18/08/2011 Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)

Good evening and welcome to BBC Look North. The headlines tonight.

Students face a battle for university places after an

emotional day of A-level results. Mum, I got four A*s, and A and a

distinction. Anger from residents who fear they

could lose the allotments they've been tending for decades.

Hull City's star signing is shown the door.

And there's been a strange sight today for visitors to Flamborough.

The we can already do a. We do not know what is happening! Boy luger

and see his bright orange. It is It's the day thousands of students

get the results they've spent the summer waiting for. Today, they've

been collecting their A-level results and finding out if they've

made the grade. This year, universities were expecting an

unprecedented demand as students try and beat the tuition fees,

being introduced next year. The number of passes has risen for the

29th year in a row. Just over 27% of students achieved A or A* macro

grades. Overall, the A-level pass rate rose slightly from 97.6% to

97.8%. In Lincolnshire, initial figures suggest the pass rate is

slightly higher than this. Siobhan Robbins reports.

It's the day thousands of teenagers across the area have been waiting

for. When the contents of an envelope

will decide the next few years of their lives. Mum? I got four A*s,

an A and a distinction. I got two Ds and a C. I got a B. I'm happy

with that. This call centre at the University

of Lincoln is for those who didn't get their expected grades. They'll

now enter clearing with warnings this year is more competitive.

then there was not am not a demand on this is double stop the There

are lots of people trying to get into universities. So students will

feel the pressure, I think. If they do next year, the costs will be a

lot higher. Every time that phone rings, it is another nervous

student fine fireplace. The pressure is ready on this year.

Obligation numbers are up as people rush to avoid next year's price

hikes. The organisation which deals with applications has had so much

interest, its website actually crashed today.

For others like Chris from Hull, rising fees and an uncertain jobs

market has put them off university altogether. He's going straight

into accountancy training. This way, in four years, I will be doing

professional qualifications, about one or have �20,000 of debt.

So while for many of these students, today is a cause for celebration,

thousands of others will be facing hard choices about the future.

Joining me on this now we've got Scott Davidson from the University

of Lincoln, and John Leech the Pro- Vice chancellor at the University

of Hull. Mr Davidson, if I can come to you first, how has today gone?

Have you still got places? There are very few places available now.

If it -- it has been hectic all day. Just about all our courses are

closed. How has the reaction been today? As expected? Pretty much

serve. We were a lot busier this morning then we thought we would be.

We played 200 calls in the first hour. Generally, we have been

claiming that a number of calls throughout the day. We will be open

until 8pm. And your best advice for those who did not get the results

they were hoping for and have not got a place sorted? The main piece

of advice is do not panic, keep your options open, look at other

put it -- look at other potential pathways. Look at further education

colleges, look at foundation degrees, look at entering the

workplace, but basically, explore all your options.

Scott Davidson at the University of Lincoln, thank you very much. And

now to the picture in Hull. Is it a similar story there? It is similar

to Lincoln. We're just about closed now in all areas. Do you think this

time next year things will be very different? Will we see this kind of

rush? We are in interesting times. What I would like all young people

to do, those aged 17, all the headlines about the debts. They

will be paying back once they earn �22,000 a year, they will pay back

about �21 a month. Some students will never pay back the dead.

university is charging the maximum, �9,000. Will it put people off?

will have to wait and see about that. Interest at open days has

been very high. We had our best ever numbers this year. Do you

think university generally, with tuition fees and the number of

graduates ending up in non-graduate jobs, his university going to lose

some of its appeal? Again, we will have to wait and see. All the

evidence that has been collected by senior economists is that a

university education as well as given a fantastic life changed

experience, it also gives a good return on investment. Thank you

both very much indeed. I'd like to hear from you on this.

Maybe you've had results today, or know someone who has. Or perhaps

you've had to go through clearing. How did you get on? Do get in touch.

We'll have all the contact details coming up for you in just a moment.

In a moment: Standing empty. The stolen statue

which commemorates lost trawlermen may not be replaced until next year.

It used to be something saved for retirement but the desire to grow

your own fruit and veg has led to a growing demand for allotments. In

East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire there are currently over 2,000

people on a waiting list, 1,200 in Hull alone. But in one part of

Lincolnshire, the demand for allotments is competing with the

need for a new bypass, and it's causing some controversy with those

who've spent years cultivating their crops. Correspondent Caroline

Bilton reports. They've been tending to their

vegetables on this allotment for decades. Jim has had a plot here

for 45 years. But now he fears he and his veg

will be forced to move on to make way for a new bypass. It is part of

our heritage. They have already grabbed half of the allotment to

put houses on. There is a waiting list for allotments, then to do

away with than...! This is what they'll be making way

for, the Spalding Western Relief Road. There are two options, but

both go straight through the middle of Horseshoe Road Allotments. This

is why it's needed. There are plans to build a rail freight hub, taking

lorry traffic off the roads and onto the rail network. But it's a

rail network that splits Spalding in two, so more rail traffic will

mean greater delays at level crossings. I can understand them

wanting a relief road, but we have a perfectly good one the other side

of the allotments! It is called Broadway, and it is called Broadway

for him reason. Why can't they just update that one? The only way to

avoid the dump -- the only way to avoid the demolition of properties

is to go through the allotments. It is a worse option to take away

houses. We have to reduce demolition.

The council says the allotment holders will be offered an

alternative site and they're keen to hear people's views on the

proposals. This may be a case where the humble allotment loses out over

the need for future development. Get in touch if you've got a view

on this one. Should a relief road take priority over these

allotments? Have you got an allotment? Maybe you have been

waiting for one. Could of should councils do more to support them?

More needs to be done to ensure workers in our area have the right

skills to fill up to 5,000 new jobs created by the green energy boom.

That's according to the Minister for Cities, who's been visiting the

site of the new Humber Enterprise Zone. Parts of Hull and North

Lincolnshire will be covered by the zone, which will offer a range of

incentives to attract companies associated with the offshore wind

industry. We all need to rise to the opportunity here, to have

Britain and in particular the Humber as a place that people

associate not just with the best physical facilities we have here

but the best human capital as well. We need to rise to the challenge.

The Vulcan aircraft has withdrawn from a series of air shows this

weekend, because of a technical problem. The plane used to be a

familiar sight in the skies above Lincolnshire. Now the charity

behind its return to flight say they've discovered a leak in its

fuel tank. The first edition of the new weekly

Scunthorpe Telegraph has gone on sale. It's changed from a daily

paper to a weekly. Managers say it's because of falling sales and

changing reading habits, but are hopeful the new paper will prove

popular. We are very hopeful it will be a big success. Research has

shown this is what readers want, and what the advertisers want. This

is the best way to meet those demands. I have got the first

edition of the Weekly Telegraph here. Excellent publication. We

wish them well. It's emerged that it could take

until the new year to replace this statue, stolen from the waterfront

in Hull last month. The sculpture Voyage was put up to commemorate

the city's lost trawlermen. And it's thought it was pulled from its

plinth by theives who wanted to sell the metal for scrap. The

council is now spending up to �5,000 to replace it, as Sarah

Burton reports. Hull City Council is working hard

to replace the bronze sculpture that was taken. There is a statue

in Iceland which is not touch. It is an exact twin of the one here in

Hull. We will be able to make an exact copy of it.

This is the statue in Iceland that was unveiled at the same time as

the Voyage, which was given as a gift to Hull from the Icelandic

town of Vic. The theft came as such a shock to the Icelandic people, it

made national news there. I think the Icelanders were astonished that

anybody would go to so much trouble for the sake of so little money.

Metal thieves are a big problem in Hull at the moment, and across the

country. It is not something the Icelanders have any experience of.

The Icelanders often came to the the rescue of Hull's seamen. And

speaking last month, family members of those lost at sea were deeply

hurt at the actions of these thieves. It is respects the dead.

For someone to think it has a scrap value and to whippet down from this

pier, where so many dramas cell at Paul in the past, it is disgusting

-- were so many trawlermen sailed out of Paul in the past, it is

disgusting. Two men have been arrested in

connection with the theft of this statue and remain on police bail.

Meanwhile, engineers are looking at ways to ensure the new memorial

will remain where it belongs, overlooking the Humber estuary, and

We will let you know what happens with that story. Thank you for at

the response on the story that visitor numbers are falling at some

of other region's tourist attractions. This cathedral has

seen numbers down by 40,000 last year. It has been blamed on the

cancellation of the Christmas market. We are looking forward to

this Christmas market to see if we can pick something up. It was the

right decision to make and the time but a painful one. Thank you for

all the texts and messages after the programme last night. Sue in

Thank you for all of those. We read and listen to every message. Still

ahead tonight: Jimmy Bullard's chequered career at Hull City could

be coming to an end. And we find out what these people were doing on

the beach at Flamborough. Tonight's photo. Middle Rasen in Lincolnshire

taken by Richard Davidson. Now you, the weather. You need to spend less

time plane spotting and more were time learning how to spell a tweet

properly! If you have been looking at these guys today you will have

seen rain. It will brighten up for all of us tomorrow, a dry and sunny

day. You can see on the pressure chance we have a weather front out

in the West which will not reach us until the weekend. It will be a

fine day tomorrow. The cloud from earlier has cleared into the North

Sea by now. We are at risk of some patchy showers across East

Yorkshire and perhaps northern parts of Lincolnshire but it will

become dry as we go through the become dry as we go through the

night. The sun will rise tomorrow morning at 5: 47. If you do start

off with any clout first thing it will soon clear away as tomorrow

will be dry and find with lots of sunshine, a beautiful day. In the

afternoon we may see patches of cloud coming in from the West. A

fine Friday all day long with alike went from the West. Temperatures

higher than today. Make the most of tomorrow because it is going to

turn unsettled for the weekend. On Saturday the best of the brightness

will be across East Yorkshire but cloud will increase and there will

be sunny spells and scattered A couple from Lincoln say they'll

have to start using their life savings just to pay for their gas

and electricity. It follows a move by British Gas to put up energy

prices. By up 18 per cent. The firm is one of five out of the Big Six

to announce an increase. It says it's got no option, many people are

not happy. This couple come to the age UK's centre in length in every

week but this month they are worried as their energy bill is

rising and the money will have to come out of their savings. I am

past the employment age and now it when I would like to have money in

my pocket to go out for a bite dead I am having to worry about the gas

bill. It is disappointing. And they are not alone. Although Ken's gas

bill is capped at the moment, the price rise will hit him next year.

I think it is disgusting, I will have to cut back somewhere, I might

have to sell my car. From today, customers of British Gas will see

their gas bills rise by around 18% and their electricity bills by 16%,

meaning the average customer will have to pay an extra �190 a year.

In a statement today they told us, we know there is never a good time

to raise prices, but we are buying in a global energy market and have

to pay the market rate. Our advice to customers is to wait and see

what happens in the market before making any decisions about

switching supplier. Prices for gas and oil have been very high because

of the areas world events. But some have dropped from their peaks so we

would expect energy companies not to be passing on the price rises in

future. Back in Lincoln, almost 1500 people use this activity

centre every week but staff are expecting this to increase, as its

users no longer come just for the activities, but to go somewhere

warm. And I'm sure this is another story you've got a view on. Will

this increase affect you? Maybe you've changed supplier already?

You can e-mail and text in the usual ways. He was Hull City's

record signing, costing �5 million, and he arrived with a huge fanfare

and big expectations. But today, Jimmy Bullard has been told he's no

longer wanted at the club. Bullard hasn't played for the club this

season even though he's still got two years left on his contract. He

became Hull City's record signing in 2009 but his career was always

chequered. Two serious knee injuries robbed the fans of seeing

There was an undisclosed incident on a pre-season trip. I am not

going to make any further statement. I do not think it is the

appropriate time for me to make comments on any subject around that.

This man is not surprised by today's decision. There are plenty

of stories doing the rounds but who knows if they are true or not. I

think as far as the club is concerned they have just decided to

wipe the slate clean and look to the future. His contract was

reportedly �11 million over five years. Fans in East Yorkshire

shared their views on his impending exit. It is like any price -- it is

like any job, if you cannot do it you have to pay the price. I should

think they will be able to assign three players for what he was

getting. The club hope they can now finally draw a line under the Jimmy

Bullard situation. If he decides to go to court this sat down to draw

on and on. -- this saga up to draw on and on. Well, if you want to

have your say on this news today, then you can on Sportstalk. That's

with Matt Dean and Mike White, live on BBC Radio Humberside right now.

Cricket and Yorkshire bowled out Sussex for 398 on the second day of

their County Championship match in It's been all buckets and spades on

one estate in Hull today. Youngsters on the Bransholme estate

have been enjoying a day on the beach just yards from their homes

at the annual fun day. Eight tons of sand was used to transform the

area. There's even been some rock climbing. Everything that you see

here is the evil stop the way the world is at the minute people need

a bit of enjoyment. We think that doing this will give families the

chance to come out and interact with everybody and it does not cost

them a penny. If you have a story you think we should know about, let

us know. It's not something you see every day. 250 people are dressed

in orange dungarees performing on the clifftops. But if you were in

Flamborough this afternoon, that's It is quite fascinating, when you

look all you can see is bright orange, it's quite good actually.

We cannot work it out yet, we do not know what is happening. It's a

place of natural beauty. Famed for birdlife and spectacular views. But

on Flamborough beach today, it was something peculiar attracting

attention. Today we have brought 220 National Youth Theatre members.

We are performing a sure in Sheffield about global waste,

marine pollution and recycling. do these people influence the

movements that you make? Youngsters from across the country auditioned.

Hopefully they will be able to draw on what we are doing and the points

around the environment. The play opens next month and what better

backdrop for or rehearsals than the Flamborough clefs. It certainly

gave the visitors here's something to look at. Let's get a recap of

the national and regional headlines. The frantic scramble for a

university place. Tens of thousands are expected to miss out after

another record A-level year. Hull and Lincoln universities say

they've faced an unprecedented demand. We were a lot busier this

morning than we thought we were going to be, we cleared 200 calls

in the first hour which we would generally clear that number of

calls throughout the day. tomorrow's weather: A fine and

sunny start with patchy cloud at times by the afternoon. Maximum

temperatures 19 Celsius. This from Greg on twitter, I got two C and at

D. I am planning to go travelling, I might reapply next year. Another

person got in touch to say exams are to weed out the good from the