:00:00. > :00:13.independent Scotland. That is all from the News at six,
:00:14. > :00:19.Good evening. The first funding has finally been unlocked to kick`start
:00:20. > :00:26.the development of a new town at Northstowe, just north of Cambridge.
:00:27. > :00:31.But is it enough? There will be fewer facilities for people to
:00:32. > :00:35.enjoy. How one city is leading the way in making sure that every child
:00:36. > :00:42.has a primary school place. And later we have a special report on
:00:43. > :00:57.solar farms. Are they a blight on the landscape? And all the world is
:00:58. > :01:03.a stage for Charles and Camilla Good evening. The first funding has
:01:04. > :01:07.been knocked to kick`start the development of the new town at
:01:08. > :01:11.Northstowe. The entire project has been in the pipeline for years, but
:01:12. > :01:16.now the plans for a brand new town are nearing reality. Our reporter
:01:17. > :01:19.Ben Bland has the story. It's something that's been talked about
:01:20. > :01:22.for more than ten years. Today's deal between the county and district
:01:23. > :01:26.councils and the main developer is a big step towards turning the plans
:01:27. > :01:29.into an actual town. And here's where it will go. 10,000 new homes
:01:30. > :01:33.between Cambridge and Huntingdon. The first phase ` 1,500 ` will be
:01:34. > :01:36.built near the village of Longstanton. Initially the councils
:01:37. > :01:41.were hoping to secure ?65 million from the developer to pay for
:01:42. > :01:45.amenities in Northstowe. Last year that was cut to ?40 million. They've
:01:46. > :01:48.now settled for a contribution of ?30 million, less than half what
:01:49. > :01:54.they originally wanted. And some councillors are very unhappy about
:01:55. > :02:00.it. There will be less facilities for
:02:01. > :02:05.the community to enjoy and it will mean more cost in the long`term
:02:06. > :02:09.being put back to the local authorities were hard pushed and
:02:10. > :02:13.facing financial crisis. With fewer community facilities there will be
:02:14. > :02:19.more anti`social behaviour and mental health problems. So it is a
:02:20. > :02:24.false economy if we allow developers to pay less money. The money they
:02:25. > :02:27.have secured will go towards a primary and secondary school, sports
:02:28. > :02:30.pitches and cycle routes. Some will also go towards paying for the
:02:31. > :02:33.guided bus, which is already in place. But under the deal there will
:02:34. > :02:38.be fewer affordable homes in the first phase. Instead of two in five,
:02:39. > :02:48.it'll be just one in five. And for that, the developer makes no
:02:49. > :02:57.apology. 40% of affordable housing was all the subject to viability and
:02:58. > :03:00.the 20% in the first phase after all is 300 affordable housing units
:03:01. > :03:07.which will be available for local people. I think that is a
:03:08. > :03:11.substantial provision. This development will be one of the
:03:12. > :03:14.largest in the UK ` a whole new town. Today's deal means that
:03:15. > :03:19.shovels should hit the ground by this summer, with the first homes
:03:20. > :03:22.ready by the middle of 2015. One of the issues that has emerged
:03:23. > :03:26.from today's meeting is that the proportion of affordable housing for
:03:27. > :03:28.Northstowe has halved. Earlier I put it to South Cambridgeshire's cabinet
:03:29. > :03:30.member for Northstowe, Tim Wotherspoon, that fewer affordable
:03:31. > :03:40.homes would exclude many desperate to get on the housing ladder.
:03:41. > :03:46.While affordable housing is a technical definition and one in five
:03:47. > :03:53.is a number that is being talked about quite widely and compared to
:03:54. > :03:56.the 40% which is our policy. But there are questions of viability.
:03:57. > :04:02.When you start a project like this is always more expensive to get over
:04:03. > :04:07.that first stage. The other aspect is that there will be a wide range
:04:08. > :04:11.of housing for first`time buyers in particular. Housing available at a
:04:12. > :04:21.price that first`time buyers can afford. The other issue is the new
:04:22. > :04:25.road, 1500 new homes being built, is that not going to cause a huge
:04:26. > :04:35.amount of problems for those trying to access the road network? Well in
:04:36. > :04:44.the first phase I do not think it is quite such an issue. We have worked
:04:45. > :04:52.hard to get me a 14 back onto the agenda. It is thanks to local
:04:53. > :05:00.campaigning that we have got it back onto the roads programme. I'm sure
:05:01. > :05:05.it is little credit to the local campaigners against the toll that we
:05:06. > :05:10.have persuaded the government to see about telling as well. But will it
:05:11. > :05:16.be able to cope in the short`term? The transport assessment has been
:05:17. > :05:23.clear about that. But the first phase remember, it is likely that
:05:24. > :05:26.the 814 will be ready before the first phase is completed.
:05:27. > :05:30.Next tonight, inspectors say the East of England Ambulance Service is
:05:31. > :05:33.still failing to get to 999 calls quickly enough. But in some areas,
:05:34. > :05:36.like Luton and Cambridge, it does seem to be making progress. The
:05:37. > :05:38.latest assessment comes from the regulator, the Care Quality
:05:39. > :05:45.Commission. Their inspectors made surprise visits on four days in
:05:46. > :05:53.December. This from our chief reporter, Kim Riley.
:05:54. > :05:59.The trust handles more than 900 000 emergency calls each year across six
:06:00. > :06:04.counties and 7500 square miles. The inspection last month found
:06:05. > :06:07.significant improvements in a number of areas and after interviewing
:06:08. > :06:11.patients there was praise for the care received from the ambulance
:06:12. > :06:17.crews and call handlers. But the trust is found wanting in ambulance
:06:18. > :06:24.response times to life`threatening by 99 calls and staffing. Ambulance
:06:25. > :06:30.trust disdained to respond to a high percentage of calls within eight
:06:31. > :06:34.minutes. And at least 95% of calls should see an ambulance arriving
:06:35. > :06:49.within 90 minutes. The latest figures show across`the`board trust
:06:50. > :06:53.has failed to do that. MPs from across the region have led calls for
:06:54. > :06:55.improvements to the server. Yesterday came the surprise
:06:56. > :07:00.resignation of the interim chairman Doctor Geoff Harris. Much faith is
:07:01. > :07:07.now being placed in the new chief executive Doctor Anthony Marsh. I am
:07:08. > :07:11.impressed, he has bigger and enthusiasm and he is an experienced
:07:12. > :07:17.chief executive in covering rural areas. We appreciate that he is
:07:18. > :07:21.concentrating on recruiting paramedics and I think that is the
:07:22. > :07:26.right direction. I want to give him time and support. He knows that the
:07:27. > :07:31.pace of change needs to be stepped up. The report says the trust could
:07:32. > :07:36.need over 500 additional paramedics by 2016. That is a tall order. It
:07:37. > :07:41.also quotes a review identifying substantial shortfalls between the
:07:42. > :07:45.resources of the trust and what it actually needs to meet national
:07:46. > :07:48.standards. John Martin is the acting director
:07:49. > :07:52.of patient safety and clinical standards for the Ambulance Trust.
:07:53. > :07:59.Earlier he told Look East the report has recognised that the Trust is
:08:00. > :08:08.making improvements. The report highlights that are clinicians have
:08:09. > :08:14.a high degree of patient satisfaction. We have recruited a
:08:15. > :08:17.number of staff this last year and on top of that we have increased the
:08:18. > :08:24.number of staff internally who have become paramedics. We started a bit
:08:25. > :08:28.campaign to recruit 400 now and that is ongoing. They will come in over
:08:29. > :08:31.the next few months to man the ambulance.
:08:32. > :08:34.The final "missing link" section of the Bedford western bypass could be
:08:35. > :08:38.completed after funding was made available to buy up nearby land The
:08:39. > :08:41.Borough Council has secured nearly ?16 million and is now set to
:08:42. > :08:46.publish Compulsory Purchase Orders to buy the land required for
:08:47. > :08:49.construction. The money has come from a number of agencies including
:08:50. > :08:54.the Department for Transport. It's hoped the work can begin later this
:08:55. > :08:58.year. Every child will have a place at one
:08:59. > :09:01.of our primary schools. That's the guarantee from one city in the
:09:02. > :09:04.region which has faced unprecedented demand for places. One thousand
:09:05. > :09:08.children came forward in just one year needing to be schooled in
:09:09. > :09:14.Peterborough. And the council there is spending tens of millions of
:09:15. > :09:20.pounds to create spaces. I would like you to discuss whether
:09:21. > :09:26.you think we should ban playtime or not. Five minutes, off you go.
:09:27. > :09:31.Small school, high expectations That is the motto of Winston
:09:32. > :09:37.primary. But soon the school is to double in size, so great has been
:09:38. > :09:41.the demand for places. Pressure is on the younger age groups where
:09:42. > :09:51.there has been a higher birth rate and more children in the area. There
:09:52. > :09:56.is about 30 children who do want to come here but we are not able to
:09:57. > :09:59.offer them the space. 5000 extra places have been created in the past
:10:00. > :10:04.seven years but still more are needed. This year there will be six
:10:05. > :10:11.school expansion project creating 1500 extra places at the cost of
:10:12. > :10:16.more than ?25 million. Last year the city had to find 1000 new places,
:10:17. > :10:21.down to more people move into the city and one of the highest birth
:10:22. > :10:26.rates in the country. But the council says this expansion will
:10:27. > :10:29.create spare capacity. We can guarantee that every pupil who wants
:10:30. > :10:37.to come to school will have a school place but not necessarily where they
:10:38. > :10:41.wanted to go. A brand`new school and a brand`new head teacher. The Thomas
:10:42. > :10:47.Deacon junior college where they see rising pupil numbers as positive.
:10:48. > :10:51.Most children are in the city and I do not think the city would be
:10:52. > :10:58.getting the fantastic facilities with the new schools or expanded
:10:59. > :11:04.schools without that growth in Peterborough. Work is going on
:11:05. > :11:07.across the whole city to expand schools or build new ones. They will
:11:08. > :11:12.be ready to take pupils this September.
:11:13. > :11:15.In cricket, Cambridgeshire's Charlotte Edwards has helped England
:11:16. > :11:19.retain the Ashes against Australia. She scored 92 not out as England won
:11:20. > :11:24.the first Twenty20 international by nine wickets. It's her fifth Ashes
:11:25. > :11:33.victory. Victory means England have won the multi`format series with two
:11:34. > :11:38.Twenty20s to spare. They will lift the trophy for the second time
:11:39. > :11:48.within six months. We were pretty determined this morning. It was a
:11:49. > :11:57.must win for us today. I just went out there. I have been in good form
:11:58. > :12:01.but to play on a great wicket here, and to lead the team through like I
:12:02. > :12:06.did, we had and plastic support from Sarah Taylor today. It is a real
:12:07. > :12:08.high for us. The Cambridgeshire heptathlete
:12:09. > :12:12.Louise Hazel has come out of retirement in a bid to defend her
:12:13. > :12:15.Commonwealth title later this year. The 28`year`old, who won gold at the
:12:16. > :12:18.Delhi Games in 2010, retired in September but says the lure of
:12:19. > :12:22.competing in Glasgow was too strong to resist. She confirmed her return
:12:23. > :12:25.after a series of tests today involving sprint work, the long jump
:12:26. > :12:29.and shot put. She told the BBC she felt in better shape than she
:12:30. > :12:31.thought and can't wait to get started.
:12:32. > :12:33.Those are the top stories. I'll be back at ten with
:12:34. > :12:44.to flood defence, the authorities insist it is not the only answer.
:12:45. > :12:50.Depending on your point of view, they are either a blight on the
:12:51. > :12:53.landscape or an important way of generating clean electricity. But
:12:54. > :13:00.some people believe we are getting too many solar farms too quickly?
:13:01. > :13:03.Tonight one of our MPs will tell the House of Commons that the planning
:13:04. > :13:06.controls on solar farms aren't strict enough. There are currently
:13:07. > :13:11.14 working solar farms in the region. With a further 23 either
:13:12. > :13:17.planned or being built. The latest row concerns plans on the
:13:18. > :13:20.Suffolk`Essex border. To the west of Sudbury lies some of
:13:21. > :13:25.the least populated and arguably most beautiful countryside in Essex.
:13:26. > :13:29.And it's here that there are plans to build three solar farms across
:13:30. > :13:34.300 acres of land. It is idyllic and very rural. And these solar farms,
:13:35. > :13:42.very large solar farms, just don't fit in with the character. But they
:13:43. > :13:46.don't make any noise and will be hidden by bushes. Are they really
:13:47. > :13:50.that bad? They are hidden to a certain extent. Generally speaking,
:13:51. > :13:57.it sort of spoils the ambience and character of the area. That is
:13:58. > :14:00.problem. This is where one of the farms could be built. The landowner
:14:01. > :14:06.didn't want to be interviewed. But he told me it would be surrounded by
:14:07. > :14:09.bushes. Sheep will graze the land. Solar farms have become a
:14:10. > :14:13.contentious issue across the region. We filmed this altercation near
:14:14. > :14:16.Thetford a couple of once ago. Farmers can earn five times more
:14:17. > :14:21.this way than through conventional agriculture. But one MP says they've
:14:22. > :14:25.grown so fast, there are very few planning controls in place. If you
:14:26. > :14:31.want to build a tiny garage on your house in this area, you have to have
:14:32. > :14:35.a full environmental impact report. You can have a 300 acre farm of
:14:36. > :14:39.solar panels and don't need any environmental impact report at all.
:14:40. > :14:45.So there does not seem to be a good balance. Tonight in Parliament,
:14:46. > :14:47.he'll call for solar farms not to be built near areas of outstanding
:14:48. > :14:52.natural beauty. Or prime agricultural land. But those who
:14:53. > :14:54.build them say there are already enough controls in place. And all
:14:55. > :15:01.applications are carefully scrutinised. I don't know how they
:15:02. > :15:05.are going to make it tougher. At the end of the day, the national policy
:15:06. > :15:08.planning framework sets out a sustainable future for us and how we
:15:09. > :15:10.develop all types of technologies and developments. Obviously, these
:15:11. > :15:13.developments are assessed vigorously by the local authorities. The
:15:14. > :15:17.government has cut the subsidy for solar power, but is reluctant to
:15:18. > :15:21.legislate further. It says this is a clean and quick way to generate
:15:22. > :15:26.power. Mr Newmark agrees. He just wants people to think more carefully
:15:27. > :15:29.where solar farms go. Last night's football now. And the
:15:30. > :15:34.matches involving Colchester, Stevenage and Northampton were all
:15:35. > :15:37.victims of the weather. Peterborough United's trip to Sheffield United
:15:38. > :15:42.tonight has also been postponed. But four of our teams did play. None of
:15:43. > :15:46.them managed to win, but there was a lot to talk about. We'll start at
:15:47. > :15:50.Carrow Road. Bleak, boggy, but nearly 27,000
:15:51. > :15:56.braved the weather. A measurable night for a number of Norwich fans.
:15:57. > :16:00.It's been a miserable season. But a win this evening and they are in the
:16:01. > :16:03.top half. Such optimism appeared totally misplaced in the first half.
:16:04. > :16:08.Norwich came under fire. John Ruddy overworked in goal. The post proving
:16:09. > :16:11.to be their saviour. Loic Remy then found the other one. Floods of
:16:12. > :16:15.Newcastle chances came, but were wasted. Remy was denied again after
:16:16. > :16:18.the break. The crossbar this time the last line of defence. Then
:16:19. > :16:24.Norwich finally posed a threat themselves. Hooper! Another crossbar
:16:25. > :16:30.saves Newcastle. Now more even as a contest. It boiled over late on for
:16:31. > :16:33.Remy and Bradley Johnson saw red for one altercation. Robert Snodgrass
:16:34. > :16:38.could have stolen victory. But it would have been harsh. City stay
:16:39. > :16:42.12th. I thought our energy levels were better in that second half
:16:43. > :16:45.period and we made more of a game of it. But we are against a quality
:16:46. > :16:51.team today. Disappointing, because we are at home. You need to make the
:16:52. > :16:55.most of your home performances. Entertaining game, another point.
:16:56. > :17:01.But at times, Norwich rode their luck. Is it enough for the fans? I
:17:02. > :17:05.think it's a good point. We were lucky to get that result. Woodwork,
:17:06. > :17:09.the man of the match. It's a point gained rather than lost. Very poor
:17:10. > :17:15.first half. They put on a show for us. They did not lose the game. Fair
:17:16. > :17:19.enough. But there is just no heart there and it is disappointing to
:17:20. > :17:23.walk away with the point that we should have lost. Why do they have
:17:24. > :17:27.to get annoyed so much? We come to enjoy a game. It is good value for
:17:28. > :17:31.money. Come on, you yellows, we will be there next season!
:17:32. > :17:34.Mick McCarthy felt Ipswich had the chances to beat Leeds. David
:17:35. > :17:38.McGoldrick put Town in front. But they couldn't hold on. Ipswich just
:17:39. > :17:41.outside the championship play`offs. Carl Robinson was furious with MK
:17:42. > :17:45.Dons' performance at Carlisle. A 3`0 defeat. The manager says some of his
:17:46. > :17:48.players won't play for him again. Kevan Hurst scored for Southend. But
:17:49. > :17:55.Dagenham made it 1`1, leaving the Blues sixth in League Two.
:17:56. > :17:59.If you enjoyed the Olympic Torch Relay a couple of years ago, there's
:18:00. > :18:03.another on its way. It's the Queen's Baton Relay which is part of the
:18:04. > :18:06.build up to Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July. And in this region,
:18:07. > :18:11.the focus is on Suffolk and Monday June the 9th.We don't know all the
:18:12. > :18:15.details. But it will kick off at breakfast time on the seafront in
:18:16. > :18:19.Lowestoft. It will arrive in Newmarket at a community event in
:18:20. > :18:22.mid`morning. And be at schools athletics competition in Bury St
:18:23. > :18:25.Edmunds in the early afternoon. After that, it's Ipswich for more
:18:26. > :18:30.athletics with the big finish in Christchurch Park.
:18:31. > :18:38.Dame Kelly Holmes won a gold at the Manchester Games back in 2002. This
:18:39. > :18:41.is her take on the relay. Each location are trying to celebrate
:18:42. > :18:47.sport, bring families and young people together, what we are trying
:18:48. > :18:52.to do. If people are interested, go on the website, or follow on
:18:53. > :18:56.Twitter, they will be able to see what is happening around the
:18:57. > :19:01.country. You could be somebody else at the time the bat on relay comes
:19:02. > :19:07.around. We are in Suffolk on the 9th of June. That is key for that area.
:19:08. > :19:13.But I think it will be really successful. We are really wowed the
:19:14. > :19:16.team and the we are gathering to go to Glasgow to compete for team
:19:17. > :19:25.England and we hope the public support them. Dame Kelly Holmes.
:19:26. > :19:28.The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed some of
:19:29. > :19:33.Shakespeare's most famous works today at a special performance in
:19:34. > :19:35.Essex. They visited the Palace Theatre in Westcliffe to launch
:19:36. > :19:38.celebrations to mark the 450th anniversary of his birth. On stage,
:19:39. > :19:42.school children inspired by their love of the Bard.
:19:43. > :19:46.CHEERING. It may have been cold and overcast, but that did not dampen
:19:47. > :19:52.the spirits. Hours waiting in the cold soon forgotten. For Charlie
:19:53. > :19:57.Johnson, his first brush with royalty at the tender age of six
:19:58. > :20:04.months. And patients rewarded with a chat with the Duchess. They were
:20:05. > :20:11.alone sing the 450th birthday celebrations.
:20:12. > :20:16.Rehearsals started early this morning, 30 children from schools
:20:17. > :20:23.chosen to perform in the Shakespeare Schools Festival. Tomaso Luongo from
:20:24. > :20:30.Suffolk delivering that soliloquy. To be or not to be. That is the
:20:31. > :20:37.question. You have to be very intelligent
:20:38. > :20:43.about Hamlet beforehand, because his emotions are really complex.
:20:44. > :20:49.Overused phrase, but a once`in`a`lifetime experience? It
:20:50. > :20:53.is, Royal variety. When we first heard about it, we thought it would
:20:54. > :20:59.be his West End debut, but Southend is just as good. Rehearsals over,
:21:00. > :21:12.the moment of truth, and for the young cast, the biggest performance
:21:13. > :21:17.of their lives. Tybalt! Afterwards, relief and parade at
:21:18. > :21:23.what they had achieved. At first, he made a joke, saying not too many
:21:24. > :21:30.injuries, and we laughed, and he was asking where we were from and that
:21:31. > :21:36.he enjoyed it. What did he say? He seems very interested in England and
:21:37. > :21:41.school, and I shook his hand. I am not going to wash it! This is so
:21:42. > :21:45.important. We need to get the word out there to more and more schools
:21:46. > :21:48.about the wonderful work we do, how children love it, they never thought
:21:49. > :21:58.they would meet the Royal Highness is, so it was fantastic. And for the
:21:59. > :22:07.young actors, that meant the world. They needed any more inspiration,
:22:08. > :22:11.they certainly got it today. A fabulous day for them. An amazing
:22:12. > :22:17.experience, and some very good acting. And Prince Charles coming up
:22:18. > :22:21.behind that women. Now for the weather.
:22:22. > :22:29.The weather is a mess. Low pressure across the country bringing a cloudy
:22:30. > :22:35.forecast today and outbreaks of rain. The positioning as meant an
:22:36. > :22:41.easterly wind, so the weather has a real cold steel. Through this
:22:42. > :22:50.evening, we see continued spells of rain. `` real cold feel. More rain
:22:51. > :22:56.from France to most areas through the night. Cloud and a brisk breeze
:22:57. > :23:03.and temperatures not falling to low, but we could get down to two
:23:04. > :23:06.Celsius, and perhaps some frost and ice in sheltered spots. Not great
:23:07. > :23:12.tomorrow. Quite cloudy and healing cold. And further outbreaks of rain,
:23:13. > :23:20.particularly through the morning, and those could be heavy. Some drier
:23:21. > :23:25.interludes. Certainly not the best forecast through the morning. Heavy
:23:26. > :23:29.downpours, but rain becomes patchy and later through the day, so by the
:23:30. > :23:39.afternoon, it is also through the region. Temperatures perhaps up on
:23:40. > :23:43.today, six or seven Celsius, but that wind direction still East or
:23:44. > :23:48.southeasterly. The wind light tomorrow, but feeling cold. For the
:23:49. > :23:53.afternoon and evening, we just about get rid of the rain, conditions
:23:54. > :24:01.behind it remaining cloudy. Looking to Friday, an area of low pressure
:24:02. > :24:06.is coming, bringing rain, which is not welcome, but it will arrive
:24:07. > :24:13.later for as in the East, and much of the day dry if rather cloudy. As
:24:14. > :24:19.the weather front approaches, the wind will increase, direction
:24:20. > :24:22.changing to southerly, but windy at around the middle of the day, and
:24:23. > :24:28.the rain arriving, probably not until after nightfall for most. But
:24:29. > :24:35.it spreads across the region, heavy in places, the wind continuing to be
:24:36. > :24:40.quite strong through the night. But for the weekend, it starts to get
:24:41. > :24:45.drier, brighter, temperatures up to seven degrees. There could be some
:24:46. > :24:50.showers around, but the forecast looks like it is improving for the
:24:51. > :24:56.weekend. But still staying quite windy for Saturday. With clear skies
:24:57. > :25:00.overnight, getting quite cold overnight, cold enough to bring a
:25:01. > :25:05.touch of frost in places and icy patches.
:25:06. > :25:10.Just lovely when the whole country is obliterated by a band of rain!
:25:11. > :25:35.Stay indoors on Thursday. We will see you tomorrow night. Goodbye.
:25:36. > :25:40.'The cost of living crisis goes deep into people's lives,
:25:41. > :25:43.'deep into the way our country is run,
:25:44. > :25:46.'deep into who our country is run for.
:25:47. > :25:52.'the solutions need to be deep as well.'
:25:53. > :25:55.I opened a pub six years ago in Hackney,