05/01/2017 South East Today

Today's main headlines in the south-east:

Driver-only operated trains are safe says a new report,

as direct talks are agreed between the Government and the RMT Union.

Controversy as Dreamland Amusement park is to borrow up to ?10 million

After a sunny winter's day it is a frosty nights to come.

It's been a day of rapid developments in the bitter dispute

between Southern rail and the unions with just days to go before

At 11 o'clock the Office of Road and Rail issued

a report confirming - for a second time -

that Southern's driver-only operated trains do meet legal requirements

At midday Sussex MP Huw Merriman called for new laws to be

introduced, to prevent the RMT and Aslef from calling

And at just before 2pm this afternoon, the RMT

agreed to direct talks with

the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling.

Could rail strikes like this soon be banned?

One Sussex MP is threatening action against the unions if they do not

accept today's report that, in principle, driver-only

If the unions do not come to their senses on the back of this

very detailed report which shows the driver-only operated technology

is safe on Southern, that is what the unions asked for,

if they are not willing to accept that is the end of the matter

and the only conclusion that counts, then I think we will need

Southern wants more of its drivers to operate the train doors,

The unions argue the quality of the images is poor,

but today's report states CCTV quality was varied but adequate.

Inspectors did identify stations when lighting,

foliage or overcrowding could obstruct the driver's view,

but the report concludes there were some clear safety

benefits compared to the traditional approach using a guard or conductor.

If you have the right equipment, competent staff and the right

processes and procedures, driver-only operation

The unions say the report is a whitewash.

It calls into question the integrity of the regulator and it leads us

to believe that there is no safety body left in this country

that is not under the influence of the train companies

There is a difference between a three-car train in 1986

or 1990 with the volume of passengers that we then

were running, and running 12-car trains with 1100 people on them,

with 30-people-deep on the platform where you can't really

But the passengers are the ones suffering.

If you work for the public sector you already by definition usually

If they are not good enough for you just change

I think the concerns are legitimate of the unions.

Trains are already running driver-only and there seems to be

no problems with it, so it seems to me it's

more of a political issue than a safety one.

It may have been a day of significant developments,

but next week's three-day driver strike is still on.

Jon, there have been more political developments tonight.

Pressure is mounting on Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary,

pressure from the public, pressure from his own MPs and from the

opposition, some even suggest his position could be in jeopardy. One

Labour MP Paul me tonight -- told me tonight passengers are nearing

breaking point and the risk to Chris Grayling is not necessarily from

within his own party but a public story, tragedy, even that could go

straight to Chris Grayling's door. straight to Chris Grayling's door.

But conservative Huw Merriman says he has the full support of his MPs

and his position is not at risk than he is doing a good job, he says.

Thank you. And we're broadcasting

a special debate about You'll be able to watch that

on Monday the 9th of January The troubled Thanet amusement park,

Dreamland, has been given the go ahead to borrow up to ?10 million

from a hedge-fund based The investment's being made

as an attempt to keep Dreamland opened 18 months ago

after a major restoration project and has struggled to generate cash

from paying visitors. A financial expert has called

the new loan "very concerning" for a business "that has always

looked very weak". Dreamland opened with a lot

of public money invested - ?18 million by Thanet council,

including ?6 million from the

Heritage Lottery Fund. But the private operators could not

attract enough visitors and went into administration and are

now relying on a big loan for It is a long way from

the original vison of the park being run by a not-for-profit

organisation. Now that we have got Arrowgrass

investing ?10 million, that means it is likely that those

profits will not find their way back Dreamland opened in June 2015

after an ?18 million But by last August

the operator's owed creditors ?8 million and now

the administrators say a loan of up to 9.9 million will be used

to invest in the site to get

it ready for sale. Looking at the size and value

of the business and the size of the loan,

it does seem out of proportion, will have to be asked

as to what the overall thrust and idea of this business

proposition will be. Arrowgrass refused to comment,

but supporters of Dreamland It is a significant milestone

in the life of Dreamland. We know that Dreamland needs a lot

more investment, it would always be We know the lease

protects its life as a Heritage amusement park

so we think it is a good thing. Mixed views in Margate

on whether more It has had its day and

it is time to move on. This is the tiny little lifeline

we have, so let's give it our all, Thanet Council said it was aware

administrators were working with investors to secure

the future of the park. Our reporter Piers

Hopkirk is in Margate. It's long been a part

of regeneration plans there Piers, I think this investment from some

questions over the future of Dreamland. Does this company want to

make an investment or half an eye to taking over the running of the park,

Arrowgrass? They would not answer any of our questions tonight. As to

the long-term economic viability of the park, they tell us since they

change the developing strategy visitor numbers are up but if it

ceased to be keirin -- ceased to become economic revival would be

land be handed over to house in? Thanet District Council tells us

that simply will not happen. And it's emerged that up to 34

new wind turbines could be built off Margate as part of plans to extend

the Thanet offshore windfarm. Owners Vattenfall say

the new turbines would be taller than the 100 that already exist,

potentially almost After two homeless people

were found dead on the streets of Chatham over Christmas,

charities are warning there could be further deaths in Kent this winter

unless more help is provided Medway Council currently provides

shelters when temperatures drop below zero for three consecutive

nights. Tributes line the doorway

where the homeless man, Michael McCluskey, was found

on Christmas eve morning. His daughter, who did not

want to appear on camera, says more emergency shelter should

have been made available. I hope the council pull their finger

out and do something about it because I do not want it be someone

else's dad or grandad Because it is not nice

to think your dad was lying there while people were walking

past him in the street. Medway Council only open shelters

when temperatures have fallen to zero for three consecutive

nights, but people I have spoken to say communication has been

so poor there is no way of knowing when they are open or

even getting to them. I tweeted the council

in November and said to them, And they said, "We take our guidance

from the "Met Office," instead of just sticking their head outside

and going, "Oh, my God, Just days after Michael McCluskey

was discovered police were called to the death of another homeless man

in the next street. They've got to wait three

consecutive nights for it to fall below zero before

they will put them somewhere. Charities say the system is failing

those in desperate need. So that whenever somebody goes

for help they get help. They get help to prevent

homelessness or if they become homeless they get emergency

assistance into accommodation or They need to come down and speak

to people and see how bad it is. Currently we have got to prove

to them we're homeless. With numbers of rough

sleepers up 30% in the year, many say emergency provision is now

needed more than ever. We'll have the national

weather in a moment, first here's the forecast

for the south-east with Rachel. Good evening. It has been a crisp

winter's day with temperatures struggling to get above three

Celsius and through tonight we hold onto those clear skies and

temperatures once again plummet. Slightly milder on the coast. The

main change tomorrow is we start the day with some stubborn mist and fog.

Eventually through tomorrow evening we will see rain but for others in

the south-east corner we should be mostly dry. Misty and 40 frosty

first thing but some sunshine in the middle part of the day. More cloud

in the afternoon and added as temperatures slightly milder than

today. Those winds back to the south-westerly direction, picking up

through tomorrow night. Much milder toward the weekend. Outbreaks of

rain for Friday into Saturday. creeping up by a notch or two, 10,

maybe nine Celsius. Here is Louise with the national picture.

Won't it cold and frosty this morning? The coldest night of the

winter so far in England. Down to minus 8 Celsius. But widely, the

temperatures below freezing. Through the night, cloud and rain, so

temperatures for many holding up above