17/05/2012 South Today

Hello, I'm Laura Trant. This is South Today. The region's top

stories tonight: Downsizing in the downturn.

How older people are facing up to the squeeze on their incomes.

Surrey puts controversial privatisation plans on hold, as its

Chief Constable says she wants policing left to the police.

She loves the customers, but her business isn't getting the help it

needs. Why one trader's pulled out of Salisbury.

Didn't want people to think we didn't care, and we ran a wave. I

wanted people to know that it was a really hard decision for me to make.

And, the 83 year old who's become the oldest man in the country to

donate a kidney. It is one of the most interesting

and enjoyable experiences of my life, I thoroughly enjoyed the

The state of the UK's economy is taking its toll on older people in

the south. The charity Age UK says it's getting thousands of calls

annually from people struggling with their finances, and it's

rising year on year. In West Sussex, inquiries to Age UK have increased

by 50% in the last 12 months. In Dorset, they've seen a 45% rise.

Berkshire has seen enquiries about money problems up by 40%. As our

business correspondent Alastair Fee reports, one of the ways to free up

money during retirement is by downsizing.

That is my sister. And my cousins. That is me. This couple have been

living in the same house in Reading for 40 years. They raised their

children here, but are moving on. The worry is, are you going to have

enough money to pay the bills? The longer you stay in a house, you

have got to keep on doing jobs. Talk of rising prices is never far

away at this day centre. What pensioners have does not go very

far. You get your pension and, by the time you have bought your

butter and milk and whatnot, there is nothing left. Your gas bill, it

never goes down. The cost of living never goes down, it always rises.

Older people are under more financial pressure than ever.

Downsizing can be an option, but inquiries range from debt, to

rising bills on fixed income. are a higher rising proportion of

people concerned about money and debt. Fixed income against rising

cost is a pinch point. This company is about helping order people move.

It is big business in America and is catching on here. A lot of

people find they are not able to afford their house any more and are

looking to move into something smaller, where they can contain

their costs. This couple are hoping to move sooner and, with the money

left over, they are hoping to buy a caravan they can rent on the coast.

And the extra money will help them meet the rising cost of living.

What sort of numbers are we talking about? If we take Dorset, where

there number of pensioners is greatest. Calls have risen to Age

UK up by 400, to nearly 1,300 enquiries about finances.

In West Sussex, the number of elderly people asking for help is

up by more than 200. It's a similar picture across the

south. What are the pressures?

Age UK say they're getting a range of calls about finances. Debt is

big a problem. Benefits, the rising cost of living. Food prices, fuel

and energy bills are hitting elderly people hard. Low interest

rates mean investments aren't giving older people much if

anything back. As we've seen, one option is to downsize. Selling a

home and buying something cheaper can free up cash. Surrey Police is

putting its controversial plan for private firms to take on some

police work on hold. The force's new Chief Constable,

Lynne Owens, will delay the project until after the Olympics, and

consult with the public before taking the next step. It comes

after the plan was heavily criticised by Police Federations.

Our home affairs correspondent Alex Forsyth reports.

And at this week's Police Federation conference, the planned

by Surrey to use private firms for some police roles was in the

spotlight. It is about drinking through how we can best progress

this and get the best possible deal. Surrey and West Midlands Police

have been criticised for jointly asking private contractors to pitch

for work, including detaining suspects and running major

incidences. There were claims it would mean privatisation of the

police but the force says it is not the case. If we did not include

some of those elements in the document, we would potentially be

stripped what they could offer. We want those elements of the service

we deliver to be done not necessarily buy them. The force

says competing reports will be included. Surrey is not dropping

his plan but will consult with the public before taking the next step,

a decision welcomed at conference. Nobody really understands what this

is about which is why it has been important. We need a consultation

process with the public and say, what do we want? Members of the

Surrey Police of our tea seemed pleased to have the chance to slow

this process down. Where we have got is to give more time for more

explanation. We need to get this right. If not, off the good will p

outweighed by damage. A new time frame has yet to be worked out.

Here in the south, we have our fair share of big shopping centres. But,

as we enter another recession, it's small shop keepers who claim they

are under pressure like never before. In Salisbury, independent

shops are calling on Wiltshire Council to do more, to help them

thrive. Ben Moore is there for us tonight, Ben.

If you look around the city centre, there aren't too many empty plots.

In fact, at the end of last year, one survey said Salisbury has less

than 10% of its shops standing empty. The UK average was 15%. But,

less than mile form here, shop owners say it's a different story.

They say Fisherton Street, the historical place for unique, one-

off shops, is in crisis, as independent traders are packing up.

And they're blaming the council. Goodbye and thank you, Salisbury,

thank you for your business rates and parking charges. No love letter

to the powers that be in Salisbury. Look around your city, empty shops,

the city is dying. An independent boutique, it closed last Saturday.

The net instead investing everything 30 miles away in

Lymington. There are no customers, Salisbury is very quiet, the

business rates are also too high. What they charge us for commercial

waste is too high, so many things. A Lucinda says free parking, lower

rates and the tourist trade make Limington a better bet. In

Salisbury, the cheapest parking is �7 a day. There are several vacant

shop fronts on Fisherton Street. A fate independent traders fear.

sell second-hand clothes, we have to pay business rates and rent, we

are hardly scraping a living at the moment. It is a tight squeeze for

us. Our life savings are in the business. If we do not recoup those

funds we will packeted. This shop Front poster has attracted

attention on the internet. She says it is welcome because she fears,

unless customers come back, others will follow her out of town.

heart is in Salisbury. I don't want people to think we didn't care, we

were running away. I wanted people to know it was a really hard

decision to make, I have had to let someone go and have worked with for

10 years. I have to put Joining me now is Fleur de Rhe Philipe. We

heard there that the council isn't doing enough. We are doing

everything we can to help. We have agreed car-parking charges will not

go up for three years. We're working with them to help

businesses. Salisbury isn't doing that badly. If you look at figures,

they went up in 2011 with visitors into the centre. What are you doing

to help traders? Apart from holding charges for three years, we are

appointing consultants to set up a business improvement District. The

traders will put a little money in to improve their trading

environment. We have every reason to believe it will help Salisbury a

lot. A disused social club in Chichester has been destroyed by an

arson attack. It's the second night running that

crews have had to deal with a fire at the derelict property. It

started just after 9.30pm last night. Around 20 fire fighters had

to dismantle the roof of the building, in Palmersfield Avenue.

More needs to be done to provide affordable homes across the south,

according to a new study by three leading housing bodies. There's

been an 11% fall in the number of new houses being built, since the

end of last year. At the same time, demand is rising, helping push up

private sector rents in a vicious circle that's pricing a generation

out of the market. Today's report suggests a complex

combination of factors, which add up to one big problem. We're simply

not building enough new homes to meet growing demand. Here in Dorset,

the average house is now 12 times the average salary. Across the

south east, the difference is even greater. Couple that with a

continuing trend for lenders to demand big deposits. Michael has a

good job, with a high street bank. He'd like to buy his own flat in

Southampton. If I could get a mortgage, then I could pay the

money back, I could make repayments. I'm earning enough to do that. But

it's the initial deposit that I can't get. For a house like that,

we're talking �40,000 deposit. But until anything changes, I'm not

going to be on the property ladder for a long time. The National

Housing Federation campaigns for affordable housing. Together with

the charity Shelter and the Chartered Institute of Housing,

it's concluded that the government is falling short of its own

commitments to increase supply. We're not building enough, by any

means. But actually, what we need to do is almost a suite of options,

because not everybody's the same. We need social rented, we need

affordable rented. We need different types of accommodation,

including market rented. Yes, some people can buy on the open market.

But the vast majority of people can't. MPs, meanwhile, have to

balance housing need against often vocal campaigns to prevent

development. It's not an arms race. It's not a numbers game: "How many

can we pack into the south?" And neither is it about what the

government will give us. It's about the right houses, in the right

places. And it's about local leadership to deliver those. But,

with the return to recession, the need for affordable homes, and the

jobs that come with building them, Be for volunteers at Swanage it was

a dream come true. A signal box at Corfe Castle station was officially

opened to allow for regular connections from the heritage line

to the main line. It has been made to resemble the original from the

19th century. Corfe Castle is a tiny station on the heritage

railway towards Swanage. It was a line closed 40 years ago by British

Rail. This signal box is brand new. But instead of computers, it has

got leaders and bells. It is effectively Victorian. We have got

a lot of spare space for this facility for trains to come through

at Wareham. That is what matters. Network Rail is spending �33

million upgrading be signalling. When it finishes next year, the

volunteers will link directly to the modern signalling centre, 70

miles away in Basingstoke. If we want to send a train to Wareham, we

have to communicate with the signal centre and asked for permission and

when that is agreed, they make the signal to divert the train. That is

important for the transport minister. He has come to open the

signal box. We know that it makes tremendous contributions to tourism

and the economy, in places like Swanage. The plan is for regular

services connecting the South West trains and Wareham. But that cannot

happen yet. This is where the service ends. Been linked to the

main line to Wareham up here needs further work. But today is the key

For many people with an interest in playing and listening to music, the

late and great John Peel was an inspiration. As a Radio 1 DJ from

1967 until he died in 2004, he was responsible for playing an eclectic

range of music from bands including The Fall, Roxy Music and The Smiths.

25 thousand of his vinyl LPs, his entire record connection --

collection is being put online. But for one banned from Southampton, it

came as a surprise when they discovered two of their albums from

20 years ago were part of the collection. Dan O'Farrell and

Richard Barrett are from the group, Accrington Stanley. We were at

school together in 1986. We were writing songs and playing and we

were influenced by bands like the Smiths. We got it together to make

some records. We sent one to John Peel and he kept it all this time.

And we have actually got a clip from you in 1987. # you just put me

down. Did you really have to kick me when I was down? What was it

like, seeing that? It looks like I did not eat back in those days.

it is always about the hair! John Peel must have been such a figure

for both of you because of his love of music. We all looked up to John

Peel, my generation. He was like a benevolent uncle. He played an

amazing mix of music. It was such a thrill to know he kept at record.

How did that end up on his programme? You did not know about

it at the time, did you? We played at a club a couple of nights later

and we got a big thumbs up and we found out that way. We did not find

out until about a couple of weeks ago. We have now got some more

music for you to listen to and we had actually got a comment from

Well despite being called Accrington Stanley, they come

originally from Southampton and that was an LP from Accrington

Stanley. His collection is going online, including your two albums.

What does that feel like? It is a very warm and fuzzy feeling to look

back on that. Especially after all this time. It is a strange

allegation. And now you are a teacher? You are in publishing? But

you are very much going strong. we are mixing a single at the

moment and we hope an album will follow in the summer and we have

kept going all this time. And will it stay like that? I should hope so

it. We will not stop. And if you are interested in delving into his

record collection, we have got more online. And 83-year-old man has

become Britain's oldest living kidney donor. He decided to donate

after being told his kidneys were in such good condition, they looked

like they belonged to a man 40 years younger. Nicholas Grace said

it was nice to feel that in old age Revving up for another busy day.

Just weeks after donating one of his kidneys to a complete stranger,

Nicholas Grace is back to full fitness. He has been giving to

charity all his life and at 83, he did even more. The evidence is

hanging up in his downstairs toilet. One of his kidneys is inside

somebody else. He went through months of tests and major surgery.

Did you ever have a time when you thought, this is a big operation

and I do not need this at 83? really. I got more enthusiastic. It

was very interesting. It was one of the most interesting and dare I say

it, most enjoyable experiences. Enjoyable? I enjoyed it so

thoroughly. The doctors said his age was not a problem because his

kidneys were as healthy as a man half his age and he is this enough

to live with one. At 83, yes, we did think he probably was too old

but he said he was fit. He has led an extremely active life and we

took that on face value and started doing the tests and they came back

that yes, he was fit. James was one of 6,000 people waiting for a

transplant and he would be happy to get one from a man in his eighties.

At any age, you can donate. You are feeling all right? Not a single

twinge of pain from the operation onwards. I have not had to touch

any painkillers. I think you are Superman! I did not know! Superman

I think he really is. That is amazing, at the age of 83. I have

got Superman on a boat. Ben Ainslie is down in Falmouth with the

championships and in tough conditions. Very bouncy waters. But

he is doing very well and he is on course for the 6th world title. He

will be sending a powerful message to any of his rivals at the

Olympics. The three-time gold- medallist lead from the front and

with three more victories in Falmouth, these conditions were

extreme but his prowess is such that he just needs to complete the

final to win the title again. We will hear from him in Falmouth

tomorrow. The Bisham Abbey based women's hockey squad will be

announced tomorrow and is expected to be dominated by players from

Reading, the club ranked 4th in the table. They have beaten the world

champions twice. Alex Danson was injured during be final but it is

hope she will be available for selection. I do not want to let any

fantastic people down. They have trained for this for years. I might

have to turn around and spoil the dreams. It is not easy but it is

part of my job and I have just got to do it professionally and with

care. And as well as I can. Only some of the athletes had been named

so far and it will be an interesting period. Goal-line

technology was used for the past time in a football match last night.

The Hampshire Senior Cup Final took place between Eastleigh and AFC

Totton in Southampton and it was chosen for the first run out of the

Hawkeye system. More than 2000 spectators descended on St Mary's.

More than you would expect for the More than you would expect for the

Senior Cup final but they were sharing in a bit of history. The

cameras were in serious operation for the first time, trained on the

goal line. They can send a signal to the referee's watch in a second

to tell him if the ball has crossed the line. But not last night

the line. But not last night because this was just a test.

was the second live test since the start of June last year. It will be

presented to a meeting in a couple of months and it everything is

working well, it will be licensed working well, it will be licensed

and rolled out for any competitions. But the nearest these teams came to

providing an incident came when Mitchell Nelson forced the second

goal for Eastleigh. But the assistant was able to call back

anyway. It will be a couple of months until the governing body

decides if this test will be adopted. But this match has already

got a place in history and probably Do not forget, Eastleigh on top!

Sussex are perhaps just ahead of Hampshire against Worcestershire in

Hampshire against Worcestershire in the cricket. The home team were

bowled out... Hampshire are in a strong position against Yorkshire

after a wonderful innings of 196 from Australian Test player, Simon

Katich. And Surrey... They are struggling against Somerset, after

they made at 512-9 in their first innings. That will continue,

Can you tell us something positive? We have got a weather system above

us and it is not as good as originally thought and we will get

a bit of rain. More rain. It is a bit of rain. More rain. It is

still needed. The drought is still there. Thank you for these pictures

near Preston Candover. And at Allington Nursery. And we finish at

And we keep the cloud tonight. Rain moving north and it will be mainly

dry four most. Some clear spells and perhaps a bit of sunshine in

Dorset. Improving in the morning. Wind will keep temperatures in

double figures. Temperatures at 10 degrees. It will be dry tomorrow

but a band of rain, patchy and light will move north. Most areas

will be affected by lunchtime. Temperatures up to 13 and 14 but

feeling colder where we have rain. This will stay with us tomorrow

night. Gradually moving north and clearing many areas by dawn on

Saturday. A damp start for some on Saturday and temperatures down to

11 degrees. Relatively mild. On Saturday, it is actually fairly

good. A lot of cloud and some sunny spells initially. Some uncertainty

about this rain in the English Channel. It might be wet on

Saturday and Sunday is not the best day of the weekend. Low pressure on

the Continent and rain and heavy showers and possibly thunder. Dry

on Monday and sunshine and a variable cloud. This is the summary

for the rest of the week. Rain tomorrow after a dry and bright

start. Rain from the English Channel. Saturday will start dry

but we might get rain by the end of the day. Some bright and sunny

spells and wet and windy on Sunday. But by Tuesday, temperatures will

start to rise above the average for the season. Between 15 and 17 but

the season. Between 15 and 17 but perhaps 20 in some spots. We do of