03/01/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

More than 200 people are laid off at a cable making factory.

They're supposed to be our parent company yet we are having

to go through redundancy, yet they turned over

$1.6 billion last year, and they've got no money?

The government's garden village plan is welcomed in Cumbria but there's

Campaigners call for new laws to help protect Cumbria's

It's the first Teamtalk of 2017 and the New Year brings the same

But Jermaine Defoe is spot-on as Sunderland rescue a point

They'd gone back to work today to be given shattering news.

Nearly 240 workers are to lose their jobs at an industrial cable maker.

Birtley-based AEI Cables said the plant is running at a loss,

meaning the end of manufacturing at the 175-year-old business.

Just 13 sales staff will be kept on at a new location.

The company said it also wants to come to an agreement

with its creditors, paying them less than they're owed.

Well, our business correspondent Ian Reeve is in Birtley now.

Ian, miserable news but not wholly unexpected?

The company seems to have had a tough couple of years. It was bought

in 2014 by a Middle Eastern -based cable manufacturer. That deal was

portrayed as having saved the company but throughout 2015 the

company complained this plant was not profitable. In September 2015 it

revealed it was negotiating about 100 redundancies and in November

2015 it conceded that closure was something it was possibly looking at

and it has confirmed that today. This is the reaction of some workers

who will be affected. I just can't understand and I hope they will not

be allowed to trade in this country again because they have sold us down

the river, washed their hands of us. They're supposed to be our parent

company and we are going through redundancy. They're doing it all

wrong. It has been a while coming. When you look at the history, we

have a bit of a reputation over the last ten years. We are worse than

someone better than others but such is life. Some anger, but what has

the company had to say? They gave us a statement. They have

laid out how it will close down. 198 jobs will go before this Friday,

January the 6th, as part of what they call a phased closure. 40

others will stay working until March at after that there will be 13 sales

staff staying on permanently at another location, presumably selling

products made by the parent company. The company claimed it has

significantly invested in the plant in the last 2.5 years but it said

profitable reduction levels have not been achieved.

Any other reaction tonight? The Labour MP in his constituency

the plant is expressed his sympathy. He is concerned that it appears the

company will not be paying redundancy payments and the workers

will have to rely on government statutory redundancy payments. There

was scant consolation in that the announcement didn't come before

Christmas. He conceded that it will be far from a happy New Year here at

Birtley. A man from Sunderland and his wife

have been found dead at a seaside The couple are believed to have

died on New Year's Eve. They've been named locally

as Robert Wells and Imogen Goldie. There aren't thought to be any

suspicious circumstances. The police have named the man

whose body was recovered from the River Ouse in York

on New Year's Day. He was 42-year-old

Craig Batters from York. Officers are now trying to piece

together his last known movements. An aristocrat has denied dangerous

driving following a crash at a busy 76-year-old Lady Susan Zetland,

of Aske Hall near Richmond, appeared at Teesside Crown Court

for the brief hearing. She's charged with dangerous driving

after her Subaru Outback 4x4 was involved in a collision

on the A66 at the Melsonby She entered a plea of not guilty

and the trial will be set Northumberland County Council says

it's "disappointed" it's not been given the go ahead for a garden

village-style housing development. A possible site near Ponteland

wasn't named among the 14 But an area just to the south of

Carlisle will have a garden village. More from Cumbria in a moment,

but first Jonathan Swingler is live What is a garden Village? The

government says a distinct place with its own facilities, not an

extension of an urban area. The one planned just outside Puntland is on

green belt land. A Garden Village is an inclusive

community and the Dissington site will include a wide range

of affordable housing. The people who want to build

a garden village near Ponteland say that they can offer something

special for future residents. But 2000 new homes near

existing properties? Don't be surprised if people

nearby get annoyed. We feel we are moving from living

in a village or small town, many of us here are living

on the edge of that small town and essentially we are going to be

living in the middle of a large town I think it is the scale,

not the fact there is some building. There needs to be building

and are already has It is just the scale

of the proposed development, Northumberland County Council told

us they were disappointed the site outside Penteland wasn't among

the 14 new garden villages But supporters say it is

only a matter of time. The developers argue it is not

a housing estate and say there will be land around

this new village. They expect the project to get

the green light later this year. Firstly, this scheme brings very

substantial infrastructure improvement in terms of a new bypass

and flood alleviation works. It is also a self-sustaining

community that has all its own facilities so it doesn't put

pressure on other places nearby. While people will have

those concerns, I think David has lived here

for four decades. He is resigned to the

project going ahead. I was very upset at first

and all the rest of Now I'm getting more

used to the idea. The people who own the land

are confident work will start In Carlisle the local MP has

described plans for a proposed new garden Village outside the city as

the most visionary he can remember but it is not yet clear exactly

where it will be but it is hoped the creation of thousands of new homes

will boost the local economy and could see the creation of a new

bypass to Carlisle. There's a huge tract of land south

of Carlisle fringed on one side by the M6 motorway,

and the main A595 route out to west Somewhere here, one

of the government's new garden villages will be built,

with the name St Cuthbert's. An announcement that's delighted

those who drew up the plans. This will be a major

event for Carlisle. A lot of work still to be done,

master planning, working out exactly how this will work,

but the government giving out support for that is a big

boost for the city. Unlike the south east, there is no

housing shortage here in Cumbria. But, the local MP believes the city

has to expand in order I have long supported further

development of Carlisle. I think it needs to be a bigger city

to support all the infrastructure which we want to see here,

leisure facilities, retail, and you're starting

to see that happen. The arrival of Primark,

the development of Marks Spencer, the expansion of Pioneer,

these are really positive signs and I think 2017 can be

a good year for Carlisle. Although there are no clear

details yet as to where any new village would go,

clearly any influx of people will put pressure

on the area's infrastructure. Which is why a new southern bypass

could be built around the south side of Carlisle,

linking the M6 in the East It is much more likely that we will

get a Southern development route. The government have said

through this process they will work with us and give us the technical

expertise and look at This is something very different

to just building new housing here. Even agreement on where

St Cuthbert's could be built Mark McAlindon, BBC

Look North, Carlisle. Plans to extend North Durham's

Accident and Emergency unit have The hospital trust says

the current A was built for around 30,000 patients,

but now sees double that. The ?30 million plan

was voted through unanimously Protests are expected at both

Darlington and Middlesbrough railway Campaigners in Cumbria are calling

on the government to introduce new legislation to help

protect local pubs. The Campaign For Real Ale wants

a change in planning rules to make it more difficult for new owners

to change the use or demolish a pub. The group says existing legislation

is too complicated and delays in the application process can put

pubs at threat of closure. For almost two years,

this pub near Carlisle sat empty. Villagers feared it

would be redeveloped, but after opening last month,

the Sally is providing more We have always been

a very vibrant community, and there is plenty going on here,

but certainly from the day the pub opened, you saw people that perhaps

you hadn't seen for a while and just being able to say hello and pass

the time of day with them makes the whole place a much nicer place

to live in. This pub is among around 2,000

listed as assets of community value. The status gives people the chance

to protect their pubs from immediate change of use or demolition

before local consultation. Most of the pubs in the are

have shut down now. There's four villages where there's

nowhere for any social inclusion, so it is important that we have kept

the pub in the village But protecting the pub as an asset

for the village took time. From the moment of actually

filling the form in, which is fairly simple in itself,

to getting it validated, took a number of extra weeks

more than we thought. There is so much else going on,

and you are going against the open market, you don't really knew

who is going to come and buy, It doesn't have to be

any more complicated, The Solway branch of the Campaign

for Real Ale wants new legislation And, while some developers have

concerns about unnecessary red tape, the suggestion has been

cautiously welcomed here. You're watching

Tuesday's Look North. Also a behind-the-scenes look

at a company which produces 70,000 And we're all going to need one

of them sooner or later. And as we try to ease ourselves back

into some sort of routine, what does the weather have in store? Join me

for the full forecast. No prisoner should leave a Teesside

jail without either a job or a place That's the ambition

of Stockton's Holme House prison, as part of a multi-million-pound

plan which is also giving the governors full control over

the jail and its budget. Lee Johnson's been given exclusive

access to the prison, These Holme House prisoners

are making furniture for customers, including Hilton Hotels,

Kent University and the It keeps people out of their cells,

not banged up all the time. It keeps them occupied

and takes their minds off things, Plus, it will help people to get

back into work on the out. It will keep them out

of trouble, basically. I can read, but just

a little bit, not much. I've made some qualifications

while I've been here. And the jail has

a growing order book. If we go back 18 months,

2 years ago, it was around about ?50,000 a year,

the turnover, we're now Because we're now autonomous,

the shackles have been taken off, and we can start to expand and work

more with local people. What we would like to do is work

with local industries, we would like to invite local

industries in, tell us what they want and see

if we can develop them. Under these Government changes,

Holme House will go from being a Category B prison

to a Category C training prison. That means ambitious

plans for getting almost all of the 1,200 inmates here either

into work or education. The prison's executive governor sees

the changes as a way The more work we can bring in,

the more employers we can work with. The more men that can be out every

day in our workshops, working, then the better and the safer

the prison gets, and the more we are So, it is a real focus

around work and education. That means brushing up on basic

maths and English skills to make them a more attractive

prospect to employers. They don't want to be in here,

they don't want to come back. The only way we can support

that is by educating Now, it's a product that everyone

needs sooner or later. And Britain's biggest independent

manufacturer of that product is based right here in our region,

at Washington on Wearside. JC Atkinson is a family firm

employing 120 people. It produces 70,000 hand-crafted

objects every year. 12 tonnes of wood pass

through the factory every month and 14 separate employees

are involved in the manufacturing process before the finished product

is ready for delivery. All are hand crafted

and all will only be used once. MUSIC: Toccata and Fugue

in D Minor by Bach. When grandad started,

he would buy trees from the local estates and he would cut those up

and make a coffin kit, which was basically a flat pack

which funeral directors would then When my father came

into the business, he started making ready-made coffins and we've refined

that to make eco coffins, And it's a workplace

that inspires loyalty, with many employees clocking up

decades of service. Everybody that knows me,

knows I've been working here that long so they all know I'm a coffin

maker but strangers find it a bit interesting when I start

talking to strangers. I get the jokes, the dead-end job

and all that, to die in trade, The coffin industry has

changed a lot in David's Increasingly, families want

personalised coffins with pictures that represent their loved ones'

interests in life. JC Atkinson call it

their Reflections line. We do spring blossom flowers,

we do a lot of bluebell flowers but often people have a scene

or a landscape that they have grown up on and that is quite specific

to the person themselves. We have done some

Star Wars ones before. We have done a coffin filled

with chocolate and Mars bars. But the boss still wants

a traditional coffin when he goes. I would say it would be probably

a nice solid oak traditional coffin But, just as life presents us

with so many choices, There you go. Prisons and coffin is,

we know how to bring in the New Year! This now is team talk.

A New Year but an old problem for our football teams.

We couldn't find a winner amongst them.

Where did you get to over the holidays, Steve?

A point apiece for our Premier League teams,

A dreadful defeat at Burnley on New Year's Eve, but they got it

spot-on yesterday against a very good Liverpool side,

with two penalties scored by this man, Jermaine Defoe.

Hasn't missed a penalty for five years, 25 consecutive.

Very important, especially yesterday. First penalty under

pressure, takes it very well. When the same person as taking the second

penalty, what is the psychology? You tend to think he is going the

opposite way, but under pressure, it is easier to put your foot through

it. Should they have had a third penalty? I think that is all to

hand, no movement towards it. Djilobodji played this one end.

Disappointing to concede from two set pieces. And Mannone found it

tough at Burnley. He did very well yesterday. A tough day at Burnley

but that well yesterday. Reinforcements on the way in the

transfer window? I think we answered that question

and the Chief Executive answered that question a week or so ago,

so who knows? But we did answer that question

and Martin Bain told Like Sunderland, it wasn't

the most productive A heart-breaking defeat

at Manchester United, followed by a pretty dull goalless

draw with the champions Leicester We seem to say it every week, only

17 goals all season and needing reinforcement. Talking in bringing

in Gestede from Aston Villa. He is very good up in the air. And Traore

is dividing opinion. Is this a penalty? He is positive and direct.

Definite contact, it is a foul, but I like how positive years. The

contact is maybe just outside so at least a free kick. I am disappointed

with the goalless draw, but not the head coach.

Yes, but, again, when your team play the way that we have played today

against what we can't forget is the current Premier League winner

and a team which is playing in the Champions League,

we showed again that we were better than them when we played

away and we played today better than them.

Well, they might have been better than the champions,

but Boro are still down there near the bottom

I think with Sam Allardyce's appointment at Crystal Palace we

could be in the same scenario as last year and one of the teams

looking like they are heading down. Well, Newcastle might have been top

of the Championship table at Christmas but it's been pretty

ropey for the Magpies since then, and not the start to 2017

Rafa Benitez had hoped for or, Third bottom Blackburn doing

the double over them. A disappointing run for Newcastle,

tough over Christmas. Struggling to get past Nottingham Forest. Plenty

of chances but didn't take them. They dominated possession, without

Jonjo Shelvey in the team. Offside? This one was a handball. Initially

it doesn't look like much but it is not a bad little forearm into the

back of the net. A tough day all round from Newcastle. Blackburn, not

very many chances. Clumsy. So after taking just three

points from a possible nine since Christmas,

this is how the Should Newcastle fans

be worried, Steve? A little bit but you would have

taken that after 25 games at the start of the season. Still

well-placed, get out of the league, winning the title would be a bonus.

In League Two, a bit of everything for Carlisle and Hartlepool.

A win, a draw and a defeat for both, over the holidays.

And the Cumbrians began the year with a shock against Grimsby,

when three points would have seen them go back to

Unexpected first home defeat of the season. A good run for them,

especially disappointing yesterday. I think the disappointing thing was

the way they conceded a goal to stop a little bit easy. Weak defending. A

free header from a set piece. And then the third one was too easy.

Plymouth last as well which would have given them a break at the top

but Hartlepool got a great win over Morecambe and a good point at

Accrington. A good win at home and good character to come from behind

twice. A very good header at the back post to put them level. On the

back of the home when it was important to pick up a good point

away from home which they did, coming from behind twice. Second

goal right at the end. A bit of a scramble but I think it is what you

would call an emphatic finish there. Just before we leave football,

in case you missed Match Of The Day 2 the other night, a young hotshot

from our region was joint winner of December's Goal

of the Month competition. Scored by five-year-old

Bradley Lowery for Sunderland, against Chelsea, against Asmir

Begovic. It's so special and because it is

joint goal of the month we have He gives Asmir Begovic the eyes,

Begovic goes that way and Bradley One other piece of sports news

to bring you, and how much might English cricket regret the fact this

young man is now Born in Middlesbrough,

but an adopted Aussie since emigrating at the age

of seven, Matt Renshaw scored his In fact, the 20-year-old batted

right through the opening day of the Third Test with Pakistan

in Sydney, and he'll resume A bit of trivia, he is the cousin of

Paul Wilson, currently in goals for Blyth Spartans.

Now it is the weather. Everybody likes to get out and about

this time of year. Here are your pictures. Menacing shower clouds in

the background. Yesterday on the Northumberland coast it was time to

let the dog stretch its legs. One dog not so keen on the weather was

this character on the Cumbrian coast. You don't want to spoil your

hair on a blustery day. Tomorrow most of us will have a dry day,

sunny for most of us not on the cold side. Tonight -- but on the cold

side. Tonight, weather front working through. Patchy light rain here and

there. The rain will start edge self and thicker cloud goes with it.

Clear skies come in and things become colder. Cold enough for a

touch of ground frost and one or two icy patches at the end of the night

as the clouds disappear to the south. Tomorrow is a cold start but

are mostly fine and dry day. One or two shower clouds cupping the East

Coast from time to time. -- clipping. A bit of a chilly start,

highs of 5-6. Six is 43 Fahrenheit. And then the blue is appearing on

the map by tea-time. Clear skies for most of us tomorrow night. A

widespread frost on Thursday morning and temperatures in town might be as

low as -3 and out in the countryside maybe -6 is in some spots. High

pressure takes charge over the next couple of days bringing us the

frosty nights tomorrow night but by the end of the working week this

weather system will move in from the west ringing cloud and rain but it

will pass through and high pressure builds for the weekend so we are

back to a largely dry picture. The next couple of days, mostly dry,

right and chilly, temperatures in single figures by day, widespread

frost on Wednesday night and chilly again on Thursday. On Friday, with

more cloud and rain, temperatures will rise and stop turning cooler

again into the weekend but more dry again by then. Not all bad news.

Just a reminder, it is choose the, I always forget at this time of year!

-- Tuesday. Magical new drama...

The Worst Witch. Something like this

could change my life. We're looking for someone

who can sing, someone who can move. Someone who can keep an audience

on the edge of their seat. Something like this

could change my life. When you're born to perform,

Let It Shine...