24/03/2017 Look East (West)

Light at the end of the tunnel - millions of pounds to

unstop a major bottleneck on Cambridge's train tracks.

Candles and prayers - people of all faiths hold

as it comes to light that the Westminster attacker

An uncertain future - workers at the Vauxhall

plant still worried about what their new French

If it's going to shut down, if it's going to stay open.

If we're going to shut down, how long have we got?

And is there more of this beautiful blue sky and

I'll be here with your weekend forecast.

First tonight, millions of pounds to kick-start

a deal to get more trains on the tracks through

Today, local business organisations have committed nearly ?9 million

to look into the viability of upgrading the Ely North junction.

The project was put on hold because Network Rail ran out of money.

The upgrade could mean an end to a notorious bottleneck -

and herald better train services between Cambridge,

Peterborough and the rest of the eastern counties.

Our political correspondent Andrew Sinclair reports.

MPs and business leaders at Ely Station this morning,

clearly pleased and relieved that after several years of stagnation,

this strategically important project is finally moving forward.

I think it's really significant because we have

got the next tranche of money to allow us to progress.

This project, unfortunately, was put back but now

it is on track again and we can ensure that we move forward.

Ely is a pinch point here and we need to free it up.

Rail lines from Norwich, King's Lynn, Ipswich, Peterborough

and Cambridge all converge on Ely North.

Until this junction is enlarged, there's no room to run more

A technical and feasibility study is the first step.

With Network Rail unable to fund one until 2019,

the main business organisations have decided to stump up

There's a very strong business case for improving the Ely area.

Network Rail work in different control periods.

we're making sure we're at the front of the queue for the next

This is one of the first big examples of private money being used

to kick-start a project which the government should really

With public money very tight, the expectation is that other

schemes like the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway,

the Varsity Line rail link and the new M11 junction

for Harlow will also feature substantial private money.

MPs say it's the only way to get infrastructure built quickly.

This is the east beginning to say,

we're not just going to sit here and wait for money from

we in the east are going to solve this problem and I think

that is exactly what we need to see more of on infrastructure.

Today's money for Ely will speed things up

but there's still a number of obstacles.

Network Rail has warned that this will be a complex project,

not only will the junction need to be upgraded,

a nearby level crossing will have to be reconfigured.

Even with a fair wind, it could still be

another five years before work begins.

Work on this junction should've been done this year and

despite today's announcement, there's still no start date

and there won't be for some time to come.

But there is now political and business momentum

behind it and that's important in these things.

Andrew Sinclair, BBC Look East, at Ely Station.

Next tonight, calls for peace and unity in Luton as more

than 100 people gathered at a vigil this evening.

The event was organised by the Luton Council of Faiths

after news emerged that Khalid Masood, the man

behind Wednesday's terror attack on Westminster,

Mike Cartwright has spent the day in the town and he's there now.

There is still a handful of people here. There was more than 100 from

all faiths across this town. It was their vigil, it was peaceful, it was

polite and it was quite. There were some speeches and there was a moment

or two of silence. It was their tribute to those people killed and

injured in the attack. We know the man that carried out the attack had

lived in Luton. A community tonight coming together.

All faiths. Once again, condemning Luton's unwanted links with terror.

This incident or any incidents like this effect is all. We are all

disgusted. It is as space rest come together and hold each other in

support. Khalid Masood who carried out Wednesday's deadly attack. It is

emotional he had links with Luton. He was believed to have lived in the

sheet for two years from 2010 and another house in the town before

that. -- lived in the street. A national newspaper has published

what they think was his CV. He taught English as a foreign language

in at college in this town. His neighbours were stunned, remembering

him as a father with a young family. As far as I'm aware, he had two

children at the time he was here. They appeared to be primary school

children. He had a people carrier and he was loading his children into

a people carrier with child seats. It is shocking and frightening to

know that he was here. I haven't seen him of late. I am shocked to

know that is what happened. Muslim community leaders here the better

tactics are needed to stop home-grown terrorists. Muslim

comedians have got to engage with the government and the government

being the government, is a big responsibility on them to get the

confidence of the Muslim communities, get into a dialogue

with them and get the demands and the clerics on their side. --

byzantine unities. And took the issue over. Tonight, the visual. Do

the hate mongers, extreme that and terrorists have no place in the

society. What happened on Wednesday, depraved and cowardly.

The borough council Tommy that the police had contacted them to find

out what the new about Khalid Masood and it seems likely in the coming

days, more details will emerge about his time in this town. Back to you.

Thank you. Workers at the Vauxhall plant

in Luton say they still feel uncertain about their future,

despite reassurances Vauxhall was sold three weeks ago

to PSA, the firm that owns They've confirmed that

production at the site It was sold for more than 2 billion

euros. The General Secretary of the Unite

union was at the plant today, The Vivaro van being assembled

here at the Vauxhall plant in Luton. It's now almost three

weeks since parent company GM agreed to sell

its European business to the owners And while the mechanics of the deal

are being worked on, today the general secretary

of the Unite union This is about making certain

that our members feel comfortable that they

have a future here. Not just with the current Vivaro

model but, of course, beyond that and I'm going to make certain

that this plant is here I've been told other issues

discussed with union members today included pay,

conditions and the pensions of Vauxhall staff

once that deal is finalised. But while unions try to reassure

workers, one employee leaving work If it's going to shut down,

if it's going to stay open. If we're going to shut down,

how long have we got? Everything is up in

the air at the minute. According to Luton South MP

Gavin Shuker, whose father and grandfather worked here,

the long-term future of the plant will be determined by how

we leave the European Union. We've had assurances

from Peugeot, from the British government and so on that the future

for this plant is secure through to 2025 when the van production

will inevitably end here. The question is, what

comes to replace it? And to be honest, that

won't be decided by It will be decided by

the kind of deal that While Peugeot has said

the ?1.9 billion takeover won't mean any plant closures,

it is looking to make savings. Well, if you look at

the commitments that PSA have made to date,

they are very vague. They're sort of making warm

corporate noises but they're not really pinning themselves

down to anything. I think until we see the clear

agreement and the investments going back in and their willingness

to take on the work that is already there, I think the workers have

to be a little bit uncertain it seems little will change here

overnight. But with the process of leaving

the EU beginning next week, there's likely to be more

uncertainty to come. Kate Bradbrook, BBC

Look East in Luton. It's six months to the day

since the airman Corrie Mckeague vanished after a night out

in Bury St Edmunds. Today, police gave an update

on their work, searching a landfill site at Milton in Cambridgeshire,

where they believe he was Detectives also confirmed that

a team from the Health and Safety Executive have joined

them at the site. The police are now three weeks

into this search which they say The officers involved are specially

trained and have already been through more than 845 tonnes

of material as they hunt It is both a massive and meticulous

operation for the team and working alongside them now,

officials from the HSE. Well, both the police and Corrie's

mother Nicola say they do believe Now, if and when that discovery

comes, the health and safety team on site will need to

start their own detailed work, going back step-by-step through

every stage of the system from when that waste was picked

up in Bury St Edmunds, about 35 miles from here

and placed in landfill. To answer the obvious question,

why wasn't Corrie detected? And to make sure that something

similar can't happen again This site was always one possible

line of enquiry but at the start of this month, it became

the main focus, with fresh data confirming that the weight

of the waste collected in Bury was heavy enough to

have contained Corrie. Suffolk Police spoke today

about the thousands of hours of investigation work which have

already been completed. Yet six months on since this young

airman vanished, the agonising wait Corby's Urgent Care Centre will not

close now after staff offered It had been due to shut next week

because managers say it's not But today the existing team,

Lakeside Plus, said they will remain open during the

ongoing legal process. The row is over the amount

the centre is paid for treating It currently treats over

76,000 patients a year Later, after a glorious sunny day,

Julie is here with the weather First, back to Stewart

and Susie for the rest of the news, plus the all

sport and a local derby You're watching Look

East from the BBC. Still to come tonight: Jules will be

here with the weekend weather. And all the action from

Red Nose Day, including the school in Basildon setting a world record

for paper chains. Celebrations are under way in Harlow

to mark its 70th anniversary. On 25th March 1947,

Harlow was officially It was built to ease overcrowding

in London following the destruction The new town was designed for 60,000

people, but these days And it has many claims to a place

in the record books. The first post-war tower block

was built there, and the first Let's go to our chief reporter

Kim Riley, who's in Harlow now. We are at the local hall, and behind

me are children from the Marc Warren Academy, we have had a fantastic

steel band concert, and the place has been packed over the last hour

or so. It was 70 years ago tomorrow that Harlow was officially

designated a new town, a factory town.

Children from five local schools launched the birthday celebrations

in style. A concert with the message that at the age of 70, Harlow is a

town of opportunity, a great place to live. A lot of younger people are

here, and the schools are getting a lot better, we have had a lot more

money put into them, and things like this, it is just a great thing to do

for them. I think it is a great town, it has a great future, it is

very good for the old and also the youngsters as well. We have been

here about 18 years now, so I really love Harlow. It has a really good

community spirit, really good. Everyone pulls together in times of

crisis, every body is there. To mark the eve of the official birthday,

cake created by Harlow Council employee took centre stage, the cake

represented the town's future, its present had its past.

NEWSREEL: With all the flats ready, Harlow is ready for it switch on.

The post-war Labour government land for a community of some 60,000

people to the west of the existing village of Harlow, split into

neighbourhoods each with its own shopping precinct, community

facilities and plenty of open space. The masterplan was drawn up by

architect Sir Frederick Debord, here explaining the layout to the Queen

in fridge Prince Philip from the top of the Hughes Tower. He was said to

be the only town planner to live in the town he designed. A tower that

in the 50s was nicknamed prime town by the National press because of its

booming young population. In 2010, Harlow became the first sculpture

town. In its squares, precinct and public buildings, there are more

than 80 works on public view, many of national significance. Harlow

remains full of surprises. The leader of Harlow Council is with

me. You are not letting this 70th birthday go by without a good party?

Absolutely, and this event is just one of many happening across the

town, there are garden parties, cultural events, live music, street

parties, it is a fantastic celebration bringing the community

together. It is all about pride in the town? Absolutely, Harlow is a

fantastic place with green spaces and sculptures, but it has a strong

community spirit which is why I love it. And confidence for the future?

Absolutely, we have a great heritage of the last 70 years, and we look

forward to a vibrant future for the next 70. We have an enterprise zone,

science park, jobs being created, investment, infrastructure, as part

of the garden town initiative, so released wrong and vibrant future.

You are letting the party go on all year? We couldn't let it go without

a strong community celebration, but this is community led, so the

councillors facilitating that with some funding, but it has been grown

from the community. I'm going to a garden party at a local community

farm tomorrow morning, and it is a real strong community, fantastically

proud of what is going on. It has been great being here, and a great

atmosphere, thank you and good luck with all the events taking place. In

the early years, Harlow relied very much on manufacturing jobs, and a

lot of those jobs were created when factories moved out of London.

But in recent decades many of those factories have closed down,

Our business correspondent Richard Bond reports on the changing

NEWSREEL: The Duke of Edinburgh finds time during his busy programme

to visit Harlow New Town and chat with workers who live

They've a large rubber factory there, already in production.

It was set up as a factory town, a blue-collar place

But it wasn't long before Harlow struck hi-tech gold.

A researcher called Charles Kao invented optical fibre here in 1966.

Without that, the modern digital economy wouldn't work.

The site where that invention was made is now a science

and technology campus called Kao Park.

Harlow is part of what is called the London-

Stansted-Cambridge corridor, an area rich in hi-tech companies.

But it is at the poor end of that corridor,

unemployment here is relatively high, so it needs to up its game.

And what better way to do that than to build a data centre?

Data centres are the centre of the digital economy,

so it's a pivotal part of the London-Stansted-Cambridge

Which is really at the moment experiencing huge growth

in technology companies, in bioscience companies,

All of whom are very key customers to a facility like this.

The US defence giant Raytheon has moved to Kao Park

The 400 staff carry out research which goes into a range

The company's investing in skills by taking on 26 graduates a year.

I would say it is a male-dominated industry, but there is a lot

of females coming into the business, so I think that those people

will start to filter up into the business and get

That was one of the advantages of just moving across the town.

I could retain my existing workforce who have got tremendous experience,

but now I can attract new blood into that organisation,

which allows us to grow and to have the workforce

Much has happened since Charles Kao made his invention, but he'd be

proud the seed he sowed is bearing fruit.

And for more details on the birthday celebrations, you can go to the

website: Rugby now, and it's a sell-out crowd

at Franklin's Gardens tomorrow for one of the most anticipated

rugby games of the season - the derby between

Northampton and Leicester. The good news for the Saints -

international stars like Dylan Hartley and George North

are available again There's no rest for one

of the world's most famous rugby George North, the Welsh Dragon,

hunting down another Lions tour, and hoping to breathe some

fire into the Saints' season ahead of another feisty derby

with arch rivals Leicester. If you want a game to come

back to that is not too similar from an international,

this is one of them. The rivalry between

the two clubs is huge. Obviously everyone knows,

there is no hiding that. And I think this game will be a good

one to get back into, one of our North is rarely out

of the headlines. The latest case, an alleged

bite that took during Wales' game against France

in the Six Nations. One of the most chaotic

and extraordinary ends to a game No action has been taken

to, to the frustration Sometimes when all the cameras

are there, they capture stuff, and And obviously this one time

it doesn't get picked up, and there is no ruling,

but from my point of view, it was disappointing in the whole

game, sort of thing. North is one of a number

of international is returning England captain Dylan Hartley has

played more games for this country than his club

so far this season. Last time he returned

from international duty, he was red How the club handle

their returnees will Just basically looking

at what they have done over the last few weeks,

playing for England, Wales and France, I suppose,

and checking at how they've trained

and where they are at. I think mentally it is as big

an issue as physically, so, you know, we make sure we have a good

chat with the lads, see how they're feeling,

what they want to do, Franklin's Gardens tomorrow

is a sell-out for the first It has been a rough, tough,

uncompromising season for Saints, and they need their stars

to shine tomorrow. James Burridge, BBC

Look East, Northampton. In football, Norwich City appear

to be close to announcing Huddersfield Town's head of football

operations, Stuart Webber, The 33-year-old specialises

in recruitment. He's been credited for transforming

the Huddersfield team. They currently lie third

in the Championship table. And across the country,

thousands of people have been doing silly, funny,

and often rather strange Thanks very much to everyone who's

sent in footage and photos today. The special programme

with Lenny Henry and the team starts But first, Shaun Peel has been

looking at what you've been up to. 300 singers, six Sainsbury's

stores in one day. Give it up for the Essex

and Suffolk choir Funky Voices. In Basildon, 300 children

from Saint Margaret Academy Primary broke the world record

for the longest paper The previous record was 3.2

kilometres, and they beat it Now, give us a wave,

children from this middle school with a giant Mexican wave in Bury St

Edmunds. There were silly socks

on the show in Suffolk today, and at Northampton Academy,

the principal was gunged. McFly drummer Harry Judd turned up

at Saint Gregory is primary school in Sudbury as the pupils had

a Christmas dinner. And to make it even more surreal,

he played the drums Ten-year-old Blake has

a rare bone condition But Blake wanted to raise money

for those less fortunate. So he went to school

in Trimley St Martin with red hair. At Great Lees near Braintree,

a gallopathon at Chelmsford City racecourse, the idea to run,

but like a horse. School was out today

at this primary in Norfolk. And the prize for best photo goes

to teaching assistant Well done, everybody! And Julie is

getting into the spirit, Anju? Don't mention the nose!

I would love to do the whole thing like this, but I sound ridiculous,

so I will take it off! It has been a cracking day, especially forgetting

out in the garden, I could actually smell my higher since earlier. We

have had lots of sunshine across the region, and temperatures around 13

Celsius, 55 Fahrenheit. You can see from the satellite picture this

morning, there was a lot of cloud around, especially in the south, and

we have seen lots of unbroken sunshine for most of us to end the

day, and it means a pretty quiet night. We will have a long clear

spell, hardly any cloud, maybe a little bit of patchy fog in the

north, but even here it will be very patchy indeed. Underneath clear

skies, it could turn quite chilly. Inland, Lowes 3-5 degrees, but it

sheltered spots, we could get down to freezing. Tomorrow, high pressure

right over the top of us, whether fronts circulating all around, but a

cracking day for us. A chilly start, but we should enjoy plenty of

sunshine, just a bit of patchy Fairweather cloud drifting through

at times. Temperatures away from the coast, 14 Celsius at best, 57

Fahrenheit, but with the onshore north-easterly, light to moderate.

Temperatures are little lower on the coast, but a good day for a trip to

the seaside, finishing with lots of unbroken sunshine again. So that is

Saturday, and as for Sunday, high-pressure still in charge again.

It is virtually over the top of us, shift position slightly, but there

is a chance that we will have lots of sunshine, but perhaps a bit more

cloud around, especially late on in the day, feeding in of the North Sea

oil the easterly wind. Again, temperatures of around 13 Celsius.

All in all, not a bad weekend a tall, subtle differences with

regards to the symbols as in Saturday just a bit of patchy cloud,

Sunday figure cloud later in the day, the sunshine should

breakthrough on Monday, and on Tuesday, fine and dry and perhaps

warmer still as the wind turns southerly and we should see

temperatures around 15 Celsius. And before I go, don't forget, Saturday

night, the clocks spring forward one hour. I had already forgotten! I

nearly didn't actually show that. Thing goodness you reminded me, that

could have been disastrous. Red Nose Day, Mothering Sunday, clocks go

forward, it is a big week end. Enjoy it! Goodbye.