0:00:05 > 0:00:09Welcome to South Today. for the news where you are.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Coming up: The Green Party withdraws its candidate
0:00:10 > 0:00:13in Oxford West and Abingdon and encourages supporters to vote
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Liberal Democrat instead.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Also: The machinery that will harness the power of the Thames -
0:00:17 > 0:00:19how a hydro-electric plant will supply 450 homes.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21And this week there will be some sunny spells, chilly
0:00:21 > 0:00:25nights and the chance of that much-needed rainfall.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Good evening.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40The Green Party has withdrawn its candidate
0:00:40 > 0:00:42from Oxford West and Abingdon ahead of the general election.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44It's encouraging people to vote Liberal Democrat instead.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47The seat was Lib Dem for 13 years before
0:00:47 > 0:00:47the Conservatives won it in 2010.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Adina Campbell reports.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55When it comes to politics, there are no guarantees.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58But here in Oxford West and Abingdon, one thing is for sure -
0:00:58 > 0:01:02the Green vote has gone.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04In a bid to stop the Conservatives holding onto this parliamentary
0:01:04 > 0:01:06seat, the Green Party is now backing yellow.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09In what it calls the greater good, it's now removed its own candidate,
0:01:09 > 0:01:17asking voters to support Layla Moran instead.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20We decided that the best thing we could do was come up
0:01:20 > 0:01:24with an approach that would stop that.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27The simple fact is that Oxford West and Abingdon is the key marginal
0:01:27 > 0:01:30and the candidate on the progressive side with the biggest chance
0:01:30 > 0:01:32of winning is Leila Moran.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35But some people we spoke to during the town's market
0:01:35 > 0:01:37day weren't impressed.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41They are playing one off against the other
0:01:41 > 0:01:41and stalling for time.
0:01:41 > 0:01:47It smacks of desperation.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Their views are not entirely similar, so why
0:01:49 > 0:01:51would you join together?
0:01:51 > 0:01:56They have got to get together to have any impact.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59The Conservative prospective candidate Nicola Blackwood called it
0:01:59 > 0:02:01"undemocratic" and a party spokesperson spends that this
0:02:01 > 0:02:04was more proof of grubby deals to build a coalition of chaos.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09Other parties have also voiced their concerns.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13I am proud to be standing for the Labour Party in the general
0:02:13 > 0:02:15election for Oxford West and Abingdon, standing of the Labour
0:02:15 > 0:02:17values across the constituency, the protecting funding the schools,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19ensuring we don't lose the EU funding for universities
0:02:19 > 0:02:26and that we attain a better deal for the NHS and social care.
0:02:26 > 0:02:33By joining forces with the Green Party, the Lib Dems hope
0:02:33 > 0:02:38this will give them the best possible chance of beating
0:02:38 > 0:02:41the Conservatives.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Up until 2010, the Lib Dems had retained this seat
0:02:43 > 0:02:46for more than a decade, but since then it has been
0:02:46 > 0:02:49in the hands of Conservatives.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Will this cross-party deal work?
0:02:51 > 0:02:58We'll have to wait and see.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Meanwhile, following the local elections of last week,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02negotiations are now underway to form a new cabinet
0:03:02 > 0:03:10at Oxfordshire County Council.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12The Conservatives failed to win a majority by one seat.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Previously they'd formed an alliance with independent counsellors.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Katharine Da Costa reports.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20It was a case of "you win some, you lose some"
0:03:20 > 0:03:24for the Conservatives last week.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28The failure to increase their number of seats, missing out on a majority,
0:03:28 > 0:03:29came as a bitter blow.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32One of the major shocks of the night saw deputy leader Rodney Rose
0:03:32 > 0:03:34lose his seat to the Lib Dems.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36I have to say that going round on the doorstep,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39there has been a lot of dissatisfaction with the way
0:03:39 > 0:03:42things have been run by the county council and it's come
0:03:42 > 0:03:42through on the vote.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45The new makeup of the county council looks like this -
0:03:45 > 0:03:48the Tories are still the largest party, while the Greens have been
0:03:48 > 0:03:50completely wiped out, losing both their seats to Labour.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51The reason for it is pretty clear.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54We had the rise of the general election during the local elections
0:03:54 > 0:03:56and people started to vote on party lines.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59The results mean to stay in charge, the Tories will need
0:03:59 > 0:04:00to form an alliance.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02The leader of Oxfordshire County Council says he's
0:04:02 > 0:04:06in talks with all parties.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09This was the same position as we were in four years ago
0:04:09 > 0:04:11and we joined with three independents to form
0:04:11 > 0:04:13the Conservative Independents Alliance and that provided stable
0:04:13 > 0:04:15administration over the last four years and I'm working
0:04:15 > 0:04:19at the moment to see if we can reach similar agreements.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Congratulations. Thank you.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22Did you increase your majority this time?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I think I did, yeah.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29But this time Mark Gray, the independent county councillor
0:04:29 > 0:04:30for Benson and Cholsey, doesn't think the negotiations
0:04:30 > 0:04:32will be as straight forward.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34We were prepared to join the Conservatives last
0:04:34 > 0:04:36time because we knew there were going to be huge
0:04:36 > 0:04:38cuts and that we needed a stable administration.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40This time it's different because the cuts have mostly happened.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43As it appears now, we're heading for less choppy waters,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45so I don't think the need for the Conservatives
0:04:45 > 0:04:55to have an absolute majority is necessarily there this time.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59The Conservatives have seven days to try to form a new administration
0:04:59 > 0:05:05before a full council meeting next Tuesday.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08A van driver has been questioned on suspicion of causing the death
0:05:08 > 0:05:10of a woman by dangerous driving in Buckinghamshire.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12It happened on Station Road in Ivinghoe just after
0:05:12 > 0:05:136:30 yesterday morning.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17The woman was a passenger in a car that was involved in a collision
0:05:17 > 0:05:18with a Mercedes van.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20The 22-year-old arrested has been released while the police
0:05:20 > 0:05:26investigation continues.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Demolition work is due resume at a disused part of Didcot
0:05:29 > 0:05:30power station next week.
0:05:30 > 0:05:38It's 16 months since four men died after part of the site collapsed.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Changes are being introduced at Swindon's only recycling centre
0:05:40 > 0:05:42to try to save the council ?100,000 a year.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46The town's residents who want to use it will now have to show ID.
0:05:46 > 0:05:55The site is also being closed on Wednesdays.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58It's cost more than ?3 million pounds and will provide enough power
0:05:58 > 0:05:59for about 500 homes.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Today, the last major components of a new hydroelectric power plant
0:06:01 > 0:06:04on the River Thames at Sandford has been installed.
0:06:04 > 0:06:10The plant is owned by residents who have bought
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Slow and steady - the final piece of a multi-million pound project
0:06:13 > 0:06:18to create more renewable energy in Oxfordshire.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21There were three of these screws, each weighing more than 20 tonnes.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Needless to say, there was a sigh of relief
0:06:23 > 0:06:30when they were all in place.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33We always knew this was the most critical part of the project.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Getting the screws precisely in as they have been designed
0:06:36 > 0:06:38and the installation is a very delicate job, so we
0:06:38 > 0:06:40are very pleased.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42The idea of making hydroelectricity here has been ten
0:06:42 > 0:06:49years in the making.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Residents came up with the proposal before handing the reins
0:06:52 > 0:06:53to the Low Carbon Hub.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56It's been funded from a combination residents shares and a bank loan.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Liz Shatford was among the residents who came up with the idea
0:06:59 > 0:07:01of using the weir to create energy.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04It is majestic and goes round slowly and I think it
0:07:04 > 0:07:11will be a of great beauty.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13will be a thing of great beauty.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18It has enhanced life enormously.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Workers now need to excavate the channel so water can
0:07:20 > 0:07:21flow through the screws.
0:07:21 > 0:07:28It's due to be finished around August.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Work to restore an 18th-century icehouse is underway near Oxford.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33The brick building in Waterperry Gardens would have been
0:07:33 > 0:07:36used to store ice cut from the lake in the winter.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Matt Graveling has the story.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42This is an 18th century ice house and in the summer months,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45a young man with a bucket and a candle would have gone
0:07:45 > 0:07:47down that tunnel and got some ice for the house.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49But there's a problem - the tunnel for this ice house
0:07:49 > 0:07:53at Waterperry Gardens is collapsing and is in desperate need of repair.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55The tunnel was accessed so that ice went in over winter
0:07:55 > 0:07:56through a hole at the top.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Ten tonnes of it.
0:07:57 > 0:08:07It's quite a magnificent effort filling the thing.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11When in use, ice was cut from a frozen lake in the winter
0:08:11 > 0:08:13and removed from the store in the summer.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15But whether they were freezing meat, making ice cream or just
0:08:15 > 0:08:18cooling your drink, the ice house was a status symbol
0:08:18 > 0:08:24for the upper class.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27The better ones were eggshaped, cos That ensured it was easier to get
0:08:27 > 0:08:28the melted water draining away.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30That was a big problem.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31Entertaining was a big thing.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33At that time you had these stately homes dotted around
0:08:33 > 0:08:44and the in-thing was to have ice.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46More than ?3,000 has been raised for the work,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49but with 4,000 still to find, it's hoped people will continue
0:08:49 > 0:08:53to dig deep so the ice house doesn't end up on the rocks.
0:08:53 > 0:08:54That's it from us.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Alexis is next with the weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02Goodnight.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Good evening.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05We have had some very dry weather recently,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08but towards the end of this week, we are expecting some rainfall.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Dry at first and some sunshine but possible rain later
0:09:11 > 0:09:12on from Thursday onwards.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Overnight night, the skies will clear in a few places,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18but generally it'll be quite cloudy and temperatures in the countryside
0:09:18 > 0:09:20where we have clearing skies could drop as low as freezing,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24so there might be a frost first thing tomorrow morning.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27These are temperatures under the cloud cover in urban areas
0:09:27 > 0:09:28so quite a cloudy start of the day tomorrow.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Tomorrow will be like today - a good deal of cloud,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34but it will be some brighter spells even there and temperatures tomorrow
0:09:34 > 0:09:40in the bright spells could reach a high of 13,
0:09:40 > 0:09:46maybe 14 Celsius with a fairly light wind.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52Quite a cloudy day tomorrow in general.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Through tomorrow evening, the skies were clear and as a result
0:09:55 > 0:09:57of this clearing sky, there may be a frost
0:09:57 > 0:09:59in the countryside first thing on Wednesday morning.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Temperatures in towns and cities could drop as low as 4 Celsius
0:10:02 > 0:10:04so it will be a chilly, potentially frosty start
0:10:04 > 0:10:05to the day on Wednesday.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Wednesday is the best day this week in terms of sunshine
0:10:08 > 0:10:09and it will stay dry.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Lots of sunshine on offer, patchy cloud arriving for northern
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and eastern areas during the latter part of the day and temperatures
0:10:14 > 0:10:17will reach a high of around 15, maybe up to 16 Celsius,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20which will be higher than today and also tomorrow so a pleasantly
0:10:20 > 0:10:23warm day on Wednesday.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Thursday, an area of low pressure will start to move up
0:10:25 > 0:10:26from the south-west.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29That will turn things slightly more unsettled during the second part
0:10:29 > 0:10:31of Thursday with a chance of rain towards the afternoon
0:10:31 > 0:10:36and into the evening, but not everyone will see
0:10:36 > 0:10:38the rainfall, it will be very sporadic and patchy in nature.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41There will be some rainfall for some of us also on Friday.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44On Friday, the chance of heavy, thundery showers with warm air
0:10:44 > 0:10:47moving up from the south and it will feel humid with temperatures
0:10:47 > 0:10:49reaching a high of 14 Celsius.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Looking ahead to the weekend, it will unsettled, there
0:10:51 > 0:10:54will be a breeze at times and it is the chance
0:10:54 > 0:10:55of rain here and there.