:00:00. > :00:08.Plans to charge diesel vehicles to drive into the city.
:00:09. > :00:10.Election fever - Labour hit the streets to win back voters
:00:11. > :00:15.And a settled outlook but rather cloudy at times.
:00:16. > :00:30.The most heavily polluting vehicles could be charged
:00:31. > :00:32.to drive into the centre of Cambridge in future.
:00:33. > :00:35.The City Council wants to create one of the government's
:00:36. > :00:38.Under a so-called toxin tax, some diesel vehicles could be
:00:39. > :00:49.The aim is to have a plan in place by 2020, as Emma Baugh reports.
:00:50. > :00:52.Cambridge has long been trying to curb congestion,
:00:53. > :00:55.ridding cars from its city centre,
:00:56. > :00:58.investing in public transport and encouraging
:00:59. > :01:04.and now it's considering charging drivers with the most
:01:05. > :01:10.Greys of Ely is already making efforts to upgrade to
:01:11. > :01:15.They want to work with the council but say it could affect costs.
:01:16. > :01:19.For the coach industry, it's not massively different for us.
:01:20. > :01:23.We've seen with the London low emission zone so we kind of expected
:01:24. > :01:26.that Cambridge would probably take something like that on board and
:01:27. > :01:28.then there might be a cost for adding the charge
:01:29. > :01:34.And as with all businesses, any additional costs have
:01:35. > :01:36.to be either factored in or potentially passed on
:01:37. > :01:39.Clean air campaigners welcome the charge.
:01:40. > :01:42.I think it would make a great difference really the air, the
:01:43. > :01:47.air in Cambridge is disgusting and my husband suffers dreadfully
:01:48. > :01:52.if we go to town and it would be much better to be cleaner air.
:01:53. > :01:54.Cambridge is officially classed as one of the most congested
:01:55. > :02:01.But it doesn't rate as badly when it comes to pollution
:02:02. > :02:05.So why the need for the pollution charge?
:02:06. > :02:09.The council says it's not a moneymaking exercise.
:02:10. > :02:12.We regularly exceed the current European standards so we do
:02:13. > :02:17.You can smell it in those parts of the city centre
:02:18. > :02:21.where we've got most traffic and where we get congestion.
:02:22. > :02:24.So this is a measure to make our city healthier but also
:02:25. > :02:27.to cut the number of vehicles coming into the city.
:02:28. > :02:31.So it will clean the air and it will also cut congestion.
:02:32. > :02:33.A mixed reaction to the pollution charge in
:02:34. > :02:37.It's another form of tax by the looks of it.
:02:38. > :02:41.I'm just wondering what they're actually did use
:02:42. > :02:52.Are they going to improve the air quality with the money?
:02:53. > :02:56.I think it's good to cut pollution but there are other ways to get into
:02:57. > :02:58.Cambridge and driving is not necessarily the only
:02:59. > :03:02.If it's for the environment then I think it is a brilliant idea.
:03:03. > :03:05.I think you shouldn't be penalised for something the government
:03:06. > :03:08.promoted a few years ago which is when I bought my diesel car.
:03:09. > :03:09.Today, the government says it is committed
:03:10. > :03:11.to cutting air pollution and any city can bring
:03:12. > :03:16.Emma Baugh, BBC Look East, Cambridge.
:03:17. > :03:19.Well, Professor Sir David King used to advise Tony Blair's
:03:20. > :03:23.Earlier I asked him if this action on pollution was really necessary.
:03:24. > :03:25.Well, the consequences of doing nothing are
:03:26. > :03:29.that there will be people dying because of
:03:30. > :03:37.It's not right through the city, it is very localised
:03:38. > :03:40.and it is close to those roads that carry a lot of traffic.
:03:41. > :03:47.And I don't want to suggest that a large number of people
:03:48. > :03:50.and not a high percentage of people would die but never the less,
:03:51. > :03:54.lives are shortened by these gases that we have to breathe
:03:55. > :03:58.If diesel cars are so bad, can you ever
:03:59. > :04:00.see a ban coming in in certain cities?
:04:01. > :04:05.We clearly don't want government to simply ban you from driving
:04:06. > :04:12.So it's got to be a phase-out process which is why every
:04:13. > :04:14.city needs to be looking at phasing out by 2020, 2022,
:04:15. > :04:22.But in the meantime, give an encouragement to those
:04:23. > :04:27.particularly in city centres and on those busy roads
:04:28. > :04:32.A few years ago, people were actively
:04:33. > :04:35.encouraged to buy diesel cars, weren't they, on the basis that they
:04:36. > :04:40.so is it fair to now penalise those drivers?
:04:41. > :04:42.I was chief scientific adviser in the year that we began to
:04:43. > :04:49.encourage the use of diesel driven cars in this country.
:04:50. > :04:58.We're clear about what the problem is with diesel in particular
:04:59. > :05:04.but I want to emphasise, as we move forward,
:05:05. > :05:07.we need to move away from the use of fossil fuels
:05:08. > :05:10.and managing that problem in cities in particular
:05:11. > :05:17.has become more urgent than everybody thought.
:05:18. > :05:20.A college in Luton that was heavily criticised by inspectors is now
:05:21. > :05:22.considering a merger with a rival that has campuses
:05:23. > :05:27.Barnfield College has also had financial difficulties in the past.
:05:28. > :05:35.Our reporter Waseem Mirza is here and can tell us more.
:05:36. > :05:42.As you said, Barnfield College had been given a very poor rating by
:05:43. > :05:46.inspectors back in 2015. They gave it the worst possible rating at the
:05:47. > :05:49.time. They said it suffered from poor teaching, poor management and
:05:50. > :05:53.bad behaviour from students. Two years on, it was given a
:05:54. > :05:56.satisfactory rating and our spotted a review, it is converted it is
:05:57. > :06:01.looking to merge with Central Bedfordshire College. If that plan
:06:02. > :06:05.is approved, it will create the area's first so-called super
:06:06. > :06:09.college. We are talking some 9000 students and a strong emphasis on
:06:10. > :06:12.building vocational skills. Today, one of the chair of governors
:06:13. > :06:18.acknowledged a challenging past but also looked to the future with
:06:19. > :06:21.optimism. College-mac fall sort of reasons that we don't have time to
:06:22. > :06:28.go into now have really found themselves in great difficulties. I
:06:29. > :06:33.think we can really help them in many areas relating to quality and
:06:34. > :06:37.curriculum, relating to development. They also have skills of course and
:06:38. > :06:41.I think that is why the whole committee can be greater than the
:06:42. > :06:46.sum of the part. What a teacher thinking about this? Teachers at
:06:47. > :06:50.Bonfield may be sensitive to that the College only has a satisfactory
:06:51. > :06:55.rating. There is no suggestion tonight that jobs are at risk. --
:06:56. > :06:58.Barnfield College. That is not on the agenda taught according to
:06:59. > :07:02.Central Bedfordshire College. A study has begun already and it is
:07:03. > :07:04.looking as to whether this merger is feasible. It is due to report back
:07:05. > :07:09.in July. Thank you. With a month to go until
:07:10. > :07:11.County Council elections, the Labour Party has been
:07:12. > :07:13.in the region to rally support. The party controls just a handful
:07:14. > :07:16.of seats in Hertfordshire. So today, the Shadow Health
:07:17. > :07:18.Secretary was in Stevenage, Whilst you're here, come on over
:07:19. > :07:24.to the Labour Party stall and meet the Shadow Secretary of State
:07:25. > :07:26.for Health, Jon Ashworth. A rallying cry to shoppers
:07:27. > :07:28.in Stevenage, but is Labour faces an uphill
:07:29. > :07:32.battle in the east, and in The council is represented by 77
:07:33. > :07:39.councillors, Which is why the Shadow Health
:07:40. > :07:45.Secretary was in town to drum up support, despite polls suggesting
:07:46. > :07:49.the party faces a rout I'm not going to put targets
:07:50. > :07:53.on it, but we want a good Labour vote in this area,
:07:54. > :07:55.because there's lots of constituencies in this part
:07:56. > :07:58.of the country which are very important to us, constituencies
:07:59. > :08:01.which we want to gain back off the Conservatives whenever
:08:02. > :08:02.the general election comes, so these elections are also
:08:03. > :08:05.about putting in place the base for The Conservative Party holds
:08:06. > :08:13.majorities in Cambridge and Northamptonshire
:08:14. > :08:15.and here in Hertfordshire. But the town's Labour leader
:08:16. > :08:20.is adamant change is needed. I've been out knocking
:08:21. > :08:22.on doors in Stevenage People are telling
:08:23. > :08:26.us on their doorstep that they are dismayed to see
:08:27. > :08:29.the public services that they value in this country being decimated
:08:30. > :08:31.by what the Tories are doing at national level
:08:32. > :08:34.and at local level. The country is in a state of flux
:08:35. > :08:38.which ever way you look at it, whether it is joy or resignation
:08:39. > :08:40.towards Brexit, the NHS and schools are facing unprecedented
:08:41. > :08:45.financial pressures. Both are traditional
:08:46. > :08:47.topics that play well to voters here in Stevenage, but will
:08:48. > :08:51.it be enough to turn the tide The lack of affordable housing
:08:52. > :08:56.in Stevenage is a rising problem, but people we spoke
:08:57. > :09:01.to were far more concerned about the influence Jeremy Corbyn
:09:02. > :09:06.was having on the party. He seems to want to do his own thing
:09:07. > :09:09.to me, his own thing. I think there has been
:09:10. > :09:12.a bit of trouble with I don't think they'll
:09:13. > :09:16.get in with him. I don't like his views
:09:17. > :09:21.on Ireland and getting rid The town centre is undergoing
:09:22. > :09:28.massive regeneration at the moment, and Labour will hope the same thing
:09:29. > :09:31.is true of their election chances as they focus on making
:09:32. > :09:35.gains next month. Mousumi Bakshi, BBC
:09:36. > :09:40.Look East, Stevenage. Football and just one
:09:41. > :09:47.result for you tonight. MK Dons in League One,
:09:48. > :09:49.with a 2-0 win away at Charlton. Finally, a development of luxury
:09:50. > :09:52.homes in Cambridge has been covered with graffiti
:09:53. > :09:53.written in Latin. Vandals spray-painted
:09:54. > :09:54.the new five-bedroom river-front houses with the words
:09:55. > :09:57.Locus in Domos and Loci Populum which roughly translates to "local
:09:58. > :10:02.homes for local people". I'll leave you with
:10:03. > :10:05.the weather from Alex. It was quite a cloudy forecast
:10:06. > :10:08.for this afternoon but as we go through the night,
:10:09. > :10:11.it's going to turn clearer across many parts of
:10:12. > :10:14.the region and under those clear skies, temperatures
:10:15. > :10:15.turning quite chilly. So quite widely temperatures down
:10:16. > :10:17.to around four or five Celsius but one or two spots we could record
:10:18. > :10:20.lows of two Celsius, bringing the risk of
:10:21. > :10:23.a touch of ground frost. So, we start the day
:10:24. > :10:25.tomorrow bright and we've got the high pressure
:10:26. > :10:26.on the scene so we kick off with a good spells
:10:27. > :10:30.of sunshine after that chilly start. But it will tend to cloud
:10:31. > :10:33.over as the day goes on. So, on the whole, much
:10:34. > :10:35.of the day looking rather cloudy and under that cloud
:10:36. > :10:37.temperatures being held back. So, highs perhaps 11
:10:38. > :10:39.or 12 Celsius with a light to moderate north-westerly
:10:40. > :10:42.wind but it does look as though The national forecast
:10:43. > :10:45.is coming up And although high pressure
:10:46. > :10:49.keeps things rather settled, it does look like a rather cloudy
:10:50. > :10:52.outlook with some brighter spells, Temperatures around
:10:53. > :11:03.12 or 13 Celsius. bit from the south, so we could get
:11:04. > :11:10.to 18 or higher on Sunday. Now the national focus. Good evening,
:11:11. > :11:16.things are looking good in the next few days, some pressure drifting in
:11:17. > :11:19.from the Atlantic, bringing some finance settled with it. Just some
:11:20. > :11:23.questions about the amount of cloud we will see under that. The cloud we
:11:24. > :11:27.saw the sea links gave rise to a lovely sunsets are many areas. This
:11:28. > :11:31.is the view from one of our weather watchers in Cornwall. Look at the
:11:32. > :11:32.tones in the sky in Warwickshire this