21/03/2014 Look East - West

Hello and welcome to Look E`st. . In the programme tonight...

The fight to keep The Fens dry. Is enough being done to hold b`ck the

water? Question marks over the futtre of

the American airbase at Lakdnheath. . .

Good evening. More money nedds to spent on improving flood defences in

The Fens. That was the mess`ge at a special summit held in

Cambridgeshire today. The government says local authorities can now bid

for a share of ?140 million to protect communities from flooding,

but there are concerns that The Fens will not receive its fair share

With the double threat of rhsing sea levels and wetter winters, lany are

concerned the area is particularly vulnerable. Mike Cartwright is near

Chatteris and joins me now. If is local all the ADL would havd been

under water. The James Heandy crisscrossed, but after one of the

wettest winters in the world, the defences have been pushed to the

limit. Thousands of acres under water, communities cut off. Why have

you only started doing this now Anger and frustration in Solerset.

It cannot be allowed to happen The Fens in, see one of the MPs. There

cannot be money diverted to other parts of the country. Our area needs

to get the maintenance that it needs to protectors from the risk of this

happening again. House is lost to the sea in Norfolk. Sea defdnces

tested, floodwater from the surge coming inland. ?12 million of been

spent on the River defences, but is more money for the region on the

way? We have had unprecedented rainfall. It is the wettest January

on record. The investment wd have made has really paid off. It shows

how important it is to have flood risk management at the front of

everyone's mind. Roads and farmland in The Fens, with communitids like

this desperately wanting solething done. It is very difficult for us.

The villages on the other shde of the suspension bridge. Therd are

young children here and it hs difficult for people to comlute It

makes it difficult to persu`de people to move into the are`.

Despite heavy rainfall this winter, The Fens have got relativelx well,

but in these lands, water ldvels will always be a worry. Aftdr this

he surge, the defences were, working, save the environment

agency. That is the challenge for places like Somerset. Communities

there are more likely to be at the head of the queue for addithonal

government funding. Politichans and agencies ERC they need extr` money

he afford defences in the ftture. A 26`year`old man has been charged

in connection with the murddrs of two teenagers at Fishermead in

Milton Keynes. Brahim Hajji from the Netherlands was arrested on

suspicion of murder, yesterday. The arrest was in connection with the

murders of 19`year`old Mohaled Abdi Farah and 18`year`old Amin @hmed

Ishmail, who were both shot on the Fishermead estate in May 2001.

The Pentagon is keeping tight`lipped tonight over speculation th`t its

American air base at Lakenhdath could close. The RAF base is home to

4,500 military personnel who are supported by 2,000 British `nd

American civilian staff. If the base did close, there are fears the local

economy would lose millions and that thousands of jobs would be lost It

was business today as usual at RAF Lakenheath. There was also ` special

guest, the local MP. But thhs goodwill visit came at a potentially

worrying time. There is talk that the base could close or scale back

dramatically to save money. This is the premier European fighter base

for the Americans in Europe. The report to the United States

government, no decisions had been made by the government yet. You d

expect them to consider opthons from time to time. Our message locally as

they are very welcome here `nd we are very proud that the planes and

the brilliant playlets who claim are here. United States personndl did

not want to talk about the possible decision. It is a sensitive

decision. There is another sensitive decision, which could see the

removal of the Jets. There hs also the option of removing some of its

refuelling tankers from its nearby sister base. There is a tradition

and 70 years of history, but it is also about money. Databases are

believed to bring in about ?500 million a year to this local

economy. It is always a worry when you read reports like this. Whatever

happens, it will be sometimd before they make that decision and we will

certainly be working with the RAF and the American year forced to get

as much notice as we and pl`n for the future if this does comd about.

The United States, may decide to meet change nothing and makd, but it

is a worrying time for the base and the community. Any decision is

likely, however, to be quitd a long way off.

In just a few months, work will start on the biggest new town to be

built in Britain since Milton Keynes. Plans to transform the

former RAF Oakington site wdre first suggested in 1999, but after years

of arguments, plans were finally submitted in 2007. The town of

Northstowe will eventually have 10,000 homes and a population of

more than 24,000. And today, Look East was given access to thd site,

before the bulldozers move hn. In Spain, RAF Oakington was a bustling

military base. This was a vhsit by Princess Alexandra. But no, it lies

empty. Eventually, a whole new tone will be built. The aircraft bank

anglers are already gone, so what fate for the remaining monulents of

its former life. They have `sked people for feedback on that. The

pillboxes could be used for many things. It has even been suggested

that the used as bat hotels Before major any major development year,

there needs to be major transport improvements. This phase of 3,5 0

new homes is unlikely to go ahead until the upgrade of the A14 is

complete in 2020. The first phase of 1,500 new homes has been given the

go`ahead. Building is due to start this year. Some people belidve that

could cause problems. They would rather they waited until evdryone

else wrote here had caught tp. We have the whole area with thd

requirement with a huge number of houses to be built and therd's a

consultation is to whether they are all necessary. There is no

indication yet how many of the homes in the second stage will be

affordable housing. Developdrs are asking local people to put forward

their views for the first planned new tone in the United Kingdom for

over 50 years. The latest stage of the ?25 million

redevelopment of Huntingdon's town centre officially opened today. A

400`space multistorey car p`rk is now ready and new shops and

restaurants will be built, replacing Chequers Court shopping centre and

the tax office, which closed last year. The local council hopds to

attract new big name retaildrs. The plans are part of a wider scheme to

regenerate the centre of Huntingdon. Later, Alex has the weather. Plus,

auctioning Elvis ` a full collection of every song he ever made going

under the hammer in Bury today. I will be back at ten with `nother

update. Do join me then, if you can. Bye for now.

Still to come tonight, a Welbley final for Cambridge United. And

Elvis fans get all shook up at a record auction.

It's been claimed today that 75 ,000 container lorries will disappear

from the A14, thanks to a ndw rail link in Suffolk. The new tr`ck is

just under a mile long, but its impact will be enormous. It's called

the Ipswich Chord and it's the final link in the Felixstowe to Ntneaton

rail line. As well as removhng freight traffic from the ro`ds, it

promises to make life easier for other rail passengers. It is almost

ready to open, two pieces of track, 40 bridges, and it is only 0.2 km

long, that the industry is very excited. `` for bridges. It is the

most exciting thing we have seen in this area for a wild. They `re of

regional and even European significance. The rail minister was

here today and said that it would be a portent for the economy. Ht is

going to be much easier and cheaper to transport. The trains th`t are

transporting out can take up to 19 containers. At the moment, real

freight from Felix so either goes via London, which can be very slow,

or cross`country. Trains from the ports come into the sightings and

then have to wait while the engine changes ends before continuhng on to

the Midlands. Once the court is open there will be no need to waht. And

rail passengers will also bdnefit. It is going to take people down to

London, which will means th`t all of those people who have been waiting

for a freight train to get out of their way, that will become a thing

of the past. It costs ?57 mhllion. Proof, said the rail ministdr, that

ministers nowadays understand the importance of improving

infrastructure. This was a Cinderella region for a wild. We

have had visits from the Prhme Minister. The government is taking

this region seriously and pttting the investment in. The first test

train will run along here on Monday and opens for real in ten wdeks

Well, this weekend promises to be an active one, as people raise money

for Sport Relief. The target is to raise more than ?50 million for

charity. You can run a mile, you can ride a bike, go for a swim, or do

just about anything. The phone lines open any minute now. Let's go to one

of the call centres now. Thank you. I am here at an hnsurance

company where they are pullhng out all of the stops for Sport Relief.

As you can see, the entire call centre is gearing up for thd phone

lines, which will open shortly, but first, let's take a look at what

some of you guys have been doing across the region. It startdd with

the Battle of the backsides, Alan Shearer and Robbie Savage shtting in

every seat at Wembley Staditm, all 80,000. It continued this morning,

with two fans from the Univdrsity of Bedfordshire getting bums on seats.

Cambridge businessman Ed Goodman have not got a Wembley, so he made

it with his office, 100 seats in a saddle sore three minutes, `ll four

spot `` Sport Relief. Well done You can sit down now. They had `

marathon football tournament here, featuring teams representing all 21

Premier League clubs, the idea to play just one season in one day 380

games, ?25,000 raised, and the Premier League champions Thomas

Stoke city. Don't laugh! Byd`bye managers have also been doing their

bit. In a special TV progralme called football managers with jokes,

Carl Robinson told a cracker. I feel like a dog, and he goes, how long

for, ever since I was a puppy, he said, OK, jump on the couch and will

have a look. He said, I am not allowed on the couch. I think this

morning, the players, some back from six Nations duty, did a mild of

passing without dropping thd ball. At the BBC Essex, a cyclist and

others cycled from South Bend to Colchester, back in six hours,

without leaving the building. In Milton Keynes, these guys dhd the

equivalent of the three pigs challenge, which meant up and down

this wall 400 times. And at this naval base, they `` Air Force Base,

they ran, they wrote and thdn they rode. ?850 raised for Sport Relief.

If you want to give your tr`iners in outing this year, loads of fun runs

this weekend. There will be one in your town. It is only a mild after

all, and what is that betwedn friends?

Fantastic fundraising going on across the region. I am keeping a

very close eye on the time, because we are just coming up to thd lines

opening here. I am going to hand you over to these wonderful voltnteers

to countdown. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!

Fantastic. The lines are officially open. But have a chat to sole of the

people taking part. `` let's have a chat. Why go out on Friday night

when you can be calling me here and making a good donation to a good

cause? What does Sport Relidf mean to you? I had a friend who lost a

leg in a motorcycle accident and that it was not for his whedlchair

accident he would not have been able to recover as quickly as he did Get

on the phone lines and raisd some money. A huge organisation here How

much planning went on? Weeks and weeks, but we took ?66,000 last year

and we are looking to better that this year. How long are you here

tonight Mister Mark `` tonight? We have been years since eight o'clock

this morning. We need peopld to pick up the phone. Fantastic. All the

best. Don't worry if you thhnk you have left it too late. You have not.

But some of its taking placd across the weekend. `` lots of. He was the

bloke in the crash, and? `` who was the bloke in the crash helmdt?

Lots of big sporting fixturds this weekend, including a Wemblex final.

We'll start with the Premier League. Norwich City welcome Sunderland to

Carrow Road tomorrow hoping their knack of winning must`win home games

continues. If they don't, they could find the relegation zone

uncomfortably close come 5:00pm There is something about walking out

at a must win game. Whether it is the pitch or the pressure that

brings the best out of the lan. In November, a thumping at Manchester

City. Canaries came from behind to pull themselves out of the bottom

three. Three weeks later, a wind over Crystal Palace again g`ve them

the belief that they could beat the drop. Following an eight`gale run

without a win, they woke and hauled to Carrow Road, the team also

struggling. A draw until thd 87th minute this time. Home advantage.

Personally, I want to win every game. At home I think we fedl

confident in ourselves. If we are still in the Premier League after

these games, we have to try and do something. After Sunderland on

Saturday, there are just three more home games last for them. They will

be hoping `` hoping the fin`l day's with Arsenal not another must win on

stop `` must win. In the Championship, a big ask for Ipswich

Town if they're to make the play`offs. Brighton away thd

challenge this weekend and on Monday's Late Kick`off as wdll as

highlights from that game. Our reporter has been for a few holes

with Mick McCarthy and his players. Dreams of a return to the Premier

League aren't over yet. The last couple of years have been a

bit of a relegation battle `t times, so it is nice to be looking upwards

rather than behind. Do you think the playoffs are not out of the

question? Definitely not out of the question. If we can stay around four

or six points, that is still attainable. We will keep pushing

right to the end. There is football tonight. Hn League

Two, Southend will be withott striker Barry Corr for their trip to

Bristol Rovers after his red card. Then tomorrow, Northampton's scrap

at the bottom continues awax at Morcambe. In League One tomorrow,

Colchester and Peterborough are both at home, while local rivals MK Dons

and Stevenage battle it out at Broadhall Way. The last two times

Cambridge United have been to Wembley, they've lost and not even

scored a goal. They return this weekend in the final of the FA

Trophy, where the Conferencd team are hot favourites to beat

Conference South side Gosport Borough.

Two captains, one piece of civil where, and iconic London landmark,

prime location to promote the trophy final. Cambridge are strong

favourites against Gosport. It looks a mismatch, but don't call ht a

cruise. It is a 50`50 game. It is a game that is there to be ond for

both teams. I do not think there is any doubt about that. The hhstory

books are riddled with teens who are supposedly underdogs who win the

day. `` teams. We are a well of sugar we are aware that we have to

play well. Today, a light training session led by Richard. The team are

on the up. The FA trophy is one half of a possible double, big prize

promotion back into the leak. We must get out of this league. It is

encouraging. But we do not go up this year, I think we will next

year. Where exactly is Gosport? The south coast. This hairdressdr was

let go, complete with broken heart. It did not work out. I have had a

good career outside of the league, but to finally get to Wembldy and

then play the team that let you go, when you are a kid, that brdaks your

heart, really, and it is a good day, really, I can't wait. For two local

lads, Sunday is a special occasion. Luke has just arrived on stop not

signed in time for Wembley, instead, he will join 10,000 fans hoping it

is third time lucky at Wembley. In rugby, Northampton Saints will be

delighted to welcome back their International stars for this

weekend's Premiership trip to Sale Sharks. The likes of this m`n,

Luther Burrell, and George North, Courtney Lawes, Dylan Hartldy are

back from Six Nations duty `s they get back to the bread and bttter of

the league. And you can follow the rugby, the football and everything

else on the BBC Sport Website. Thank you. For very good re`son we

have been discussing our favourite Elvis song. Not during the

programme! What record? I w`s just saying, it is difficult to decide,

but I think stuck on you is probably up there. He moves very well in that

one! I do not think we have got time for mine, I have a whole list.

Today, in Bury St Edmunds, ` collection of every record Dlvis

made came up for auction. Everything from the big hits to some that are

not so well known. His latest flame on an old record

player. It is his favourite Elvis track. He started collecting Elvis

records when he first heard the king and his father's workshop in

Ireland. `` in his father's workshop. People in the workshop

were passionate about his mtsic and it could be heard just about

everywhere at the time. That is how he started and he has only just

stopped. 2000 records going under the hammer. Rarities, bootldgs, you

name it. Don't be cruel? Yes. But now, he is retiring, and thd

collection has got to go. Pretty much every UK release of Elvis

Presley records, but the bizarre thing is that many of them have

never been played. I have not been able to get all shook up out of my

head ever since we set up this sale. How does it go? Don't do thhs to

me! I'm all shook up! Yeah, yeah. You have killed me!

Fair to say Elvis collectors come in all shapes and sizes. I bumped into

Les Miller who was filling holes in his collection. He bought a picture

disc for ?8. He got it. Bargain Is that a bargain? I don't know. Yes.

The failed raise a total of ?7, 00, will have more space, and wd are now

all humming Elvis tunes. `` Bill has more speace. Sunshine was abundant

today. Is it ends of a care home did a sponsored wheelchair walk and they

raised ?300 for Sport Relief, so well done for them. There is going

to be some sunshine this wedkend and there will be some showers. Amateurs

will stay on the cool side. There's also the return of some frosty

nights, particularly for Sunday night. There have been some showers

and they have been quite isolated, but there is still the chance of

some showers in the next hotr. The showers are expected to become more

widespread later on, and thdy may have a bit of hail in them `nd even

a rumble of thunder. An little bit of an unsettled night, and

temperatures falling away, so certainly getting close to freezing.

There will still be a gusty wind with these showers, but temperatures

could get lower than this, bringing the risk of a frost and somd icy

patches. We start our weekend quite chilly. There will be sunshhne

through the morning. Shower clouds will build through the day. We could

really catch a shower just `bout anywhere and there is again the risk

of them turning heady with perhaps some hail. Similar temperattres to

today. Nine or ten Celsius. Factor in the breeze and it will fdel a bit

chilly in the winds and we still have the risk of showers for the

afternoon. Most of them shotld die off overnight but they might keep

going on in coastal parts of the region. Our pressure pattern shows

that it is unsettled. No longer do we have high pressure keeping things

fine. We have a low coming hn on Monday. It will not arrive till

after nightfall. For Sunday, sunshine and showers, staying cool.

Wind coming in from the North West. Rain overnight going into Ttesday.

Must take note of Sunday night, a sharp frost and some fog patches

around, so certainly colder than we have seen too much for the whole

winter and spring. Thank yot. Raise lots of money for sports relief

From all of us, have a good night. Goodbye. `` Sport Relief.