29/07/2011 South Today

Hello I'm Sally Taylor. Welcome to South Today. In tonight's

programme: To have sprinklers or go without?

The warning from a fire chief over a massive new student accommodation

block. In the last two years, we've experienced 80 fires and high-rise

buildings. 11 of those fires have been his student accommodation.

What would you do if you were in charge? The council offering voters

the chance to have their say on cuts or more taxes.

Looking for a piece of land - thousands on the waiting list as

demand grows for allotments. And I'll be taking a trip in --

back in time here at last in the past in Romsey.

A fire chief has warned that lives will be put at risk because a

sprinkler system isn't being installed in a massive new student

accommodation block in Portsmouth. The buildings, to be called The

Blade, will be 33 storeys high - that's more than 300 feet - and

will house 600 students from the city's university. But because

they're students, there is no legal requirement for it to have

sprinklers. After losing two colleagues in a high rise blaze in

Southampton last year, the fire service believes the developers

should think again. Rachael Canter reports.

This is the ease and a fire service says it wants sprinklers. Here is a

fire without them after five minutes, and here is one with them.

In a last two years, we have experienced 80 fires in high-rise

buildings. 11 of those had been in student accommodation, and those 80

fires have led, sadly, to the death of four people, including two

firefighters. How much more serious can make this situation? It's

costing �30 million to build this, but the sprinkler system would cost

around �400,000. The developers behind the new Blade building in

Portsmouth don't plan to put them in, and that does not break any

current rules. Private power blocks above 100 ft do require sprinklers,

but public accommodation like halls of residence and hotels do not.

This is a unique building. One that is probably not been built in this

country before, and legislation is perhaps in catch up to the type of

building we're talking about. years from now, The Blade building

will be built here, towering over the centre of Portsmouth. It off,

get 600 students and be 110 metres high. If you're wondering just how

big that is, it is this big - the top of it will be about the same

height as the viewing platform on the spinnaker sour.

The University of Portsmouth will not own or lease the building, but

will nominate about six and his students to stay in the block.

We're putting The Blade pretty high on the agenda, but fire experts

currently say we do not require sprinklers and is building and I

cannot judge otherwise. Having been in a student block with the fire

alarm going off at 2am, I know it is important to get safety at work

and in place. I probably would have won but there - it's too dangerous.

Hampshire Fire and rescue say they will continue with their campaign

to put pressure on the developers not to build the building without

sprinklers. The Government - the Department of

Communities and Local Government, says it does not comment on

individual cases. Last year, the government reviewed fire safety

regulations and found there was insufficient evidence to change

these regulations. With the, is the chairman of the British bring

colour alliance. Thanks for joining us. In your experience, do you

think the regulations should be changed? I certainly think the

anomaly between them being required in some buildings were not other

should be reconciled. I just want to emphasise that the developer on

his building is doing everything that is needed, by law, as far as

having a proper fire precautions and place. How much more beneficial

would a sprinkler system be? If they have everything in place that

they should have? They will have to comply with the laws as you say. I

don't think enough businesses appreciate the benefits of

sprinklers. They give you design freedoms. You can do away with

certain design restrictions. They can save you costs elsewhere. If

you think about it early enough, it can be too late when the building

is half way off the ground. We need to let builders realised it

sprinklers are in their benefit. You mention a strange anomaly we

have no weather is one law for a private residence and one law for

students, but you would think students would be at a higher risk?

I think one of the comments made earlier on this programme was that

Lord is not make pace -- keep pace with the social changes. I don't

think the envisaged so many students living in such a high

building. A woman who beat her partner to

death with a rounders bat had to be led from the dock in tears as her

counsel told a judge the crime bore all the hallmarks of a crime of

passion. Ann Browning admits the murder and confessed to police that

she'd then buried the body of 82- year-old retired postman, Bill

Williamson, in the garden of her Godalming Home. The judge who'll

sentence her on Monday was urged not to be prejudiced against her by

the 29-year age gap between the couple.

A Portsmouth-based warship has come under fire off the Libyan coast.

HMS Liverpool was targeted by multiple rockets during a tense

stand-off with pro-Gaddafi forces in Libya. The crew put on white

anti-flash suits and prepared to return fire, but the missiles fell

short and they didn't have to engage. The battery where the

rockets were fired from was later destroyed by allied Apache attack

helicopters. We did receive some incoming fire which is thankfully

short of a position. Shortly after, we went on an elimination mission

for at the spotters. We were aiming to disrupt the pro-Gaddafi forces

in their battle against their people.

Some staff who've been on strike in Southampton have been paid by the

council, by mistake. A payroll error meant street cleaners

received one or two weeks' salary - even though they weren't at work.

The council has apologised for the inconvenience, and says it will

work with staff and the unions to find a fair way for the money to be

repaid. But those on strike say it shouldn't have happened. People

were not aware that those monies were from wages. Some thought they

may have been tax rebates. They where and aware it was a wage. They

had a debt which they did not know about. When the drawback to work,

we have money to pay back on top of the cuts we have already incurred,

so we're not happy about it. The leader of Southampton City

Council, Councillor Royston Smith wasn't available for interview, but

in a statement he apologised to those affected, saying the payments

were down to an administrative error. The staff on strike are not

entitled to be paid and are being given options as to how they can

repay the money. Would you like your council tax

frozen but with services cut, or pay more council tax to save

services? That's the question being asked as Worthing and Adur councils

consult residents on the annual budget. It follows a similar

exercise last year. Our Sussex reporter Sean Killick has the

details. Worthing is a pretty town, where

the parks and gardens cost almost �2 million a year. The council has

now considering selling off some part saying it was one of the

suggestions made last year, when it asked the public what should be cut.

It also led to the town's theatres being put up for sale, potentially

saving �1 million a year. But is the council just using the

consultation exercise to bring the public into tough decisions? It is

not a matter of moving blame around. I hope people see the council as

part of their society and their town, and councillors have some

very tough decisions to make. I want people to be part of those

decisions and to feel they have actually been asked questions on

him. Last year's most popular suggestion was cutting

administration costs. As a result, the mayor's budget and Chief

Executive's salary would be a -- are reduced, and fewer meetings

held. It is now being asked whether the town's museum should be handed

over to a trust, and people are being asked whether they want

council tax frozen with services cut or rates raised to save

services. That made for mixed use among museum visitors. I want the

money to be focused on things the benefit children. I think they

should focus less on raising rates and moving money to essential

things. One of the Olympic venues in the

south has been the victim of crime for the first time. 11 new bicycles

provided for 2012 coaches and managers to get around the 2km long

Dorney Lake were stolen at the start of the week. The bikes are

all white with sponsor BMW's logo. Two men have been charged with the

theft but some bikes are still missing.

There's likely to be a U-turn over changes to parking charges in

Salisbury following pressure from the public and businesses. A

minimum two-hour stay for parking in the City Centre is likely to be

scrapped reverting to one hour. didn't properly explain to be able

what was be looked at. We tried, but we didn't get people to listen.

We should have tried a bit harder and not thought that people didn't

care about it. None of us realise how big an issue this would be and

we failed to get people to engage properly with it.

Still to come in this evening's South Today: Alexis is having a

blast, in the past. I certainly am. Join me later for a full five-day

weather forecast. Now, do you fancy a taste of the

good life? In these tough economic times, more people are looking for

a patch of ground to grow their own fruit and veg, but allotments are

increasingly hard to come by. Research has found that in the

south more than 11,000 people are waiting for one. But last year only

230 new plots were created. Ahead of National Allotment Week,

Danielle Glavin has been looking at the shortfall in the south.

This is a place where only weeds five, but it was a potential plot

of paradise to this allotment group. They had enthusiasm, but despite

the name - and allotments. There are no council plot locally and it

failed to get planning commission - - permission to convert this land.

We feel bereft. Very sad that we don't have an allotment. We were

excited about the possibility of having one, but we are looking for

land. But that is an advocate of grow your own, and says the problem

has been a long time coming. land, particularly land close to

housing, has a very high price attached. It is more valuable to

serve well as building land, so many councils will sell off land it

used to the allotment land. You combine that with an increase in

interest and you have a serious lack of allotments. World War II

was a masterclass in creative cultivation. Every empty space,

including bomb craters, where potential plots.

Land share is a modern example of this, a project that pairs up land

owners and growers. Here in Swindon, the National Trust is volunteer the

land that was once a tennis court. The allotments are changing lives.

Come up here after work, and just chill out for an hour or two, it's

absolutely great. All of it. There's a great pleasure of it

going home with a handful of things that you do yourself. It is out of

all proportion to what it is really worth. This only scratches the

surface. The Government says it will relax planning rules to help

create more allotments, but a Let's join Alexis. Every Friday our

weather presenters get out and about to find out some of the

events that will be happening. It looked like it was getting very

likely at Broadlands just now. You are going to take a step back in

history and give us a history lesson, is that right?

Yes, I am here at timeshare's biggest living history event in

Romsey and it is getting under way already. It opens tomorrow at 11

o'clock and is also on sunbed. The weather is looking fairly good for

the event. You can try out different things and see people

dressed in different eras and today I sampled that. Go to morning,

Vietnam. What got you interested in the Vietnam era? Years ago. My

collection has grown and grown. It is getting a bit out of hand. We

have to rent a bar in Basingstoke to spin Staller told. -- a bar in

The Victorian era is one of my favourite parts of history because

I get to do something I love. such an important part of British

history and particularly with the element of India, our time in the

sub-continent, 300 years. Not much of that history is thought about or

taught these days, so we like to bring the splendour of the Raj to

people. We are now in the 5th century BC, Greeks are first

aspersions. -- Greeks and Bursaspor versions. These are first century

AD legionaries. There is lots to buy from different eras. What do

you think? Is this me? All this travelling through time has made me

really tired. I'm just going to have a sleep before the weather. I

am refreshed after my little sleep and I have a full five-day weather

forecast later in the programme. Here at problems everyone is

getting excited. Are you excited? Absolutely. Joining later in the

programme, and find out also what other things you can get up to in

the south. I am very excited. She did a whole

sequence of horrible histories. particularly liked the red hat from

whatever era that was. We are joined her in a short while. Now

the sport. A red letter day for Hampshire

today. They had a good day today. Records tumbling at the Rose Bowl.

First, Michael Carberry posted a double hundred as he reached his

new highest, first class door -- core. Then Mike McKenzie reached

the same milestone with a six. Hampshire got a new all-time record.

Carberry, who is coming back from a life-threatening blood clot, went

on to make 300 not out. It was a real day to remember. It has been a

great day. My first ever 111 hundred in any cricket. When you

are back, your mind switches off and my batting was perfect today.

It was a really nice partnership to be a part of. I shared the

partnership with a hard-working Michael Carberry who has gone

through bad times over the past couple of months. Very well done.

As sporting records tumble, the inexorable march to the new

Football League season is almost over. This week we have been

setting you up for another, dramatic ride, and tonight we

finish with two near-neighbours, not exactly the best of friends,

but in the same division for the first time since 2005, Portsmouth

In the face of adversity, Portsmouth's defences stood firm

last season. Now with new owners they are on a new mission. Against

the odds and helped by a solid back line, Portsmouth hopes stayed alive

last season, but did they lay any foundations? Not really. We had

some players who were never going to play at the start of the season.

We had enough pairs every day of the week except Saturday. We need

better players and we will be stronger. David Norris and Luke

Varney are in this year and they want another five by the end of

this month. What can the fans expect? They do not ask for too

much, but they want effort of their boys. We have got some good boys

and if they are ratted every game, their quality will come through.

Southampton fans have endured some dark days in recent years. But

things are changing. We are back. What a goal! The Canaries can

celebrate. Southampton swept into the championship in a promotion

season caps with sometimes startling football. Adam Lallana

did not go unnoticed. Being a local lad who has been here for a while,

I want my club to do well. It is brilliant and I am really happy to

be here. Two signings stand-out. The two midfielders will stop Alex

Chamberlain is still a safer now. He could light up the championship.

It is important you keep the core of the group together and we have

kept everyone at the minute. With a couple of shrewd additions, I think

we stand a chance. Kick-off for all of the South's clubs is upon us.

Will it be another blockbuster year? Are you ready? We have heard

from all of the region's Football League clubs and managers, but what

did the expert pundits think? They will follow them all season on BBC

local radio. Crawley are going into their debut season in the Football

League. John Barnett is tipping He thinks they will be in the play-

South Today well have action from all of the weekend's football each

and every Monday and Football Focus returns here on BBC One tomorrow

lunchtime with a special programme from the Football League's newest

stadium. Football Focus comes live from this

by new stadium. I know you lot have seen this many times already, but

we shall be introducing it to the wider football audience. We will be

joined by the assistant manager and the chairman as well. All that and

much, much more, lied from Brighton's new stadium on BBC One

tomorrow. Quickly to say, next week we are at Cowes Regatta. Good luck

to Rottingdean credit card in Brighton who play Dumbleton Cricket

Club on Sunday in the village semi- finals on Sunday.

Now, the weather and a couple of This is a different type of Cowes

Regatta! Shall rejoin the girl again? I am disappointed. Having

seen you in different outfits, I thought you would be dressed up

like some kind of wench from whenever it.

Sorry for that. Why not come here this weekend to sample the delights

of the different eras, or if not here are a few other things you can

get up to this weekend in the south. Tomorrow the Winchester fire

station is opening its doors. There will be demonstrations, a chance to

look around and lots of advice on This Sunday it is the agricultural

show. Lots of livestock will be on display as well as the best of

Surrey's food and drink. Battleships as you have never

played it before. A large-scale version is open to visitors at the

Portsmouth dockyard this weekend. The West Berkshire village will be

celebrating as the new memorial hall is being opened by the Newbury

MP. Tomorrow sees the annual Fordingbridge thumb and TV says --

Festival. There will be a chance to meet lots of guests, such as

Caroline Munro, who was in the James Bond film the Spy Who loved

Me. The weather has been perfect for all these guys to set up their

stalls by the weekend, but will it There is a fair bit of cloud in the

Atlantic. Today we had some decent sunny spells and the temperatures

rose nicely. That cloud will edge its way Ian through the early hours

of the morning. We may see the odd, stray shower in the morning, but

most places will stay dry. Tomorrow from the word go we may see a few

showers drift into parts of Dorset and Wiltshire first thing. They

will track their way eastwards throughout the morning. The highs

first thing in the morning are 14 or 15 Celsius. Those showers will

drift further eastwards, mainly confined to the South West, but

Eastern areas could see them in the afternoon. Some areas could stay

dry altogether. Tomorrow's temperatures will be 20 or 21. The

winds will gradually pick up speed. One or two clear spells here or

there. A fresh appeal to things and more comfortable for sleeping. On

Sunday there will be more frequent showers and a more organised band

of rain will move in from the Atlantic. We are more likely to see

more frequent showers in Hampshire and Dorset. Elsewhere you'll see

scattered showers in the afternoon. Here is the summary for the week.

From me here at Broadlands, back to you in the studio.

Enjoy the evening with your friends, whatever era you choose. Some of

them top in the language of that era. Have a great weekend.