled in a blind cord in his bedroom.
:12:42. > :12:44.And Paul Flynn joins me now from Westminster. This was a tragic
:12:44. > :12:54.accident. Can you really ever legislate to stop this from
:12:54. > :12:58.
:12:58. > :13:04.happening again? There are a great deal of tragic accidents that have
:13:04. > :13:09.taken place recently. There were 350 children died in that way in a
:13:09. > :13:13.14 year period in the United States and of the recent cases, the last
:13:14. > :13:19.22 children who have died in these awful circumstances, the majority
:13:19. > :13:24.have happened in the last two years. Everything that is being done,
:13:24. > :13:28.after campaigns by other MPs, after improvements by the European
:13:28. > :13:36.Community, Delors and the efforts of the industry, things have not
:13:36. > :13:40.got better. They are getting worse. As the mother of Joshua Wakeham has
:13:40. > :13:44.said, why didn't somebody warned me? She had this nightmare
:13:45. > :13:48.experience of putting a child to bed, checking on him an hour later,
:13:48. > :13:56.and finding that he was dead and that he had been strangled by the
:13:56. > :14:01.cord. There are things we can do to stop this, to encourage the
:14:01. > :14:05.industry to change the design of chords so they can only sell safe
:14:05. > :14:09.ones and to dissuade people of the -- persuade people to be aware of
:14:09. > :14:14.the great dangers of leaving a child in a bedroom with these
:14:14. > :14:18.chords are hanging. There are 250 million records in bedrooms
:14:18. > :14:22.throughout the country, and each one -- each one is a potential
:14:22. > :14:24.danger. Much more to come before seven
:14:24. > :14:34.o'clock: They've been going backwards - now
:14:34. > :14:39.
:14:39. > :14:47.the Blues advertise for a director It is something we felt it needed
:14:47. > :14:50.to be put in place. A new marina for Fishguard is a step closer this
:14:50. > :14:53.evening. Pembrokeshire planning committee granted outline planning
:14:53. > :14:58.permission for a new development which would also include shops and
:14:58. > :15:01.cafes. Local business owners say the scheme will boost the economy.
:15:01. > :15:03.But as Cemlyn Davies reports, not everybody is convinced. The
:15:03. > :15:06.development of Fishguard harbour has been under discussion for
:15:06. > :15:14.almost a decade. Today the latest plans took a significant step
:15:14. > :15:17.forward. In a meeting this morning, Pembrokeshire Council planning
:15:17. > :15:20.committee granted outline planning permission for this 80 acre project.
:15:20. > :15:23.Investment firm, Conygar, wants permission to build a marina with
:15:23. > :15:29.room for 450 boats, more than 250 apartments and a space for shops,
:15:29. > :15:34.restaurants and cafes. The plans would also offer an opportunity to
:15:34. > :15:36.expand the ferry services from Fishguard. It is believed Conygar's
:15:36. > :15:41.plans to completely transform this area will significantly boost the
:15:41. > :15:46.local economy. A report by Pembrokeshire County Council said a
:15:46. > :15:56.new marina would be worth �7 million a year. But some people
:15:56. > :16:01.living locally are worried about the scale of the development.
:16:01. > :16:05.houses, units, which are principally aimed at the boating
:16:05. > :16:08.community and not what we want. Like most town centres, Fishguard
:16:08. > :16:15.is up against it. Local business leaders believe the new marina
:16:15. > :16:20.would help and they have welcomed the council's decision.
:16:20. > :16:24.We are very tourist dependent and we are limited to school holidays
:16:24. > :16:29.for a large part of that tourism. There are people out of school
:16:29. > :16:37.holidays that come for the walking, the environment but a marina will
:16:37. > :16:39.offers -- offer st 8-month window of opportunity., Conygar's chief
:16:39. > :16:42.executive said he is delighted with the outcome of today's meeting,
:16:42. > :16:52.adding the firm will continue to consult with all relevant parties
:16:52. > :16:55.
:16:55. > :16:59.as it now prepares more detailed proposals.
:16:59. > :17:01.He used to be in 19 stone rugby fan with a girlfriend. But when 27-
:17:01. > :17:05.year-old Chris Birch, from Ystrad Mynach, suffered a stroke last year,
:17:05. > :17:15.his personality altered dramatically. He is now gay and
:17:15. > :17:16.
:17:16. > :17:20.leads a very different life. Old photographs of a former self. These
:17:20. > :17:25.images from Chris Birch's used mean little to him now. He remembers
:17:25. > :17:29.only fragments of his life. He used to be a rugby fanatic and self-
:17:29. > :17:34.confessed ladies' man. Last year he suffered a stroke of the doing a
:17:34. > :17:40.forward roll on this playing field. He now leads a different life. He
:17:40. > :17:44.is gay with a fiancee, Jack. He gave up his job in a bank to work
:17:44. > :17:49.at a hairdresser's. Some friends and family have found the change is
:17:49. > :17:55.hard to take us it is difficult, even for me, to come to terms with
:17:55. > :17:59.the person I am. For somebody who has known me for so long, known me
:17:59. > :18:03.so closely to realise one can change as much as they have, that
:18:03. > :18:08.has got to be a difficult experience for anybody. He believes
:18:08. > :18:16.his stroke caused these changes to stop the neurological trauma has
:18:16. > :18:20.affected his personality. A meeting with a psychologist raises the
:18:20. > :18:27.possibility these feelings may have been there all along. The bulk of
:18:27. > :18:32.the evidence in the biological science suggest that sexuality is
:18:32. > :18:37.something that here you are born with an eye develops later on
:18:37. > :18:42.through live. Sometimes it takes something like a neurological
:18:42. > :18:48.incident to make you reassess those feelings, perhaps that they were
:18:48. > :18:52.dormant. Science may never be able to reveal what happened after his
:18:52. > :18:57.accident and the lasting effects of the stroke. He is continuing to
:18:57. > :19:04.rediscover himself and says he is happy with his new life. You can
:19:04. > :19:07.see more on this story at 9 o'clock tonight on BBC Three. The Cardiff
:19:07. > :19:10.Blues are looking for a new director of rugby to turn around
:19:10. > :19:13.their fortunes. Gareth Baber and Justin Burnell have been in joint
:19:13. > :19:19.charge of the team since November. But the region now wants to appoint
:19:19. > :19:23.a more experienced figure above them after a disappointing season.
:19:23. > :19:28.Another heavy defeat at home, this time to the Ospreys. It has been
:19:28. > :19:34.the story of the Blues season. It seemed laden with talent misfiring.
:19:34. > :19:39.The charge of the current campaign were given eight season to prove
:19:39. > :19:44.themselves when David Young left. Despite the occasional highly the
:19:44. > :19:50.verdict is they have not done well enough. They are made table and the
:19:50. > :19:54.PRO12 after winning 12 -- nine out of their 20 matches. They will
:19:54. > :19:59.carry on with their current roles and somebody is going to steer the
:19:59. > :20:03.ship and were the started using place. We have had a poor run of
:20:03. > :20:11.form and it is something both the board and myself on the chairman
:20:11. > :20:17.have felt needed to be put in place. The Blues are using agents to scour
:20:17. > :20:21.the right man. They could be a few options close to home for so Sean
:20:22. > :20:26.Holley could fit the bill as well as Phil Davies. Kingsley Jones who
:20:26. > :20:32.was head closer at the sale sharks could be a contender. He has not
:20:32. > :20:35.put pen to paper to coach Russia. Whether it is he will walk into a
:20:35. > :20:39.dressing-room demoralised by poor results and a growing exodus. The
:20:40. > :20:43.new director of rugby will inherit a squad shorn of many of its top
:20:43. > :20:47.stars. Here on Sunday 12 of their most experienced players including
:20:47. > :20:52.Gethin Jenkins and Martyn Williams will bed farewell to the Blues in
:20:52. > :20:56.their final home game of the season. It will not be easy to replace them
:20:56. > :20:58.for whoever takes over. Boxer Nathan Cleverly has been
:20:58. > :21:04.forced to withdraw from his WBO light-heavyweight title defence
:21:04. > :21:07.against Robin Krasniqi due to illness. The Welsh star was said to
:21:07. > :21:11.face the Kosovan on 28th April at the Royal Albert Hall in London but
:21:11. > :21:15.has been unable to train for his fourth title defence. It is not yet
:21:15. > :21:17.clear whether the fight will be rearranged.
:21:17. > :21:22.In football, Cardiff City are looking to extend their unbeaten
:21:22. > :21:24.run to eight when they face Derby County this evening. The Bluebirds
:21:24. > :21:28.are currently sixth in the Championship table occupying the
:21:28. > :21:32.last play-off place. With three games to go their destiny remains
:21:32. > :21:37.in their own hands as they try to reach the play-offs for the third
:21:37. > :21:40.season in succession. Meanwhile, Newport County will be
:21:40. > :21:44.looking for at least a draw this evening when they face relegated
:21:44. > :21:49.Darlington. One point should be enough for the Exiles to stave off
:21:49. > :21:52.the threat of relegation from the Blue Square Premier.
:21:52. > :21:56.In tomorrow night's programme we will be marking the official 100
:21:56. > :21:58.days to go to the Olympics. We will be speaking to some of our young
:21:58. > :22:02.medal hopefuls and meeting one Swansea pensioner for whom the
:22:02. > :22:06.Games are a potent reminder of the last time they were staged in the
:22:06. > :22:16.UK. 83-year-old Glyn Hopkins was a member of the British gymnastics
:22:16. > :22:16.
:22:16. > :22:23.team and competed in the London Olympics in 1948.
:22:23. > :22:30.As we entered the stadium, the hair on the back of your neck bristled.
:22:30. > :22:37.The crowd roared because the British team was coming in. That
:22:37. > :22:47.was an exciting time. Very exciting. Back to tonight, Derek's weather
:22:47. > :22:47.
:22:47. > :22:51.This week is National Gardening weaken the plans are in for a good
:22:51. > :22:56.watering. More rain, gusty winds are feeling cool as well. This
:22:56. > :23:01.evening, scattered showers will give way to wet and windy weather
:23:01. > :23:07.spreading its way from the south- west. Fresh to strong winds as this
:23:07. > :23:14.near the north and west. Tomorrow's chart shows a dart board a year of
:23:14. > :23:18.heavy pressure over Wales. Tomorrow morning a few places will start dry,
:23:18. > :23:22.others are wet with rain or showers to stop some low cloud and hill fog
:23:22. > :23:27.as well. The wind light inland and breezy on the coast and feeling
:23:27. > :23:32.cool. Temperatures in north east has, five degrees Celsius. The rest
:23:32. > :23:37.of the day would bring in showers. Downpours in the south and east. I
:23:37. > :23:41.would not rule out a rumble of thunder. It should brighten up in
:23:41. > :23:47.Pembrokeshire later on and also on the Lleyn Peninsula. The wind
:23:47. > :23:52.picking up in the afternoon. It will feel the cool side. Top
:23:52. > :23:57.temperatures 11 degrees Celsius. It will be mostly cloudy in south-east
:23:57. > :24:01.Wales. Temperatures rising to 10 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow night's
:24:01. > :24:06.becoming drier with a few showers in the West. Rain in the north
:24:06. > :24:09.after midnight. On Thursday, a cool north-westerly wind will bring in
:24:09. > :24:15.more rain and showers spreading their way south-east has across the
:24:15. > :24:18.country. Friday at the weekend remain unsettled. Showers heavy in
:24:18. > :24:28.places with hail and thunder. I can promise and dry weather and a
:24:28. > :24:32.