13/02/2017 London News


13/02/2017

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The leader of the Prime Minister's own local council has told BBC

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London that central government and not local town halls should pay

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for social care by putting up income tax and not council tax.

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The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is not alone,

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another Tory-led authority Hillingdon agrees and it's Leader

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is calling for a rethink on how social care is funded.

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Our political correspondent, Karl Mercer, has the details.

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Care being delivered on a daily basis to people with

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dementia here in the Prime Minister's constituency.

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This centre in Windsor and Maidenhead offers a

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getaway for those with the condition and a break for those who care for

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A way for people like Roy to keep connected.

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I had some time when I had been ill, I wasn't taking part

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This has helped to get me integrated back into local

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This sort of care doesn't come cheap,

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though, but is cheaper than people living full time in care homes.

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We are stopping people going into care.

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We are also stopping carers having the kind of breakdown where

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they can't cope any more because they're

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Just to do your shopping, just to do doctor's

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appointments on your own, an

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ability to do that, isn't there, if you think about it?

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The fact that we are preventing people going to the

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much more expensive, as you quite rightly said,

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long-term care system, it's got to be saving people.

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much more expensive, as you quite rightly said, --

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long-term care system, it's got to be saving money.

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It's this sort of care that is at the

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centre of council tax rises across the country.

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Here, they are raising theirs for the first time in seven

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40% of the council's entire budget is spent on just 2500 local

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But raising council tax isn't something

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the local Conservative leader thinks he should have to do.

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I don't think the appropriate place to fund growth

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in this is at local Government level.

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I think it has to be done at a national

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level, so ultimately, it

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has to come from national taxation, and potentially a change in the way

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that people are contributing towards the cost of their own care.

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Is that something you've said to your local

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A few miles further into London, another Tory council leader,

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but one who has frozen his council tax again this year.

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He, too, though, thinks its central Government taxes that should be

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The social care precept is not the only answer.

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This is an income tax issue and should be

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You wouldn't put two or three percent on council tax to fund a

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local health issue, so why should you do it for adult social care?

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Council leaders will be looking for answers and money from the

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With more on this, our reporter Dan Freedman joins us

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Dan, why are these councils lining up to speak out now?

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Alex, you will remember the fiery exchanges in the Commons behind me

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last weight. Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn were going toe to toe in the

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chamber of social care, and the Prime Minister on the Government was

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forced to deny they had done some sort of sweetheart deal with Surrey

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County Council on trying to alleviate the cost of funding it.

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The council say they will have to hike their own council tax by 15%.

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In the end, they have done it by only just under 5%, not an

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inconsiderable amount in these chastened times. You can see that

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local authorities are starting to rattle their sabres on this. They

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want the Government to come forward with more. It is no coincidence that

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Philip Hammond will announce how much the Government might be

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contributing towards that next month. Observers will keep a keen

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eye on that ahead of elections in May. Thank you.

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It is one of the largest commercial landlords in the country,

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with thousands of small businesses under its arches.

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But tonight Network Rail is embroiled in yet another row

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about gentrification and hiking up rents.

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Traders in London Fields say they'll be ruined by rent rises

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Below the train line into London Liverpool Street

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Inside, dozens of mostly independent businesses.

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But their landlord, Network Rail, have put the rent up.

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Like this family garage, which has been here for 30 years,

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but the rent has gone from ?18,000 to ?45,000.

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Lots of stress on the family because we are struggling

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A few arches down, Hugo Ramos runs a cafe,

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His rent has gone up from 100,000 to 350,000.

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We are part of Hackney, we started the brewery in Hackney.

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At arch 384, tough decisions are already being made.

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This family business has been here for 15 years.

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They supply products to nail bars across the country and Europe.

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The cost of three arches before 2014 was ?56,000.

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My father will give this business to me,

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For me, ten years down the line, I don't know where we will be.

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This is a sought-after area to live in, you can see that

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through the construction of new apartments

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Traders say they have added to the desirability of this area,

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that if they are priced out, this community will lose its soul.

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But it's not the first time Network Rail has faced

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These were protests in Brixton last year and businesses are worried

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In some areas, like London Fields, it's the rent going up,

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but right across the capital, smaller firms are going to get

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clobbered with a completely disproportionate rise

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For now, this garage says it is determined to stay and serve

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the customers they have served for three decades.

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Biggin Hill Airport maybe more famous now for its air shows

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but for two world wars it stood as the first line of defence

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So how better to celebrate its centenary than ask a one

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hundred year old former Spitfire pilot to take to the skies again.

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Ray Roberts was that man and we sent Caroline Davies to meet him...

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The steps to the plane may be less easy now,

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Really looking forward to going up, it will take me back.

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I can't do aerobatic or anything because I have two damaged legs,

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Injured after bailing out of a Spitfire,

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Ray spent the war delivering planes to airbases.

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Today, he is returning to the skies alongside his fellow 100-year-olds.

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It will stay in my memory for the rest of my life.

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It's all to remember 100 years of Biggin Hill.

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Most famous as a base during the Battle of Britain,

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fighters at Biggin Hill claimed 1,400 enemy aircraft.

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Being scrambled, going up meeting the Luftwaffe, into the fray, and

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defending the country, that is what they did.

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They were defending the southern approaches to London.

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The RAF base closed in 1992, but World War II aircraft are still

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Just a few metres away from the Biggin Hill runway

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They are still kept here, maintained but also restored

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The airbase is mainly used for private flights now, but the team

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Don't now where I'm landing, but I know I'll get

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There was a slight mist over the ground, it was never clear

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The weather may change, but Biggin Hill remains.

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At 100 years old, it's the base that holds a special place

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That's it from me, so I'll wish you goodnight and hand you over

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If your shoulders have been like this against the cold, you might

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find next week more relaxing. There may be some bright, sunny spells.

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High Wycombe was at two Celsius yesterday. Nine Celsius today. Now

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we just have to get rid of the cold easterly wind. It is still blowing

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overnight. Through the week, the wind moves to a south-westerly

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direction, which will do wonders for the temperature and the feel of the

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day. Clear skies continue tonight. Enough of a breeze to keep things

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stirred up and temperatures hovering just above freezing, but locally

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there could be one or two frost patches. It will be chilly first

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thing tomorrow. A little sunshine. Perhaps we will lose it from the

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South West as the day moves on. Temperatures between eight and 10

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Celsius. On Wednesday, some sunny spells and one or two shelves. A

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foggy start to Thursday, hopefully brightness later. You can see that

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at the weekend it will be mild. Largely dry, perhaps a

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at the weekend it will be mild. Largely dry, perhaps a wind -- windy

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at Winter is not over, but it almost

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felt like spring today. A beautiful day in some places, such as the West

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Country. Some beautiful shots. A nice day in comparison to the

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weekend for many, but not for all of us. Across the far north-east of

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England and eastern Scotland, you are still shivering under the cloud.

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Still some snow on the ground in Aberdeenshire. Even here, things

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will turn milder. Not tonight, quite chilly out there, with temperatures

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close to freezing in one or two spots. Some rain will turn up across

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the far

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