20/01/2014 Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)

the windscreen first thing in the morning. That is all from us. Now,

on BBC One we can Good evening and welcome to BBC Look

North. The headlines tonight... The inquest into the death of Red

Arrow Sean Cunningham hears about ejector seat concerns dating back 20

years. I've been at the inquest, where the

ejection seat's maker said it knew of a possible fault 20 years ago,

but failed to tell the RAF. Designs for a bridge to re`unite a

city and its historic waterfront ` the designs are made public. I think

the ambitions need to be raised. I think you need something really

startling and beautiful. We are not looking to win architectural awards,

readers want something that does the job. `` we just want something.

A warning of environmental disaster if fracking for cheap gas isn't

properly controlled. And has spring sprung? We look at

the effects of the mild winter. And a cold and frosty night, a Met

office warning of fog by morning. Good evening.

The inquest into the death of a Red Arrows pilot Sean Cunningham has

been told of concerns over the safety of ejection seats... Concerns

which were not revealed to the RAF. Flight Lieutenant Cunningham died

when he was ejected from his sationary plane at RAF Scampton in

November 2011. The inquest has been told that the seat's manufacturer

Martin`Baker warned foreign air forces about the possible fault 20

years ago. Caroline Bilton reports. We are now eight days into this

inquest and today was the turn of the employees of the ejection seat

manufacturer, Martin`Baker, to answer questions. Flight Lieutenant

Sean Cunningham's ejection seat wed off as he sat on the tarmac at RAF

Scampton in 2011. A crucial nut and bolt had been over tightened,

preventing his parachute from the `` from deploying. Martin`Baker has

produced 75,000 seats since 1946. There are currently 5550 mark ten

parachutes in service around the world.

Martin`Baker were aware back in 1990 that if they not and bolt were over

tightened, it could produce a risk to life. They produced a warning for

foreign users of the parachutes but failed to warn the RAF.

Since the death of Flight Lieutenant Cunningham, the design of the

crucial nut and bolt has been changed. It is soon to be lamented.

The inquest continues. Caroline is in Lincoln this evening.

Caroline, what other lessons have been learnt after Sean's death?

There is a bit of a twist in the tale here because after the

accident, it has transpired that the guidance given on that crucial nut

and bolt and how far it should be tightened was in fact wrong. So

although foreign air forces on the advice of Martin`Baker were

following incorrect advice, the MoD, following its own guidelines was in

promoting a procedure that posed a risk to life and all of this has

come to light after the death of Sean Cunningham. Perhaps these new

procedures have been implemented since then but we sadly, obviously,

have lost and we have seen a man die as a result of this. Perhaps this

would not have come to light until now it if it were not for the death

of Flight Lieutenant Sean Cunningham.

In a moment... The organisers of the Hull ten`kilometre run promise this

year will be a success. A leading mining engineer has told

the BBC that if the shale gas industry is not properly regulated,

it could lead to an environmental disaster. Last week, the French

energy company Total committed almost ?30 million to exploring

fracking in parts of Lincolnshire. The Government argues that it would

bring huge benefits to the community. However Mike Hill, who

worked on a fracking rig in Blackpool that caused a minor

earthquake, believes there are real dangers. We'll hear from him in a

moment but first Jake Zuckerman has this report.

"No need to fear fracking" ` that was the message from Prime Minster

David Cameron last week as he visited an oil depot near

Gainsborough. On the Lincolnshire`Nottinghamshire border,

where we have oil extraction and gas extraction taking place right now,

people can already see that this is a safe and successful industry and

employing local people. That will improve when they moved to exploding

shale gas as well. So what exactly does fracking

involve? It means drilling down into the gas`bearing shale rock and

injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals under high pressure.

This fractures the rock, releasing shale gas, which flows back to

ground level. The area around Gainsborough has been earmarked for

exploration by French energy company Total. We need to make sure that

shale is extracted responsibly, that it is safe for those extra net and

safe for the environment. That is why we are putting in place a very

strong regular Tariq framework. `` regulatory framework. But fracking

has been blamed for causing two small earthquakes near Blackpool in

2011. And environmental campaigners fear it could cause the sort of

contamination of water supplies shown in this dramatic footage from

the USA. The quiet Lincolnshire village of Laughton sits directly

above the type of rock formations that energy companies want to

explore. Permission was recently granted to drill for oil on the

outskirts of the village. A controversial decision and when it

comes to fracking, people living in the village are concerned. I have

lived here all my life, it is a nice and quiet village. It could do

without it. I am not a great believer in that around a village

area like this. The black areas on this map show the parts of East

Yorkshire and Lincolnshire where oil companies already hold drilling

licences. From next summer, the red areas will be opened up for auction,

allowing companies to bid for licences that will give them the

rights to explore for conventional oil and gas and for shale gas. The

Government will be hoping that anti`fracking protests, like this

one near Manchester last week, don't become widespread.

Earlier, I spoke To Mike Hill, a senior engineer on the fracking rig

which caused a minor earthquake in Blackpool two years ago. I asked him

if he thinks fracking is safe. No. But is anything safe? I don't

think you can say anything is completely safe. At this point in

time, fracking is not safe. A study said that is long as it is

regulated, it is safe was the boy should anyone be concerned? Public

Health England have come in a little late but as they said in their own

wording, providing it is properly regulated, it is not properly

regulated. With proper regulation comes in force at and inspection and

it is not being inspected or a delicious enforced at all. You say

that the monitoring and inspection is not robust enough? Not at all. In

layman 's terms, four wells have been drilled and they were inspected

zero times. The UK water industry research, the government's research

body, say there is no chance of contaminating water supplies. Their

official statement was something on the lines of, "is honoured as it is

strictly enforce `` as long as it is strictly enforced" . Ground water is

at risk of contamination. Councils which allow fracking will be better

off and it will provide jobs and money. Can you understand the rush?

At this point in the economic cycle, there is a number of councils who

are strapped for cash. However, you cannot put money before people's

lives, before public health and before the environment. Briefly, if

you were living near a fracking plant yourself, would you be

worried? Yes, if I was living within 1.5 miles of a fracking well, I

would be very worried. Based on studies from America.

We'd like to hear your thoughts on this story. Is Mike Hill right to be

concerned or are you happy that the Government will have the right

regulations in place to make sure Fracking is entirely safe? Is

fracking shale gas the right way to produce energy or are you concerned

about the effects on the environment?

You can hear more from Mike Hill and from the Energy Minister, Michael

Fallon, on the issue of fracking on tonight's Inside Out at 7:30pm.

A number of jobs could be lost at an egg`packing company in Lincolnshire.

Noble Foods says it's consulting staff at its plant at North Scarle

near Lincoln. The firm is looking at relocating part of its business to

Oxfordshire. A woman's in a serious condition

after being hit by a bus in East Yorkshire. The woman, in her 60s,

was hit near Castle Hill hospital earlier today. Roads around the

incident were closed for much of the afternoon. No`one on the bus was

hurt. Work could start as early as next

year on a footbridge designed link the centre of Hull with its historic

waterfront. At the moment, the two areas are split by the busy A63 dual

carriageway, meaning people have to use pedestrian crossings to visit

them. Today, the Highways Agency put their plans for the bridge on show

but already some of the designs have been described as unacceptable by

the man leading Hull's regeneration. Sarah Corker reports.

It's one of Hull's busiest roads and is often described as a barrier to

growth in the city. It divides the city centre and the marina. And, to

solve that very problem, five designs for an iconic footbridge.

From the functional... To spiralling, curving structures. They

are not particularly inspiring and do not reflect the area in any way.

Despite disapointment in the designs, at this jewellery workshop

on the marina, they hope the bridge can unlock the waterfront's

potential. Not only is it a physical barrier, it is also a mental barrier

as well because that road is really busy. It is quite dangerous. I think

it needs to be easier to get across. This summer, the long`awaited

Government upgrade of the A63 was approved, and includes lowering the

road. Anything that we can do that will encourage people to cross from

Hull city centre to the proposed development areas will be of benefit

to the city, especially with the city of culture. City leaders have a

vision of an iconic structure but there is only a budget for a

functional bridge. Extra funding has to be found. An extra ?3 million

according to the council. I think the options are potentially quite

exciting. We have never been closer to realising this scheme. What do

you think of the plans for the footbridge? The ambitions need to be

raised. You need something really startling and beautiful. We are not

looking to win architectural awards, we were one something that does the

job. It looks functional, there is nothing wrong with that. And,

whatever the final design is, it's hoped a bridge could be in place for

the City Of Culture celebrations in 2017.

And you can see more of those images and the plans by visiting our

website and following the links. Thank you for watching on BBC One

this Monday night. Still ahead tonight... The

organisers of the Hull ten, the run `` ten kilometre run say it will be

a success. And the plants tricked into

flowering weeks early by a mild winter.

This is the king George Dock. Another picture tomorrow night at

the same time. Good evening. A mild winter, that is

my job! Maggie says, , " I saw Peter in my local supermarket and saw him

eyeing up the reduced items! " fog is the main concern tonight, so

allow more time of your commute first thing tomorrow.

A different feel for the weather tomorrow. A chilly feel and that

mist an Foxley thing `` that mist and fog lifting. We are ahead of

this weather front that will bring rain on Tuesday night into

Wednesday. It is ideal for mist and fog formation. It has been a nice

day almost everywhere today. A lot of sunshine. We have patchy cloud

pushing in from the west. That will complicate the fog formation but it

will break up. We all have debit is close to freezing, watch for frost.

We are respecting that fog to develop with the exception of

coastal areas with a gentle onshore breeze full supply should protect

those areas. Temperatures at or below freezing in many areas. The

sun will rise in the morning at 8:05am. A lot of fog first thing in

the morning. That will slowly lift. The exceptions could be coastal

areas. It is a chilly feel to most with a moderate south east wind in

the afternoon. The top temperatures in the afternoon, they are

struggling to stop the average is around seven. We are looking at four

Celsius. That is the high. Rain at first, slowly petering out. A lot of

cloud and a risk of patchy rain on Thursday. That is the forecast. I am

working with posh people this evening, they don't know what and

bargains are! `` bent bargains. At 50 acres, it's the size of more

than 30 football pitches, making a new solar energy park near Sleaford

in Lincolnshire the largest in the county. Its owners says it will

generate enough electricity to power 3,000 homes. But concerns are being

raised about the growth of the solar industry in Lincolnshire, where land

is valued for farming. Here's our Business Correspondent, Paul Murphy.

It is the size of 30 football pitches. The largest solar farm

Lincolnshire has seen. The company behind it believes solar has

fantastic potential in this county. It is reducing the need to import

energy from other countries, it is generating clean energy at the point

people use it and it is increasing the investment into the local and

national energy grid. Connected fully to the grid this week, it is

hoped this solar farm will generate enough power for 3000 homes. In

fact, the large open spaces in ligature have attracted several

solar farms in recent years. There are at least six now operating in

the county, from Gainsborough down to Sleaford. Many more are planned

or are being built. The Government's ambition is for a

tenfold increase in the number of solar farms over the next ten years.

Ministers are also issuing strong guidelines on where they should be

built. The real thrust of expansion for solar in the UK must actually be

on round field sites, on industrial buildings, on Brownfield land, on

commercial buildings and also individual homes. That is where the

expansion of solar Nice to be. In Lincolnshire, there is concern about

the loss of farmland. Where it is highly visible and 100 or 50 acre

sites, where it is taking up food production land, ING beers. The

owners of the site say that rather than ruining the land, they will be

enhancing it by bringing in beehives and wild flowers to improve

pollination. We get this huge pollination benefit on the rest of

the farm. About six miles from any development of solar, we see an

improvement of ten or 50% of the wider agricultural production. This

site sits on low`grade agricultural land, which is just about acceptable

to the Government. As the solar industry expands in Lincolnshire,

the pressure to the use farmland is looking to increase. An interesting

one. Thanks to everyone who got in touch

regarding Friday's story about fox hunting. The League Against Cruel

Sports has said it will be gathering more evidence this year, following

the prosecution of four members of Yorkshire's Middleton Hunt, but some

hunts say activists pose a danger to legitimate groups. Not surprisingly,

there was a big response after the programme. Just a view of the

many... Thank you very much for all of

those. Lincoln City will hold a minute's

applause for their former striker, Andy Graves, who has died aged 86.

Andy played for Lincoln in three spells during the 1950s, scoring a

club record of 143 goals. The former miner's career will be celebrated by

applause before the match against Woking on Saturday.

Steve Bruce said he was disappointed to lose at Norwich with a goal late

into the game. Former Grimsby Town player Ryan Bennett headed home the

only goal in the game, which saw Tigers' midfield player, Tom

Huddlestone, sent off for two cautions. They have to and puffed

and had a few corners and free kicks but overall we were very

comfortable, our defenders defended well but we conceded in the last

minute, which is always annoying. Scunthorpe United could only manage

a goaless draw with Wimbledon in League Two. It was enough to keep

them top of the table and unbeaten since Russ Wilcox took charge.

Grimsby Town are still in the promotion play`off places in the

Conference. A late equaliser at Blundell Park against Gateshead

earned the Mariners a 2`2 draw. They're now fifth in the table.

For a fifth year, Hull will host a ten`kilometre race in memory of the

charity fundraiser Jane Tomlinson, who was also a student in the city.

Last year's race proved controversial when it was reduced to

nine kilometres after a bridge on the route was opened. Our sports

reporter, Simon Clark, has been to find out about this year's plans.

They are getting warmed up for the big one. Hull FC's player was

setting off a motley crew, head of the city's ten kilometre race. Last

year, the race was reduced to nine, Mrs after a bridge on the route was

opened and would not close. The organisers hope that will not happen

this year. I think everybody took it very well and understood it was

unavoidable in the circumstances. We always had contingency plans in

place and hopefully we will not see a repeat of that. Last year's

shortened run annoyed some keen runners. But many do not believe it

will have an adverse effect this year. I think people work

disappointed they were not getting the full distance but on the all I

don't think it well except the ship was macro event. I think people

understood it was in beyond the control of the organisers. The Hull

ten kilometre race, run in memory of Jane Tomlinson, is into its fifth

year and has become a premier running event in East Yorkshire.

After the problems of last, the organisers say they have

contingencies in place that, if anything goes wrong, this year ten:

That is will mean ten kilometres. It will be the 8th of June.

Across East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, there are signs that

spring has started to make an appearance. Some plants are

flowering almost three weeks early, and newborn lambs are already being

put out to grass because of the mild temperatures. Amy Cole has been

discovering the tell`tale signs of spring.

Everywhere you look, there are hints of spring, although you might not

have realised it. At Burton Agnes Hall near Driffield, the aconite

plant has already started flowering. It's three weeks early, as are the

snowdrops. But there's something even more exceptional. The rosemary

bush, as Jeremy Palmer, the estate's head gardener, explains.

It is flowering a lot earlier than we would expect. In the 15 years I

have been here, this is the first time I have seen it flower at this

time of year. It's not just the flora but the fauna that's

flourishing, too. At this farm in Beswick in East Yorkshire, the pet

ducks have already started hatching eggs and the newborn lambs are being

put out to grass. They would normally stay in for ten to 14 days,

but they are going up that they be gold. We have a pair of born last

weekend and they are already out. Chris Hickman is an expert in the

changing seasons and thier effects on wildlife. At this woodland in

Grantham, birds are nesting and that, he says, can be risky.

What this may mean is that if the young hatch too soon and then there

is a long period of cold like we saw in 2013, there may be a lack of food

or it might be so cold that the young could die. Back at Burton

Agnes, there are further indications of warmer weather. This plant hails

from Madeira, a warmer climate. I told they had not had to cover the

plants up this winter because of the warm temperature. As you can see,

there is a bit of frost on the leaves but that is not a problem.

However, it could be if the temperature drops below freezing

during the day for a number of days. Then they might have to get cautions

`` have to take precautions. Let's get a recap of the national

and regional headlines. The Liberal Democrats suspend Lord

Rennard after he refused to apologise over sexual harassment

claims. The inquest into the death of Red

Arrow Sean Cunningham hears about ejection seat concerns dating back

20 years. Tomorrow's weather ` mist and fog

slowly lifting into low cloud. Tomorrow's weather ` mist and fog

slowly lifting into A chance of sun on higher ground and along the

coast. A maximum temperature of four Celsius. That's 39 Fahrenheit.

A big response on the subject of fracking. One woman says they could

be risks, and their only financial interests, at them risk of

environmental issues. Kevin says, how can anyone think

that destroying the ground beneath our feet would end well? They need

to use a bit of common sense. Tony said, I own a farm and we would

welcome it. We need the gas. Join me tomorrow on Radio

Humberside. Look after yourself. Good night.