15/06/2011 Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)

Good evening and welcome to BBC Look North.

The headlines tonight. As tolls soar to �3, a Hull

businessman says it's time for the Government to sell off the Humber

Bridge. What better time to press on with the campaign to reduce it

by a significant amount then immediately after a proposed

increase? Fifteen people are airlifted to

safety after a barge runs aground in the Humber. Cheaper than a new

car - the house up for sale for less than 10 grand as regeneration

funding is cut. Breaking records not the speed limit - hundreds of

children march to school to encourage motorists to slow down.

And the latest detailed weather The Government has come under

renewed pressure to find a long term solution to the problem of

rising tolls on the Humber Bridge. Just 24 hours after the transport

minister gave the go ahead to higher tolls, a Hull-based

businessman has made a renewed attempt to buy the bridge.

Malcolm Scott believes his proposal to operate the bridge as a not-for-

profit company will eventually result in much lower toll charges.

Like many in this part of the world Malcolm Scott is coming to terms

with the prospect of paying more to cross the Humber. But this is a man

with the plan. What better time to press on with the campaign to

reduce the price by a significant amount and immediately after a

proposed increase? Back in February the whole based property boss

revealed plans to buy the bridge and run it as a not-for-profit

company. Proposals involve keeping that tells of their present level

for a number of years but eventually reducing the cost to �1

per crossing for cars. �1 is what it cost when the bridge first

opened in 1981. Tills went up through the Eighties and almost

doubled by the time that Tony Blair became Prime Minister. Another

transport minister has given the go-ahead to a �3 crossing for cars,

Britain's highest bridge toll. is not the Department for Transport,

I initiated a public inquiry to make sure all sides had their

voices heard. If the tolls were reduced to would be a lot more

economic activity on both sides of the bridge. There is a lack of

competition because of that. And that all impacts on the local

economy. The Humber Bridge Board made up of local councillors from

all parties, was given the power to raise the told by an Act of

Parliament long before the bridge was built. I think the board has

had difficulty because it was set up from and 1959 Act and therefore

was fit for purpose for 1959. But we are now in 2011. I think that

the bridge board are saddled with debt and responsibility and without

that could be much more proactive. The debt stands at more than �380

million. Malcolm Scott is now trying to raise money from local

businesses to fund the social impact assessment on the bridge

tolls. Meanwhile the board will decide next week exactly went a

higher charges were coming. Iredale is in South Ferriby by the

Humber this evening. Tim, the government says it's reviewing the

economic impact of tolls on the area. When will we know the outcome

of that? This is a review being up led by officials at the Treasury.

That report should be on the desks of Ministers by November. I'm told

by local MPs that the government is keen to settle the long-term future

of the Humber Bridge once and for all. They do not want the kind of

fury that comes with these above- inflation increases every so often.

They want a long-term, sustainable future it will possibly reduce the

tills although it probably will not happen for a long time. So the

credit for puzzle perhaps that Malcolm Scott is putting on the

table, a private consortium running a not-for-profit operation, would

be seen favourably by ministers. You do not have to be any economic

whiz-kid to realise that taking �6 a day from the pay packets of

people to cross the bridge will be positive for the local economy.

There has been a huge response. Just a couple are now. My mother

currently has to travel every day from the south bank to Castle Hill

hospital for treatment for cancer. It is a fifty mile round trip and,

with the proposed bridge tolls and the price of fuel, it will cost

approximately �320 a month. Even though I disagree with the

toll increase, it is still cheaper than going round.

With the economy as bad as it is the government should be doing all

it can to encourage trade. Instead this discourages people from

leaving their homes. There were hundreds of texts and e-

mails. Graham Stuart is the Conservative MP for Beverley and

Holderness. He joins me now. White is the government not taking

on this challenge instead of letting a local businessman take it

on? Is it the Big Society at play? I think it is and we should be

grateful for Malcolm Scott for coming forward. I know MPs in all

parties are working together to try to get a long-term solution. I met

the Treasury minister responsible for this last night and spoke to

the Chancellor of the Exchequer about it earlier today. We are all

working as a team to make the case because we do need the bridge to be

used. And make sure it does help the local economy. But time and

again surveys and reports tell us that lowering the toll will boost

the regional economy. Why does the government not grasp the nettle and

tell the bridge board to reduce the tolls? The bridge bolt -- the

bridge board has to service the debt, that is their primary

responsibility. We're asking them to look at whether they can keep

the tills down until we get this review in November. But ultimately

they have to service the debt. What we need is a way to get that debt

under control. And get the bridge used so that people working on both

sides of the Humber can work together to build the economy. We

just have to convince ministers who have inherited a hell of a

situation. We have the companies like Siemens planning to come to

hold but for a lorry to cross the bridge, it is �40 for a trip. This

is a disincentive for companies to come to this area. Absolutely, and

we would keep on making the case. That bridge was built with public

money 30 years ago and today runs with 70% of its capacity unused.

People on low incomes or unemployed could work so we're making that

case. And we are making progress. But the general environment is

tough. Have you spoken to the bridge board today to ask them to

delay this until after the review? I know that colleagues are in

regular contact with the board, as I am. If we had not yet formal

contact with the board we will certainly do so. Would he do that

tomorrow? Thanks to you, Peter, it will get done it!

What should be done to keep the tolls down? Would selling it off

work? If it were cheaper would you use it more? Contact us and we your

response. In a moment: Despite many health

campaigns, why people in Hull are still dying at a younger age than

other parts of the country. It's a sailing trip which members

of Barton's Chamber of Commerce say they'll never forget - a trip which

ended last night with their dramatic rescue. The barge on which

they were sailing ran aground in the Humber. When rescue boats

couldn't reach them the RAF's Search and Rescue Helicopter was

scrambled, ending with 15 people being winched to safety. Phil

Connell reports. It was supposed to have been an

enjoyable evening trip on the Humber but instead for 15 fee-

paying passengers, it ended with this dramatic rescue. The barge on

which they were sailing ran aground at Altrincham and with the Humber

rescue boat not able to reach them, the search and rescue helicopter

received the emergency call. were on standby in the evening.

Today the captain said the barge was truly stuck and with 15

passengers to winched to safety it proved to be their biggest

operation in recent years. Normally we are called to a single climate

who has fallen or has been cut off by the tide. But to have a barge

with 17 people on board, is really quite unusual. Overnight two crew

members slept on the barge and at high tide this morning, sailed back.

They have been running barge trips from here for almost 40 years. The

skipper described the rescue last night as an embarrassing incident.

This stretch of the Humber is notoriously difficult to navigate.

With eight barges running aground in the last year alone. For the

company running the trip last night it is not the first time it has

happened. I think it has happened four times, I think I'm right in

saying. Once every 10 years! I suppose that is not too bad.

trip had been organised by the Barton Chamber of Commerce. Those

winched to safety included the new mayor arrests of North Lincolnshire.

I survived and I'm here to tell the tale. Everyone looked after us well.

A lot of members of the group thought it was fantastic and wanted

to know what was planned for the next trip! Thankfully no-one was

injured but for the Chamber of Commerce it is a trip they are not

likely to forget. An inquiry into the deaths of two

teenage girls who jumped off a bridge together has heard one of

them wrote a suicide letter a year earlier. 14-year-old Georgia Rowe

had moved from Hull to Glasgow just eight weeks before her death in

October 2009. She jumped from the Erskine Bridge with 15 -year-old

Naimh Lafferty, who wrote the note months earlier. Both girls had been

attending a nearby secure unit. The number of people unemployed in

our area has fallen by almost 15,000. Figures for the three

months to April show that in Yorkshire and the Humber, 237,000

people are out of work, down nine percent. In the East Midlands the

total's 176,000, which is down by more than seven percent.

Thousands of people are dying up to 10 years earlier than in other

neighbouring authorities because they're both overweight and

inactive for step today the health minister Simon friends has been

visiting Hull to find out how local people are being encouraged to look

after their Hearts by moving more This is what we should be doing,

running for our lives. Instead, our lifestyles are damaging our hearts.

Despite what we are seeing here, a Hull is the 13th least active place

in the country, with throughout or five adults never doing any

exercise at all. Five women are particularly lazy, with only one in

eight every doing regular sport. But his beginner's jogging group is

helping to win new converts to regular exercise. You come with the

idea, I will not be able to do it, but it is amazing, after five or

six weeks, how you have progressed. It is the fear factor, that is what

you have to fight, rather than just sitting at home doing nothing.

the Health Minister arrived in Hull today, local doctors were keen to

show how innovations are helping to get health messages across. Four we

have improved, we have identified more people with raised blood

pressure, and we are able to treat them to reduce the risk of

complications in later life. think it is innovative, if you have

the distraction of a television programme that relates to her life,

giving you a coherent and sensible message, the chances of that

getting into the side he so that people go away and think, that is

sensible, are better. Keith Cash after being given his own quick

health check, he was shown this girls' rugby team. A wants to be

busy. It keep you busy. It keeps you fit and healthy, and not obese.

What these pupils -- while these people have adopted a healthier

lifestyle were now, the hope is they will continue exercising as

adults. Only then will they improve their chances of living longer.

Still to come: A house worth less than a new car. It is yours for

just over �7,000. And breaking records, not the speed

limit. Children march to school to encourage motorists to slow down.

The photograph is of a poppy field in Burton Fleming, taken by Paul

in Burton Fleming, taken by Paul Jefferson. There is an eclipse

tonight. Lots of people have been asking if we can see it. There will

not be clear skies, but you might be able to catch a glimpse. We can

watch it from the balcony! As long as you have got rid of your washing

on the line! You are not funny, do you know that? The headline is an

unsettled one, sunny intervals and scattered showers. Tomorrow, low-

pressure is in charge. This feature will bring more are welcome rain

for farmers across Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, late on Friday and

into Friday night. Potentially some heavy rain to come. But in the

short term, there is quite a lot of cloud around. It has been producing

some heavy showers. There are thundery showers around in the next

hour as well. And lots of rain up the Vale of York. I showery evening

and night, though the showers will clear out of the way by dawn. Top

temperatures of 11 degrees Celsius. It is an unsettled day tomorrow,

Variable cloud, some sunshine around, but also a fair scattering

of showers. Some of those showers could be heavy with the risk of

thunder, but there will be brighter and sunnier spells between. Top

temperatures 18 or 19 degrees Celsius. Friday, one or two showers

in the morning. It will cloud over by the end of the day with heavy

rain. I have a note from a primary school, a basketball can use his

experience and skill to tell us whether at the school sports day on

Friday should be cancelled or not. Not that I'm putting you on the

spot or anything! I cannot do a yes or no answer. The heaviest of the

rain and will be across our region by the end of Friday. Current

timing suggests that they should be timing suggests that they should be

A house in Hull is being auctioned tomorrow at a starting price of

�7,500. It is believed to be one of the cheapest in the city for years.

He follows the crash in this -- property market and a delay in

funding for building new homes around the Victoria Villas. The

council say the investment is now secure. But it has left residents

feeling like they had been left in limbo.

Going for as long. But there is a catch. -- going for as long. The

condition is not the any reason that this is a cheap location. The

whole area is waiting for regeneration, with residents

concerned that the project is now on hold. On one side, the promise

of new homes. On the other, people who need to be re home. The

question is whether or not the money is there not only to be home

them, but also to regenerate the area. We do not know what is

happening, of whether we are coming or going. It will probably go ahead,

I do not believe that the area will be redeveloped within the next five

years. So what is the situation? In March, public money for re-housing

and property purchase ran out. Fat and �80 billion government grant

has been secured, enough to clear the area out for private investment.

But it hinges on that totaling up more than �150 million between now

and 2024. So the initial cash injection means Ron's move away his

back on. He could be rehoused within weeks. For I am fed up of

waiting. The man that owns it lives in Somerset, and he has agreed to

sell it to the council. Sick council says it is now contacting

residents to let them know when work will start in their area, but

the bigger question remains. With a housing market down and the

construction and St week, is the funding still there to complete his

grand plan? Darren hail is the Deputy leader of

the city council. The residence we saw in the film had no idea what is

happening. Have you been doing your job properly? We have only been in

power for three weeks. But since that time, I can confirm that the

money is back in place. You will be aware that the government Gateway's

funding was told. We managed to secure the �8 billion, which will

secure the completion of the scheme. Residents will be informed in the

next few weeks. I'll be reliant on public money as well? With our

partner, we are, yes. Because a houses around the corner are

selling so well, we know that there is interest from the private

housing provider, and that if those houses are built, they will sell.

So people should not have to live in conditions like that, I'm sure

you would agree. And we are pleased that the regeneration of Hawthorn

Avenue is back on. Some people had been waiting for years. What have

they been saying to you? It was a 15 years in, there was a lot of

planning. Now, those people have had those hopes dashed but they can

have them restored. The scheme will now go ahead. The council is buying

properties in Clyde Street, it will be bidding on that house tomorrow.

We put an at in last year and it was not backed by the property

developer. -- a bid. We will be bidding on that house because we

want to buy those houses to improve the area. Thank you for your

comments on the news that the government has scrapped plans to

bring back weekly bin collections. It means thousands of people will

still have their rubbish picked up once a fortnight. Here are some of

Hull Truck is asking for theatregoers and local businesses

to help them raise more money to make up for the cuts to their

funding. Since moving to its new home two years ago, the theatre has

suffered financially. Over the next three years, it will lose 500,000

MAB -- hands off public money. -- �500,000 of public money. I will be

talking to The Executive chief on the radio tomorrow.

Hull City will be signing Paul McKenna from Nottingham Forest.

They have let him go on a free transfer, and he has signed a two

year deal with the Tigers. Thousands of schoolchildren have

today been trying to set a world record for the biggest ever walk to

school. The Walking Buses set off from schools across the country

this morning. As well as trying to get into the record books, they had

These children could be record- breakers, youngsters at Thorpe on

the Hill and Long Riston had between Beverley and Hornsey. They

are representing two of dozens of schools in our region, and more

than 600 nationwide, trying to break the record for the longest

Walking Bus in the world. It is weird being in a big group, just

walking. It was good fun to walk around, we got some parents sides

to see us as well, and some of the cars stop for us. Its stopping, or

at least slowing down the cars was a big part of today's world record

attempt. These children have a serious message for if motorists.

Slow down. People could run someone over if they are going too fast.

They could cope do quickly and not notice you. Some of our roads do

not have passed, so children have to be a where to walk on the side

of the road. More than 10,000 children Nationwide took part in

the world record attempt this morning. To they will know if they

have been part of the biggest Walking Bus every later in the year.

But it has been a fun way to learn a serious lesson about staying safe

on the roads. They once supported hundreds of

thousands of jobs, and now BBC look more there is making a film that

looks back at a Humber dogs. From the dangers of life on a trawler to

the dock workers fight for better conditions, and the unique Tom

Pudding coal barges -- coal barges of Goole, the film aims to capture

the best of your memories. We have the best of your memories. We have

three special screenings. In Hull, his in Grimsby and in Goole. For

tickets to the events, which are free, if you can ring a reception

The biggest day of industrial action for years. Civil servants

joined teachers on a walk out on 30th June.

The government becomes under new pressure to find as solution to the

rising tolls on a Humber bridge. Top temperatures around 18 degrees

Celsius tomorrow. More responses on the subject of

the bridge. Andy says that a �6 round trip is too expensive.

It is only �1.50 to cross the Thames.

Lindo says it is cheaper than going round.

Steve Best says the government will always agreed to raise the bridge