:00:00. > :00:08.Fifteen years in the planning - the first
:00:09. > :00:10.residents move into a new town north of Cambridge.
:00:11. > :00:12.A Dunstable marketing company gets a record fine
:00:13. > :00:29.And I'll be here with the very latest of the weekend. Join me
:00:30. > :00:31.later. -- latest of the weather into the weekend.
:00:32. > :00:34.More than fifteen years after plans originally went on display,
:00:35. > :00:36.the first residents are moving into Northstowe -
:00:37. > :00:39.the new township being build to the north of Cambridge.
:00:40. > :00:41.When it's finished, it will have ten thousand homes -
:00:42. > :00:43.and it was a big factor in the construction
:00:44. > :00:50.This is Sebastien's new house in the new town of Northstowe.
:00:51. > :00:52.He couldn't afford Cambridge or anywhere nearby,
:00:53. > :01:02.When we came here for the first time, it was just a flat
:01:03. > :01:05.piece of land with a few machines digging holes in the ground.
:01:06. > :01:10.Then after five months, they built a home.
:01:11. > :01:13.We came here few times and we could see the house rise from there.
:01:14. > :01:23.Today marked the launch of the very first homes on the old
:01:24. > :01:32.Plans for the new settlement were first mooted back in 1998.
:01:33. > :01:35.Of course, there have been some tricky moments,
:01:36. > :01:41.The economy has not been as friendly as it might have
:01:42. > :01:45.been and we had the A14 in and out of the programme.
:01:46. > :01:48.All these things have been sent to try us, but
:01:49. > :01:51.those of us who have been in it for the duration, we've held onto
:01:52. > :01:54.the dream and the reality is all around us.
:01:55. > :01:56.Hunting through the BBC archives, it was
:01:57. > :02:02.back in the summer of 2003 that the name Northstowe was agreed.
:02:03. > :02:07.Back then, the plan was to have 6000 homes built by 2016.
:02:08. > :02:10.As you can see, it's only now that the first
:02:11. > :02:13.Were the developers waiting for land prices
:02:14. > :02:19.We've always tried to proceed with the development of
:02:20. > :02:22.Northstowe and the sale of land as quickly as we possibly can.
:02:23. > :02:23.It's in no-one's interest to hold onto
:02:24. > :02:26.the land and to keep those costs of servicing that land.
:02:27. > :02:31.It's in no-one's interest to do that at all.
:02:32. > :02:33.Of the 10,000 homes, 40% will be affordable.
:02:34. > :02:34.With many people priced out of nearby towns,
:02:35. > :02:50.We have been really surprised that most of it has come
:02:51. > :02:54.These are really houses for local people.
:02:55. > :02:56.The fact that the bus-way already exists
:02:57. > :02:59.and you can get straight into the centre of town.
:03:00. > :03:00.and to Cambridge North Station as well.
:03:01. > :03:02.That has been a key factor for people's accessibility.
:03:03. > :03:05.But also the way out for facilities Northstowe will offer.
:03:06. > :03:08.Sebastien knows we will be living with the builders for
:03:09. > :03:11.decades to come, but this afternoon, a collective sigh of relief.
:03:12. > :03:14.Northstowe is finally a real place to live.
:03:15. > :03:19.So what are the challenges for the housing market
:03:20. > :03:22.Our political reporter Mousumi Bakshi has been
:03:23. > :03:27.Well, it's no surprise that the houseprice slowdown in some
:03:28. > :03:30.areas of the region has had little impact on the housing market.
:03:31. > :03:35.Last year, across the East, more than 21,000
:03:36. > :03:47.so there was a still a shortfall of around 8500 homes.
:03:48. > :03:53.The lack of available land to build on.
:03:54. > :03:56.One of my asks from the next Government would be to help with the
:03:57. > :03:59.land availability and they can do that in a number of ways.
:04:00. > :04:00.Firstly, by actually creating some flexibility
:04:01. > :04:05.So, there are sometimes some regeneration sites that need
:04:06. > :04:07.cleaning up before they can be built on.
:04:08. > :04:10.Sometimes land needs to be assembled in a way that makes a site
:04:11. > :04:19.Then there needs to be some investment in infrastructure.
:04:20. > :04:21.So with house prices still going up, what about so-called
:04:22. > :04:37.So how has a lack of supply affected house prices?
:04:38. > :04:39.Well over the past year, prices have gone up by 3%
:04:40. > :04:42.in Cambridge, 17% in Bedford and 19% in Milton Keynes.
:04:43. > :04:45.The highest change was seen in Luton where average house prices have
:04:46. > :04:47.Tough conditions for first time buyers.
:04:48. > :04:49.My budget, I'm looking at somewhere between ?200,000 to ?250,000.
:04:50. > :04:52.I don't really want to go that high, so maybe ?230,000
:04:53. > :04:57.Saving for a deposit is the hardest thing about it and then going
:04:58. > :05:01.Because they ask you every question and it is very difficult to justify
:05:02. > :05:09.To what you're spending, and things like that.
:05:10. > :05:12.So with house prices still going up, what about so-called
:05:13. > :05:19.Well, according to the Hundred Houses Society in Cambridge,
:05:20. > :05:22.220,000 low-cost homes need to be built every year in England.
:05:23. > :05:24.But last year, 40,000 were built which suggests
:05:25. > :05:26.political parties will have to make ambitious election pledges
:05:27. > :05:33.And if there's a burning issue for you in this election,
:05:34. > :05:37.Get in touch by phone, by email and tweet us
:05:38. > :06:00.A marketing company, which made nearly 100 million nuisance calls,
:06:01. > :06:02.has been fined a record ?400,000, by the Information
:06:03. > :06:05.Keurboom Communications, based in Dunstable, made automated
:06:06. > :06:13.The call, the click on your line and then the recorded
:06:14. > :06:22.Today, Keurboom Communications was fined ?400,000
:06:23. > :06:43.These calls disrupt my worker, cause unnecessary anxiety
:06:44. > :06:47.One said it was a stalking complaint and they
:06:48. > :06:49.were harassed by their ex-partner by calls and text messages, so
:06:50. > :06:59.Companies can only call with permission.
:07:00. > :07:01.Keurboom Communications did not but made the calls anyway.
:07:02. > :07:11.It has now gone bust and a not pay the fine.
:07:12. > :07:13.The industry itself welcomes tighter regulation.
:07:14. > :07:17.At the moment, it may have well be in a bad place and people do
:07:18. > :07:23.If we can get rid of nuisance calls, it would re-establish itself for
:07:24. > :07:27.But some think fines are not enough and only
:07:28. > :07:30.the threat of prison to
:07:31. > :07:41.The long-awaited Dunstable bypass opened to traffic this morning,
:07:42. > :07:44.It links the A5 to the M1, north of the Bedfordshire town.
:07:45. > :07:47.The ?160 million project, also includes the new junction
:07:48. > :07:57.Mike Cartwright has been to find out.
:07:58. > :08:00.Nearly three miles long, three year is and ?160 million in the making.
:08:01. > :08:02.A new bypass joining a new motorway junction.
:08:03. > :08:08.We will be able to take heavy goods vehicles out of
:08:09. > :08:15.Dunstable and the villages surrounding us.
:08:16. > :08:21.That'll make a huge difference to the quality of life
:08:22. > :08:32.-- for those residents and of course the air quality
:08:33. > :08:36.In Dunstable, fewer cars and eventually
:08:37. > :08:43.Drugs are coming through today but that will stop.
:08:44. > :08:45.Numberplate recognition will be used.
:08:46. > :08:49.We will only see then a there has been a closure or they are
:08:50. > :08:57.Road networks made to stop the traffic bottleneck here.
:08:58. > :09:15.I will just straighten it and trim it
:09:16. > :09:18.The hairdressers hope it will tempt more customers into the
:09:19. > :09:22.Hopefully they can get in and out without being stuck in traffic
:09:23. > :09:26.We always have customers telling us they will be late because
:09:27. > :09:29.they are stuck in traffic, it will be five or ten minutes.
:09:30. > :09:38.First spoken about 60 years ago, now open for
:09:39. > :09:51.A teenager has been found guilty of stabbing a police dog and his
:09:52. > :09:55.PC Dave Wardell and his German shepherd Finn were attacked
:09:56. > :09:57.Both have since made a full recovery.
:09:58. > :10:00.A 16-year-old boy from London, who can't be named for legal
:10:01. > :10:03.reasons, was found guilty of actual bodily harm and criminal damage.
:10:04. > :10:09.That's the late news from Look East, I'll leave
:10:10. > :10:21.Anna Lo. Some changes on the way with the weather, including some
:10:22. > :10:23.rain in the forecast as they go to unite, Inc racing clouds could bring
:10:24. > :10:26.some potentially happy, possibly some potentially happy, possibly
:10:27. > :10:29.thundery downpours during the course of the night into the early hours of
:10:30. > :10:36.tomorrow morning. Much milder than last night. Although, eight Celsius.
:10:37. > :10:38.This whole weather system that has brought of this unit, Monty and
:10:39. > :10:45.starting to head northwards. It remains rather muggy and humid
:10:46. > :10:48.throughout the day. Brighter skies with sunshine. Some showers
:10:49. > :10:51.following on behind the knees could be heavy, possibly thundery into the
:10:52. > :10:58.afternoon. Some parts of the region will see them. Despite this,
:10:59. > :11:03.18-19dC. The national weather is coming up that he is the outlook.
:11:04. > :11:04.Into the weekend, slightly cooler, fresh appeal to things. Tim Rogers
:11:05. > :11:07.We want to see the economy work for everybody, not
:11:08. > :11:10.Now the weather. , yes a humid dead. We have had
:11:11. > :11:11.photographs of