30/09/2014 East Midlands Today

This is East Midlands Today with Dominic Heale and Anne Davids.

Tonight ` a furious row over the axing

80 of them will go, the Torhes claim Labour are targeting cuts in the

countryside. There seems to be some unfairness in the way they `re

applied 2`run areas, not only these cuts but also children's services

and buses. Is landfill buridd Chris Bentley council that this rdcycling

bags more waste. Fears of fracking, how landowners say they are

countryside will be fracturdd. Happy anniversary ` sports from the iPro

Stadium as Steve McLaren celebrates one year in charge.

Good evening and welcome to the programmd.

First tonight, a major blow for reading in rural communhties.

Most of Derbyshire's fleet of mobile libraries is to bd axed.

The Labour`run County Counchl says it'll sell off eight out of the ten

vehicles it runs, blaming government cutbacks to its own funding.

But the decision's been criticised by Derbyshire's Conservativds,

who say rural communities are being unfairly targeted.

Users of the mobile librarids say they provide a much`needed service `

Scrapping eight of the ten lobile libraries in Derbyshire will cut

The County Council is having to make tough decisions

about how cutbacks hit communities and the people using

mobile library service say ht is something they really value.

People like Madge, who has her favourite reading matter delivered

I should feel very lonely bdcause I am 90 years old

The mobile libraries accoubt for 17% of total library use.

They visit more than 380 separate communities and

there are concerns that the cuts will affect younger re`ders.

As a childminder, we don't operate like nurseries, we get thesd

children out in the community and it will be a sad loss.

I have a variety of children with different ages and even thotgh they

go to school they still ask me if I can find books for them.

My daughter is at school and she is six years of age and she

is thoroughly disappointed `t the prospect that the mobile library

It has caused a political row at County Hall.

Well, it is appalling that we have to do this bec`use

the government is forcing county councils to make millions of buyers

with the cuts and this is p`rt of that, I've ordered and ?30,0 0.

But it is not acceptable and the government is to blame for this.

There is a right and a wrong way of preventing those cuts

and what we're worried about here is there seems to be some

unfairness in the way that they are being applied, to rural are`s.

Not only these cuts but also to buses and children's centres.

The mobile library service that Madge treasures will be much

reduced. Visiting only 150 communities from January.

I spoke to Mike a little earlier about the fact that

there seemed to be something of a political blame game going on here.

That is right, the Labour ldd County Council is blaming

the government in the main part ?157 million worth of cuts have to

Inflation, more spending on adult social care, more on vulner`ble

children's services but the Conservatives at County Hall say

that the Labour`led County Council is targeting rural areas unfairly.

Where there are fewer Labour votes, and that is something the L`bour

leadership contests but the Conservatives would also sax that

they would have liked the voluntary sector to be taking over sole of

these mobile library servicds that are being sold. What about the

That is right, the County Council says that these

mobile library services help communities to thrive, to stay

healthy and they help with reading levels, of course, and learning

So it seems that these wider objectives could suffer unddr

I have been speaking to the Chartered Institute

of Library Information Profdssionals and they say that they are dismayed

to hear about these cuts but it is something that has been

They told me those who are disadvantaged or isolated nded

library services the most and they say they are often the

people who find it most difficult to access the digital services.

We're staying with cutbacks because our next report is

Nearly two thirds of them in Nottingham say they may have to

stop providing a service because of cuts in funding.

It's a double whammy becausd a report says the budget sqteeze

coincides with a big rise in demand for the services charities provide.

Set up 30 years ago, this advice centre helps up to 200 people

a week. Anything from debt, benefits and housing

Recently it opened a food b`nk that has helped around 700 people to

It has to raise ?750,000 a year to provide its services

Last year it lost ?60,000 in legal aid funding

I spent most of my time looking for funding.

In the voluntary sector it hs difficult because everything is

short term, the lowest contract we have this for three years.

And most of the contracts are three years or even two years.

The charity was one of 50 across the city and Nottingham comlunity

and voluntary service survexed to draw up its annual report.

It found the cuts to local

51% of the charities told them they have seen their income drop.

At the same time, 78% have seen an increase

When 64% fear they may have to close one of their services

If services close altogether and you will find nowhere for people

to turn and that will put more pressure on the state, more pressure

All the things that really the government is trying to protect

Absolutely, I know of several already that have

had to close and it is vital.

But it does seem such a short`term view of everything

The Chancellor proposing to freeze many benefits for two years,

charities are bracing themsdlves for a hike in demand for their help and

A 101`year`old woman has fahled in a High Court bid to save her

Amrutben Karia had been tryhng to reverse a City Council decision to

Her lawyers claimed that moving her would have a profound impact on her

mental and physical well`behng and possibly hasten her death.

But the judge said there were powerful reasons why Herrick Lodge

Derby will not be home to the National College for

The decision was announced at the Conservative Party conference

The training facility is to be divided between Birmingham

Meanwhile, Derby City Counchl is still keen to get HS2 to pass

through Derby, rather than the proposed Toton station.

Young children in Leicester have the worst teeth in the country.

A survey by Public Health England found more than one

In Nottingham, one in six toddlers has rotten, missing or filldd teeth.

And Derby fared only slightly better.

Health experts are urging p`rents to reduce the amount

of sugary drinks and fruit juice their children consume.

Coming up ` in sport, we're at the iPro Stadium to mark

Yes, who said it would not last It is one year since Steve McClaren to

charge and we will ask, what has been the secret to his succdss? ``

took charge. How would you feel about colpanies

being allowed to drill deep below Well,

that could happen in the future A government consultation

on the issue has now finishdd with the vast majority of people who

responded against the idea. We saw evidence of the opposition

to fracking earlier this ye`r. Anti`fracking campaigners sdt up

a camp at Daneshill in North Nottinghamshire,

where there are plans for drilling. Across the East Midlands thdre are

huge deposits of shale rock in what's called the Widmerpool Gulf

to the north of Melton Mowbray. So the potential for fracking

in our region is there. Hydraulic fracturing is

the process of injecting water and chemicals deep into shale rock

to extract oil and gas. The Government showed

its commitment to fracking and other forms of energy production

when the Chancellor spoke at We will tap for a shale gas,

commissioned nuclear power `nd the new doubles and Guaranty eldgy for

the future, we will wilt high`speed rail, decide where to put the runway

and support the next generation with starter homes in a permanent help to

buy scheme. You must learn from the past and not really fast, ddcide or

decline, that is a choice and we must choose the future.

Well, the Government plans to change the trespass law to allow drilling

300 metres below homes without the need to get the owner's perlission.

The Country Land and Business Association in the

East Midlands claims this could put properties at risk.

Earlier, I spoke to their Regional Strveyor

Well, that is the problem, we do not know if it will cause probldms and

we do not know that it will not so what we're worried about with

members who might be it is the government has not taken account of

possible long`term viabilitx, should problems occur. So if a firl went

bust, and your home started to sink, you would not know who to ste?

Exactly because we do not know yet what the long`term risks might be in

the long`term consequences `t some time in the future. One can

understand the concerns felt by landowners what could some lembers,

who own or manage half of the land in England and Wales, see fracking

as an additional income strdam? They could do but the payments are not

that great at the moment. The consultation which has just happened

suggests that if horizontal drilling takes place, drilling that goes out

from the vertical well, you are talking like ?20,000 for evdry

drill. What you intend to do to change the mind of the government?

You want them to encourage the industry to engage with landowners

and householders to reassurd them that the risks from fracking can be

taken care of and the necessary safety precautions are in place and

so on so that if there is a risk of long`term liability, if a problem

occurs, the landowner is not held responsible. Thank you.

Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan today made her Tory conference debut

speech as the new Education Secretary.

Her calls for discipline and raising standards got htge

But one of the biggest cheers went to ` speaker

who'd addressed the conference a few moments earlier ` a 20`year`old

Let's find out more from the International Convdntion

It can be daunting enough for a seasoned politician to addrdss a big

Not for young apprentice, Khrstan Gorton, the first female welder

She told the conference she would never have discovered how mtch she

loved building trains withott the support of her old Derbx

It helps inspire young people to aim for girls that others might say or

not possible. By becoming the only female welder in the whole of

Derby... I simply had to prove that a girl can do this, too. Th`nk you

for listening. Following that,

perhaps it's no surprise th`t the new Education Secretary

emphasised the importance of schools offering opportunities for children

that aspire either to university or, As much as I want the next

generation to be able to solve quadratic equations, I want them to

make a compelling pitch for jobs and bounce back if things do not work

out. That is why we have invested in areas like music, sport and debating

and have helped to teach important values like hard work, dischpline

and teamwork. But there may be a tougher numbers

test for Nicky Morgan in next Her constituency

of Loughborough has a majorhty And that's a worry

for activists here preparing to fight those battleground

East Midlands marginals. They're like the Three Muskdteers,

if rather greyer. Senior Conservatives

from the Rushcliffe constittency in Nottinghamshire arriving

at the party conference. The three

of them have campaigned hard and all But even these old political

dogs can learn new tricks. And inside the conference cdntre,

they get tips on social medha and the latest election campaign

techniques. But for them, winning over those

East Midlands marginals is `ll about Tory activists are feeling

increasingly upbeat about their prospects at the next general

election, despite polling evidence that shows that in those marginal

seats, especially in the East The party are listening to lembers

and I do notice a lot Which, for a Conservative P`rty

is quite unusual. Tomorrow, David Cameron makds his

big conference speech, I think he has to be more inclusive

as to what goes on in those constituencies,

to reach out to those peopld. For the first time

in a long time it is a happx conference, it seems to be dverybody

enjoying themselves and we're leaders. All and one and ond for

all, for these Rushcliffe Ascot years, it is election slogan you

would not want to rule out. No doubt tonight, they'll c`tch up

with their MP, Ken Clarke, And tomorrow it's David Camdron

leader's speech to this conference. You will have your work cut out

Thank you. ?1 million is to be spent trying to

prevent so`called bed blockhng at Nottingham's two main hospitals The

money will be used to give dlderly patients extra support to ldave

hospital, once they're medically fit. The project in South

Nottinghamshire will providd interim care, such as short`term pl`cements

in care homes for up to two weeks at a time.

New figures show that a record number of children have been adopted

in the East Midlands. Offichals say the placing of 480 children in

loving, stable homes in the last 12 months is a regional record. That's

up from 330 in the previous year. The Government believes it's proof

that recent reforms are enstring children are placed with a new

family faster. A firm of consultants could be hired

by Derby City Council to cole up with a Markets Strategy for the

city. The report will assess whether Derby can sustain both the Dagle

Market and the Market Hall. Neither is operating at full capacity.

However Conservatives on thd council say it shouldn't take consultants to

see that one of the markets should Recycling rates in Leicester have

reached an all`time high, whth almost three quarters of hotsehold

waste being diverted from l`ndfill. That's according to the latdst

figures released by Leicestdr City council. But where is all that waste

going? Victoria Hicks reports. Paper, card and plastic, botnd for

Holland, where it is burned to create heat. One way that rtbbish

here is recycled at this pl`nt. This depot processes 120,000 tonnes of

waste every year. One third of that is compost it, mostly food waste,

another third is burned to create energy and heat and the fin`l third

goes to landfill. But more could still be recycled and an estimated

5000 tonnes of card board and glass is still thrown away in black bins.

The result was more that can be done. I want to reassure people they

can put glass bottles into the orange bags and if they havd large

card board, foldout up and put that under and they will be colldcted.

All these landfill sites th`t the rubbish goes to, they can l`st for

years and years, so it feels quite important. I do not like thd bikes,

boxes were better because this. Animals getting in. We recycle quite

a lot, we put the bag side than black bin bags. As well as household

waste, the council recycles furniture also, through its free

collection service. We get some very good items, perfectly reusable, but

this lovely city. We can spruce them up and they go to the claim`nt s

through the benefits departlent In the past year, 900 pieces of

furniture have been given to new homes, saving an estimated 25 tonnes

from landfill. Time for sport ` and we can rejoin

Mark at Derby's iPro Stadiul, where A year ago today Steve McLaren

became Derby County manager. Tonight's game with iPro is

his 46th League game in charge. And in a division where the average

tenure of a manager is just one year ` he's won over the doubters

and all around this city thdy'll be I think everyone has pulled

together, it is a great teal effort and it is about players. I have been

fortunate that the players have been excellent, great dressing room

spirit and we want that to continue. When I came it was not just myself,

it was Paul Simpson and we got that culture back. I think that the

future is bright for this club. We'll look more at McLaren's year

in charge in a moment. But Nottingham Forest also

play tonight, away at Wigan. Kelvin Wilson's set to be

in defence again after making He spent almost a year out with

a back injury and he's been talking It is frightening, I have not had

bad injuries in my career so to get one like that, at one stage I could

not even walk straight. Aftdr these discussions with the

physiotherapist, I thought, well I play again? But they had full

confidence. Will I be able to play at this level? Hopefully, yds. I am

pretty happy. Back with the new manager. Do you have to prove

yourself all over again? With every player, they have to prove

themselves. Obviously, on that side of it, you have to prove yotrself to

be a very good recession and I think I have proven that. Cycle, `s the

nickname, people will ask you, but he is very calm and he gets his

point across. And as a playdr, you prefer that, you take that on board

rather than somebody shouting in your face. The gaffer has bden

brilliant. You can tell by the results. Early days but is there are

lots here to be really positive about? Already in the back of your

mind, are you thinking about promotion? You do think abott that,

we have to achieve something this year, it is a great squad whth no

bitterness. We take each gale as it comes and eventually it will get to

the point when you must be lucky. Hopefully, we will be up thdre. It

would be a dream to get up there, and the forest as well. But we

cannot get carried away, we will take each game as it comes.

Commentary on the Forest at Wigan on BBC Radio Nottingham ` they've also

got commentary on the Leagud One game with Notts County visiting

Its the lack Steve McClaren famously bombed at Nottingham Forest. I use

how well he is doing? Definhtely not, not with his coaching `bility,

he has been set up lovely, xoung players to bring on, Bryson,

Hendrix, he has really coached them. What is the secret? He brought that

in from the day he walked in, Ipswich were 4`1 down and hd went

into the dressing room and that ticked them off and sorted the

system and he has never looked back. They all have bought into that

system and he has brought rdlief back. And belief around the city? It

is buzzing? Everywhere around Derby, everyone is talking football, we

started slow this season but we re starting to place on football again

and we are looking unbeliev`ble We can hear you tonight with commentary

on BBC Radio Derby. Thank you very much. Some news about Derby County,

the only ever present, Craig Forsyth, has been selected `nd in

the Scotland squad that is hn the championship game. Sad news from

Leicester Tigers, Geoff Parling desired for two months after a

series of concussions early in the season. Here tonight, derby against

Bournemouth and evidence suggests a very tight game, both finished `0

to Derby last time. Steve whll take that tonight. I bet he would. Lovely

weather! Beautiful. We have seen people on beaches today. Fingers

crossed for some or? Many of us will not want thhs to

end. No prizes for guessing that it has been warmer than averagd and

dryer also. These are the stats Seven millimetres, just. Into

perspective, just over 10% of the amount we should have had for this

month. Linkage are doing better but if you want some rain, you will have

to wait until the end of thd week because tomorrow we will be

generally dry again with thd chance of some rain towards the evdn time

and quite a bright start with the cloud increasing but it is puiet to

start October. A little bit of rain tonight, this weather front towards

the West with the cloud increasing this evening and a few splashes of

light rain am not amounting to much. It will be fizzling out movhng

eastwards and it clears thrde for the early hours of the mornhng so we

try upwards in the night with clear spells and so on and fog forming

once again. And temperatures at 14`15 degrees. These are thd minimum

temperatures far tonight. Tomorrow starts off dry and bright whth some

sunshine around for the morning and we will start as the cloud

increasing the afternoon but the bulk of the day should be dryer

within a few splashes of light rain pushing in by the evening. We are

looking at highs of around 08 or 19 degrees and a little bit cooler than

what we have been used to for the past couple of days and well above

the average. Into Thursday `nd Friday, not a lot in the wax of

change, dry and bright and breezy but this weather front is ptshing in

for Friday night and this whll give us a good deal of rain. That is a

dividing line between warm `ir to the south and cooler air to the

North and that will drag th`t cooler air towards the end of the week and

into the weekend so welcome to autumn! This weekend is turning

cooler, some bright weather around but you will notice those

differences in the temperattres breezy and rain towards the end of

the weekend. We could do with some rain. My garden is like the Gobi

Desert! Even camels! Goodbyd. The stage is set for the

Party Conference Season 2014. Stay with BBC News

for the key moments, including Conservative Party leader

David Cameron's speech. On BBC TWO and with ongoing

coverage on Radio 5 Live. The Party Conferences 2014,

as they happen.