:00:00. > :00:00.A BBC investigation reveals the shocking state
:00:07. > :00:12.And there's anger over plans to build a multi-million pound
:00:13. > :00:19.And it's set to get milder over the next 24 hours and this
:00:20. > :00:31.I'll be back later in the programme with the details.
:00:32. > :00:34.Tonight, a special report on the levels of compensation
:00:35. > :00:38.Yorkshire's councils are paying for properties in poor repair.
:00:39. > :00:41.Research by the BBC has revealed that across England,
:00:42. > :00:44.more than ?35 million has been paid to tenants living
:00:45. > :00:51.In Yorkshire, the highest pay-out total
:00:52. > :00:54.was by Leeds Council which handed out ?4.5 million,
:00:55. > :01:01.The council settled 840 cases where it failed to adequately
:01:02. > :01:07.The authority says it's investing millions in its properties
:01:08. > :01:09.but the age and character of the homes can make
:01:10. > :01:14.Anna Crossley has this exclusive report.
:01:15. > :01:19.So, as you can see here, we put this wallpaper up about six months ago
:01:20. > :01:23.and it's completely mouldy and the wall underneath
:01:24. > :01:30.And even our shoes are mouldy as well.
:01:31. > :01:37.Katerina is a student and part-time cleaner.
:01:38. > :01:41.She pays Leeds City Council around ?270 a month
:01:42. > :01:44.to live in a flat which is riddled with mould.
:01:45. > :01:48.It's now so bad she believes it's making her ill.
:01:49. > :01:51.Although Katerina hasn't taken the council to court,
:01:52. > :02:02.She says he and his brother sound like this all the time,
:02:03. > :02:09.She claims it's because their rented house is so damp.
:02:10. > :02:13.Two years ago, Ann successfully sued Leeds City Council because the
:02:14. > :02:18.property was so poorly maintained, but she says the problems remain
:02:19. > :02:22.so she's taking legal action once again.
:02:23. > :02:26.Holes in the walls upstairs in both the bathroom and the toilet.
:02:27. > :02:39.It's just running through the centre of the entire house and at the front
:02:40. > :02:44.Social housing in Leeds has such a bad reputation
:02:45. > :02:48.that claims management companies are now targeting the city,
:02:49. > :02:52.encouraging tenants to take the council to court.
:02:53. > :02:57.These firms identify properties which are in a poor state of repair
:02:58. > :03:01.and then for a finder's fee, pass on the tenant's details to
:03:02. > :03:06.Quite a lot of staining and deterioration in the plaster.
:03:07. > :03:08.Bobby Kennedy runs a claims management company
:03:09. > :03:13.and says Ann almost certainly has another case against the council.
:03:14. > :03:15.We'll just show you the level it goes up to.
:03:16. > :03:21.The compensation paid to the tenants to replace the things
:03:22. > :03:23.that have been damaged due to the disrepair in the properties.
:03:24. > :03:26.The council themselves have an obligation to repair
:03:27. > :03:28.and when they agree to do the repairs, if they
:03:29. > :03:31.decide then not to do it and the tenant contacts us again,
:03:32. > :03:34.then we will get involved again to help the tenant.
:03:35. > :03:38.Solicitor Nina Patel often takes on Bobby's clients and she
:03:39. > :03:42.rejects the idea that legal firms are simply cashing in,
:03:43. > :03:45.arguing that landlords need to be held accountable.
:03:46. > :03:49.They are very quick to charge rent and evict the clients
:03:50. > :03:54.if the tenants aren't maintaining the payments, so equally,
:03:55. > :03:57.why can't these tenants go and get legal advice if their repairs
:03:58. > :04:02.I don't think it's just about money and profit,
:04:03. > :04:06.it's more about improving the conditions.
:04:07. > :04:07.They're paying rent and they shouldn't be living
:04:08. > :04:11.At a time when council services are being cut
:04:12. > :04:15.in line with dwindling budgets, many will question why millions
:04:16. > :04:19.of pounds are being spent on compensation and legal fees
:04:20. > :04:23.instead of fixing the problems in the first place.
:04:24. > :04:25.Anna, some shocking conditions in that report.
:04:26. > :04:27.What's happened to the tenants since filming?
:04:28. > :04:30.Well, since filming, Katerina has told us that
:04:31. > :04:34.the council have been round and washed the mould off her walls.
:04:35. > :04:37.Sadly, Ann's situation remains unresolved but she now
:04:38. > :04:41.has the backing of her local MP Rachel Reeves.
:04:42. > :04:43.And Leeds City Council, have they had anything
:04:44. > :04:46.They didn't want to be interviewed but they did issue us
:04:47. > :04:49.They said, we take repair obligations
:04:50. > :04:52.very seriously and in the last financial year, the council has
:04:53. > :04:56.carried out in excess of 200,000 repairs,
:04:57. > :05:00.over 95% of which were finished within target dates.
:05:01. > :05:03.They also go on to say that in the last five years, they spent
:05:04. > :05:13.Hundreds of people have attended a meeting in Keighley tonight
:05:14. > :05:16.over plans to build an incinerator near their properties.
:05:17. > :05:20.Homeowners say their lives have been put on hold by the multi-million
:05:21. > :05:22.pound scheme and claim it'll cause pollution,
:05:23. > :05:27.Councillors insist it'll boost the local economy.
:05:28. > :05:33.This is next door to Marley Sports Stadium.
:05:34. > :05:35.I know there's lots of parents, grandparents who will have
:05:36. > :05:40.children, grandchildren who go and play locally
:05:41. > :05:45.It's plain and simple, who would want to play football and be
:05:46. > :05:48.absolutely bursting your lungs breathing that in?
:05:49. > :05:52.Health concerns seem to be top of the agenda at tonight's meeting.
:05:53. > :05:54.More than 200 people turned out to discuss
:05:55. > :05:58.controversial plans for a ?135 million incinerator
:05:59. > :06:03.Something that's of this magnitude and size that is so out of
:06:04. > :06:11.There's the health associated risks that we are aware of.
:06:12. > :06:14.And we don't feel that the developers have gone far enough
:06:15. > :06:20.Bradford councillors approved the plans last week for the energy
:06:21. > :06:25.It will stand 35 metres high with a 60 metre stack
:06:26. > :06:30.and burn 100,000 tonnes of waste per year.
:06:31. > :06:34.Residents fear it will blight the landscape
:06:35. > :06:38.We don't know what they're going to burn.
:06:39. > :06:42.We don't know what its effects are going to be.
:06:43. > :06:44.Are we going to be releasing poisonous chemicals
:06:45. > :06:50.And I just think we've got to be careful not to put money
:06:51. > :06:57.You ask any doctor in this valley and they'll tell you they call it
:06:58. > :07:01.I have asthma myself, I know what it's like
:07:02. > :07:04.even without the incinerator sometimes.
:07:05. > :07:07.And, you know, that pollution is absolutely going to come out
:07:08. > :07:09.of the air and down here and into the valley.
:07:10. > :07:12.If they do need to build it, which is in question,
:07:13. > :07:15.it should be somewhere far away from where people are and children
:07:16. > :07:18.are and people playing and trying to become more healthy.
:07:19. > :07:21.Following the recent decision, the Secretary of State has
:07:22. > :07:24.told Bradford Council not to grant permission for the proposed Keighley
:07:25. > :07:29.energy facility without his specific authorisation.
:07:30. > :07:31.Objectors are waiting to see what he says
:07:32. > :07:40.A brief look at some of the day's other stories.
:07:41. > :07:43.A teenager has appeared in court charged with the murder
:07:44. > :07:46.Irfan Wahid died after he was attacked
:07:47. > :07:51.The 16-year-old boy, who can't be named
:07:52. > :07:56.for legal reasons, will now appear in Crown Court on Thursday.
:07:57. > :07:59.A Leeds lawyer and former Ukip parliamentary candidate has
:08:00. > :08:04.won his appeal against allegations he "pestered" women at a work party.
:08:05. > :08:06.Barrister Stephen Howd was charged with misconduct
:08:07. > :08:09.after the social event at Zenith Chambers in Leeds
:08:10. > :08:14.He was later fined eighteen hundred pounds by a disciplinary tribunal.
:08:15. > :08:18.But a High Court judge ruled today that his "inappropriate" behaviour
:08:19. > :08:25.Plans for a multi-million pound redevelopment of part of Sheffield
:08:26. > :08:28.city centre have been approved by councillors.
:08:29. > :08:31.Outline planning consent has been granted for West Bar Square
:08:32. > :08:37.Apartment blocks, a four-star hotel, restaurants and offices could be
:08:38. > :08:46.Some sport and it has been a busy night of football for our clubs.
:08:47. > :08:48.Starting in the championships and Barnsley thrashed Aston Villa 3-1.
:08:49. > :08:54.Huddersfield Town won 3-2 against Rotherham United
:08:55. > :08:58.and Sheffield Wednesday beat Blackburn by two goals to one.
:08:59. > :09:02.In League 1, Bristol Rovers against Sheffield United finished goal-less,
:09:03. > :09:06.Fleetwood Town beat Bradford City 2-1
:09:07. > :09:10.and Chesterfield drew 1-1 with Gillingham.
:09:11. > :09:13.And in League 2 Doncaster Rovers lost 2-1 away
:09:14. > :09:28.That it from me this evening. It's over to the Valentines evening
:09:29. > :09:33.weather. How romantic with the Reds offer as well!
:09:34. > :09:39.It's not going to be as cold as it has been in previous days.
:09:40. > :09:44.Early next week, temptress could meet the mid-teens which is
:09:45. > :09:47.exceptional for the time of year. Tomorrow, even though it will be as
:09:48. > :09:50.cold as it has been, a lot of cloud will be around. Perhaps some
:09:51. > :09:54.brightness later in the morning and through the afternoon we are going
:09:55. > :09:58.to see rain developing again from the south. It is the south-west
:09:59. > :10:01.where the air is coming from and it will be milder over the next few
:10:02. > :10:06.days. Thursday and Friday at all too bad at all. We are expecting some
:10:07. > :10:08.rain at some points through Saturday but that is a long way away and
:10:09. > :10:14.there are still some uncertainty. At the moment, dampness and drizzle are
:10:15. > :10:18.possible anywhere. Missed across the hills but a frost free night with
:10:19. > :10:22.temperatures down to around five or 6 degrees. A great start in the
:10:23. > :10:26.morning, especially over the Pennine routes. Misty with health care. A
:10:27. > :10:31.lot of cloud during the day with a wee maces and brightness later in
:10:32. > :10:34.the morning. Then showery rain approaches as we head to the
:10:35. > :10:37.afternoon. Even in that rain band, there could be breaks in the cloud
:10:38. > :10:43.and temperatures in a few spots getting up into double figures. 10
:10:44. > :10:48.degrees is 50 Fahrenheit. Not too bad on Thursday. A breezy day but a
:10:49. > :10:51.brighter one. The risk of some showers across western parts in
:10:52. > :10:54.particular but most places dry and bright with some sunshine. I thought
:10:55. > :10:58.he started the day on Friday but then again it looks like it could be
:10:59. > :11:01.pleasant with some sunshine. Temperatures in double figures and
:11:02. > :11:03.then some rain through the day. That's it from the late team.
:11:04. > :11:07.weather into the weekend. A bit of fog around to watch out for. Jon
:11:08. > :11:10.Hammond with the national forecast now.
:11:11. > :11:11.Good evening. There is some rain in the