:00:18. > :00:21.Rubber stamping its budget, Cornwall freezes the council tax,
:00:21. > :00:23.but there will still be �40 million pounds of cuts
:00:23. > :00:26.Good evening; council leaders are also promising to deliver growth;
:00:26. > :00:33.we will investigate how they intend doing it. Also tonight:
:00:33. > :00:40.Graduates who cannot spell. I could take on three new recruits if they
:00:40. > :00:43.were here but they are not. And in an exclusive interview, the
:00:43. > :00:48.owner of Plymouth Argyle tells me about his new role and what he
:00:48. > :00:53.brings to the board room. Glut of my board meetings have me as a
:00:53. > :00:57.petulant -- a lot of my board meetings have me as a three-year-
:00:57. > :01:00.old child. Councillors in Cornwall have voted
:01:00. > :01:03.to freeze council tax for a second year after accepting the
:01:03. > :01:05.government's one-off �6 million grant to do so. Budget cuts of �40
:01:05. > :01:08.million were also formally approved today. The leading Conservative
:01:08. > :01:10.group says the budget offers modest growth for Cornwall's economy, but
:01:10. > :01:20.Liberal democrat councillors say it lacks detail on exactly where the
:01:20. > :01:22.
:01:22. > :01:26.cuts will be made. Cornwall council's and so a real
:01:26. > :01:30.leader said this was a positive year for the county. --
:01:30. > :01:36.Conservative leader. He said that there was much growth in the
:01:36. > :01:46.economy, such as the bursaries for students and a plan to build new
:01:46. > :01:46.
:01:46. > :01:51.homes for rent in the next four years. For a -- but this is a year
:01:51. > :01:57.when Cornwall council still has to save �40 million. So I asked him
:01:57. > :02:02.where the money was going to come from. We are not talking about cuts
:02:02. > :02:08.in any services. We have not closed any libraries. This is a Budget
:02:08. > :02:12.that lets us look at some growth. You call it reductions. Your
:02:12. > :02:18.opposition called it cuts. Whatever we decide to call it, �40 million
:02:18. > :02:23.is gone from the Budget. Where will it be? It is not being done by
:02:23. > :02:29.cutting services, it is done by doing things do for me. We are
:02:29. > :02:34.looking at different ways to do things. We are procuring much more
:02:34. > :02:38.smartly and buying more for less. It is about how you do business not
:02:38. > :02:44.what you do. But other opposition councillors said they wanted more
:02:44. > :02:49.clarity. What is wrong with it is the lack of detail. People are
:02:49. > :02:53.paying for everything. They need to know what they are going to have
:02:53. > :02:58.for their council tax money. In the Budget today there was too little
:02:58. > :03:05.detail. We do not know what the future for hour bus network is. We
:03:05. > :03:11.could lose half the but -- bus routes. It is more a budget of
:03:11. > :03:20.questions than answers, unfortunately. In the event that
:03:20. > :03:26.councillors voted to the Budget, it is frozen for the next year. The
:03:26. > :03:30.average is just over �40,000 for a Band D property.
:03:30. > :03:36.Our Political Editor joins us now from Westminster. Cornwall council
:03:36. > :03:41.have are taking a stranger approached.
:03:41. > :03:48.They have the site -- a strange approach. They have decided to draw
:03:48. > :03:53.up a review for a four Year period which arrived at a savings figure
:03:53. > :03:57.of a few hundred million pounds. When it comes to subsidising their
:03:57. > :04:02.annual budgets, Cornwall council can turn around to its electric and
:04:02. > :04:11.say that they are not announcing any new cuts -- its electorate and
:04:11. > :04:15.say that they are and not Cornwall has also gone for a
:04:15. > :04:21.council tax freeze, but how are they affording it?
:04:21. > :04:27.The council's officers warned members that they face a �20
:04:27. > :04:34.million black hole if they went for a freeze. The council has said that
:04:34. > :04:40.it has managed to make an unexplained income that have loved
:04:40. > :04:47.them with �7 million in reserve -- that has left them with �7 million
:04:47. > :04:52.in reserve. �5 million comes from something called a new homes bonus.
:04:53. > :04:57.It is not ring fence. Counsellors can do anything they like with it.
:04:57. > :05:01.But a lot of people think the money should be put back into new housing
:05:01. > :05:07.rather than plugging holes in the general budget. That is something I
:05:07. > :05:10.will be looking at in further depth this weekend.
:05:10. > :05:13.Millions of pounds is being offered to employers to help young
:05:13. > :05:15.unemployed people in the South West get jobs. The Government scheme is
:05:15. > :05:17.aimed at those with poor qualifications, but one Devon
:05:17. > :05:27.employer has told Spotlight he is struggling to fill graduate
:05:27. > :05:28.
:05:29. > :05:33.positions. He is one of the lucky ones. He is
:05:33. > :05:38.16 years old and in work. That is not bad when you consider that one
:05:38. > :05:45.in five people aged between 16 and 24 are not in education, employment
:05:45. > :05:52.or training. Searching, searching, searching. I almost gave up as well.
:05:52. > :05:56.I do not think I would get a job at all. In England, there are 55,000
:05:56. > :06:03.teenagers with no job and poor qualifications. The Government
:06:03. > :06:07.wants to get them look -- working so firms and charities are offering
:06:07. > :06:12.�2,200 for every young person they help into training were permanent
:06:12. > :06:19.work. Labour says it is not enough on its end. As for the people who
:06:19. > :06:22.took on the young man... It is a lot of money but it is nothing
:06:22. > :06:26.compared to the money we will spend training him and there is nothing
:06:26. > :06:36.to say that at the end of the training he will do the job. We
:06:36. > :06:40.have lost a Prince's -- apprentices before. One recruitment firm says
:06:40. > :06:45.it has been looking for three people to join its graduate trainee
:06:45. > :06:54.programme. In six months, the firm has actually had 35 applications
:06:54. > :06:58.for jobs that can pay up to �18,000. All we are looking for is people
:06:58. > :07:01.with a good pedigree and who is hard working and has a bit of a
:07:01. > :07:08.spark. You think you would have queues of people with that
:07:08. > :07:12.background but we have rarely struggles. -- struggled.
:07:12. > :07:17.there's on the other and say that unless something changes the work
:07:17. > :07:24.is going to go elsewhere. -- those on the other side. This is a really
:07:24. > :07:31.urgent issue. Wine 16-year-old in work is not enough but for this
:07:31. > :07:34.young man it is everything. -- won A charity which gives out free
:07:34. > :07:36.furniture and clothing to families in Cornwall says their staff have
:07:36. > :07:40.been shocked by the levels of poverty they have been witnessing.
:07:40. > :07:44.We have been to visit one family who say daily life is very
:07:44. > :07:50.difficult. This man looked after his job in a
:07:50. > :07:54.factory to look after his wife and child. His wife is deaf. They live
:07:54. > :08:00.hand-to-mouth. Any money they have goes to food and bills. There is no
:08:00. > :08:10.budget for furniture. Furniture from his mum and everyone else
:08:10. > :08:10.
:08:10. > :08:19.because we cannot afford any more. We can only afford it second-hand.
:08:19. > :08:22.How frustrated do you get? I get panic attacks quite often.
:08:22. > :08:30.today they are getting a delivery. They had been donated a second-hand
:08:30. > :08:35.bed from a local charity. It is a tight squeeze getting a double bed
:08:35. > :08:41.into their tiny first-floor flat, but what everyone's help, they
:08:41. > :08:46.manage. -- with everyone's help. The bad comes from this charity
:08:46. > :08:51.that takes in second-hand goods and handouts to those who really need
:08:51. > :08:57.it. -- the bed. This is one of their drivers. He says that some of
:08:57. > :09:04.their clients have nothing to sit on or sleep on. I knew a cancer
:09:04. > :09:08.victim who was basically living in a two bedroom flat and all she had
:09:08. > :09:15.was two crates down on the floor with a manky matches. We went up
:09:15. > :09:20.there to deliver a sofa and a TV and a bed. -- a manky mattress.
:09:20. > :09:24.That is all she had. A recent report by a website for parents
:09:24. > :09:28.says that Cornwall has some of the poorest families in Britain. They
:09:28. > :09:32.blame the rise in did prices and fuel prices and housing costs.
:09:32. > :09:42.Meanwhile, this family says they are just grateful for the hope that
:09:42. > :09:52.
:09:52. > :09:55.they receive from family, friends and charity. -- the help.
:09:55. > :09:58.If one town felt the impact of the economic downturn, it was perhaps
:09:58. > :10:01.Okehampton. Three key employers, Polestar, Wiseman's and Browns, all
:10:01. > :10:03.ran into difficulty. But a major scheme to kick-start the economy is
:10:03. > :10:06.dividing opinion in the town. Plans for creating a Business Improvement
:10:06. > :10:09.District have met with opposition. A captain is in recovery. The idea
:10:09. > :10:15.of traders paying into a fund to help boost to growth is seen by
:10:15. > :10:20.some as just an extra tax. -- op Kempton. This man is it not sure
:10:20. > :10:24.that this should become a business district. Other districts have been
:10:25. > :10:31.set up in Dorchester and other regions and there has been a gain
:10:31. > :10:38.him businesses. There is no choice whip this scheme. You have to pay
:10:38. > :10:43.in if it goes ahead. Yes, that is true. We are such a long way from
:10:43. > :10:47.the town. If there is a scheme offering a free parking in town it
:10:47. > :10:52.would not be much easier. But what if it gave him caught with his
:10:52. > :10:56.suppliers? I have been working with my suppliers for 12 years and I do
:10:56. > :11:01.not want to upset that. Never mind whether the scheme can help me.
:11:01. > :11:05.What if it could help you as far as advertising online and in the
:11:05. > :11:10.paper? I would like to choose how I do my advertising. It is my
:11:10. > :11:13.business and I want to choose how to run it. We did not bring in more
:11:13. > :11:20.customers for you? If they are dancing on stilts they are not gone
:11:20. > :11:25.to what some welding doing. -- going to want some welding doing.
:11:25. > :11:32.In Dorchester, the cost is about �300,000 per year. I did find some
:11:32. > :11:36.supporters in a Kempton, but that George is by no means a lone voice.
:11:36. > :11:41.If it is not useful to you you still have to pay for it. That is
:11:41. > :11:45.true, if we all vote for it. There has to be a majority voting for it.
:11:45. > :11:48.If you have engaged with the process and have put your opinions
:11:48. > :11:54.in and said what do you think will make a difference for your business,
:11:54. > :11:58.then there should be something in it for you. But this welder feels
:11:58. > :12:06.it is just tax by another name. That is something that politicians
:12:06. > :12:09.here strongly denied. -- deny. There are concerns that meat not
:12:09. > :12:12.fit for human consumption could have entered the food chain after a
:12:12. > :12:15.farmer reported sheep being stolen from his land in South Devon. It is
:12:15. > :12:21.believed at least one lamb was slaughtered and removed from these
:12:21. > :12:26.fields over the weekend. The police are now appealing for information.
:12:26. > :12:32.Very angry and concerned as well. Some lambs are on and have their
:12:32. > :12:36.attic treatment in this field. Who knows which one is fit for human
:12:36. > :12:39.consumption? These lambs may not be fit for human consumption.
:12:39. > :12:42.An exclusive interview in a moment with the man who is keeping
:12:42. > :12:45.Plymouth Argyle alive. Also still to come: Restoring a local icon. We
:12:45. > :12:49.have been up the scaffolding to see how work is coming along.
:12:49. > :12:59.And the race with real WOW factor as the Women Offshore World series
:12:59. > :13:02.
:13:02. > :13:06.The honour of Plymouth Argyle is taking up a new post in the NHS. In
:13:07. > :13:12.an exclusive interview, James Brent has revealed he will become the new
:13:12. > :13:16.chairman of the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust in me. He now runs
:13:16. > :13:20.an expanding hotel group, along with other business interests,
:13:20. > :13:24.including the football club he saved last year. I met him at his
:13:24. > :13:30.latest acquisition, Oldway Mansion in painting, pretty told me about
:13:30. > :13:40.his plans for the building. -- in Paignton. The intention is to turn
:13:40. > :13:41.
:13:41. > :13:47.it into a Ford -- four-star hotel and spa. When this becomes a
:13:47. > :13:54.wonderful four-star hotel plus spa. Do you think there is room for
:13:54. > :13:58.growth in the sector? I think there is room for growth and improvement.
:13:58. > :14:05.The objective in the south is to keep improving the quality on offer
:14:05. > :14:11.to customers and to make sure that customers know when they go on
:14:11. > :14:14.vacation they can stay in the South West. It is fair to say you have
:14:14. > :14:18.come to prominence in the last few months because of your connection
:14:18. > :14:23.with Plymouth Argyle, but you have been quietly working behind the
:14:23. > :14:26.scenes trying to drive the South West and Plymouth economy for a few
:14:26. > :14:36.years now, previously involved in the Plymouth city development
:14:36. > :14:37.
:14:37. > :14:40.company. But before the CDC had to fold, there was a degree of
:14:40. > :14:50.optimism about waterfront plans, a spectacular thoroughfare through
:14:50. > :14:52.
:14:52. > :14:57.the city centre, and the pavilions may corner the -- goal now. Are you
:14:57. > :15:01.concerned that is on the cards? I don't think I can discuss any
:15:01. > :15:06.transaction we are working on at any point in time. There is an
:15:06. > :15:16.aspiration to be developed Home Park and to finish off the stadium.
:15:16. > :15:19.
:15:19. > :15:22.-- to the developer. -- redevelop. What is it about Plymouth Argyle?
:15:22. > :15:29.Cynics would suggest there has to be something in it for you. Why
:15:29. > :15:33.would you take on a football club with so many financial problems?
:15:33. > :15:39.can say, hand on heart, the business model we focused on was
:15:39. > :15:45.the football business model, not buying it because there was a pot
:15:45. > :15:50.of gold at the end of the development rainbow. What we would
:15:50. > :15:58.like to do is see the club endowed with assets that will create a
:15:58. > :16:04.cashflow to complement the for double cashflows. -- the Football
:16:04. > :16:10.cashflows. The aspiration is to have a grandstand but also has
:16:10. > :16:13.facilities generating an income going forward. Some would say
:16:13. > :16:17.taking on a football club is a big enough challenge. On top of that,
:16:18. > :16:23.you are taking on another challenge as chairman of the Royal Devon and
:16:23. > :16:29.Exeter Trust. How can you give the time required at a key time in the
:16:29. > :16:32.NHS to leading that service through a period of change? It is a fair
:16:32. > :16:38.question, and I think it is something I need to addressed in
:16:38. > :16:42.detail as we get closer to the first of me. What I am doing in the
:16:42. > :16:46.run-up to that is making sure I am rebalancing my commitments so I can
:16:46. > :16:52.give full attention to it. I am getting involved with the Royal
:16:52. > :16:58.Devon and Exeter but because it is critical to our region. My kids are
:16:58. > :17:02.users of the service and I need to be comfortable, and I am sure those
:17:02. > :17:06.who appointed me need to be comfortable, but I can make a
:17:06. > :17:12.special commitment to it. What do you hope to bring to the role?
:17:12. > :17:18.lot of my board meetings have me as the petulant three-year-old child
:17:18. > :17:22.same, wide? Why have we always done it this way? Having a petulant
:17:22. > :17:29.three-year-old with no knowledge coming in and asking that question
:17:29. > :17:34.can be very helpful. Good luck in that role and good luck but with --
:17:34. > :17:37.good luck with Plymouth Argyle. He will be able to seek the
:17:37. > :17:43.interview with James Brent when he talks about Plymouth Argyle, his
:17:43. > :17:49.views on the banking business and much more on our this book page.
:17:49. > :17:54.Last week's interviewed is on that Facebook project, also.
:17:54. > :18:01.A group of MPs says the Exeter- based Met Office needs more
:18:01. > :18:03.powerful supercomputers to improve long-term weather forecasting. The
:18:03. > :18:07.Science and Communications Committee says it wants more
:18:07. > :18:10.confident extreme weather warnings and more accurate long-range
:18:10. > :18:14.forecasts. The Met Office is looking to develop the sport are
:18:14. > :18:21.not sure they will get the new computers.
:18:21. > :18:25.-- to develop this but they are not. We are looking to develop our
:18:25. > :18:29.operational capability to make a difference to the forecasts we
:18:29. > :18:33.provide to the public. We do not know whether we will get that yet,
:18:33. > :18:38.that is why we must work with the Government to demonstrate the value
:18:38. > :18:45.that will bring and to demonstrate it is a good financial decision for
:18:45. > :18:54.the UK at this time. Work is well under way to spruce up some -- one
:18:54. > :18:59.of the South West's best-known landmarks. Painting has begun to
:18:59. > :19:05.restore the Royal Albert rail bridge over the River Tamar.
:19:05. > :19:10.It is all about getting to the nuts and bolts of it. Almost one year
:19:10. > :19:16.into this major reservation -- renovation, other workers here 100
:19:16. > :19:22.feet above the River Tamar have restored or replaced thousands to
:19:22. > :19:28.ensure a Isambard Kingdom Brunel's masterpiece remains secured. The
:19:28. > :19:33.more they find, the more they hope to put right. It all has to keep in
:19:33. > :19:39.line with the historic design and keep 30 or more trains running
:19:39. > :19:43.every day on track. Walkers have had to blast of around 30 layers of
:19:43. > :19:49.old painted during this restoration. The original off-white colour is
:19:49. > :19:54.completely covered up. Now they are at the stage of giving it a fresh
:19:54. > :19:58.lick of paint they have gone with do spray, just as it was 60 years
:19:58. > :20:04.ago. Deborah Elliott is in charge of the project and knows how
:20:04. > :20:09.important it is to get it right. had to make sure that the historic
:20:09. > :20:13.value is taken forward in the paint colour we choose. It is iconic for
:20:13. > :20:17.the area, not just for the local people but also for tourism. We
:20:17. > :20:22.hope we are doing a good job in preserving the structure in almost
:20:22. > :20:26.its original colour. The finishing touches should be done by 2014 and
:20:26. > :20:35.the team will be hoping they do not have to break out the paint brushes
:20:35. > :20:40.I watch it every day and look at the progress they are making. I do
:20:40. > :20:46.not envy them hanging from the scaffolding.
:20:46. > :20:54.I knew women only yacht race has been launched into myth. The first
:20:54. > :20:57.Women Offshore World race, for WOW race, is bound for Antigua.
:20:57. > :21:04.Spotlight's Andy Brega was at today's Lodge.
:21:04. > :21:09.Girl power needs wind power. Organisers are hoping it will
:21:09. > :21:13.attract a up-and-coming talent and the world of sailing. Basically,
:21:13. > :21:18.these women are serious competitors, and like any competitors they want
:21:18. > :21:23.to know who is the best. Simple as that. They want to know who is the
:21:23. > :21:29.best woman racer, of which country produces the best women teams. It
:21:29. > :21:33.is natural. We are always competing with the boys. Every single event
:21:33. > :21:36.is free for us to enter and compete against the guys, but we are
:21:36. > :21:42.diluted and it is hard to be sailing in the same competitions
:21:42. > :21:46.and races. It is really nice to have a specific goals only race
:21:46. > :21:53.attracting us all to the same competition for a change. -- women-
:21:53. > :21:59.only race. Each team will sell an identical 30 feet yacht like this.
:21:59. > :22:03.The race itself is a 3,500 mile sprint to Antigua are. It will be
:22:03. > :22:08.put with's first new yacht race since last year's America's Cup,
:22:08. > :22:13.which showcased the city's waterfront on a world stage.
:22:13. > :22:16.Already, interest in the women's Offshore World Series as been
:22:16. > :22:21.International. I think the America's Cup was a great success,
:22:21. > :22:26.and because of it Plymouth suddenly became the place to have sailing
:22:26. > :22:32.events. There is a lady coming from Cape Town, one from Tunisia, a
:22:32. > :22:37.couple of others from Europe to enter this race. That is great,
:22:37. > :22:43.they will go back home saying, Plymouth is super. There is one
:22:44. > :22:47.obstacle facing the race, and that is sponsorship, or lack of it,. It
:22:47. > :22:53.may not be the best time to be asking businesses to part with
:22:53. > :22:59.morning, but organisers say they are confident that the WOW race
:22:59. > :23:04.will become a regular fixture on the racing calendar.
:23:04. > :23:07.The Devon-based Military Wives Choir has been nominated for a Brit
:23:07. > :23:11.Award at a ceremony taking place later this evening.
:23:11. > :23:18.The song, wherever you are, which was a Christmas number one, is up
:23:18. > :23:21.for best single. They are competing against the likes of Adele, Jessie
:23:21. > :23:29.J and Ed Sheeran for the award. We caught up with them on the red
:23:29. > :23:34.carpet. We are honoured to be here tonight, because that song means so
:23:34. > :23:39.much to us. And to so many other people, the public could obviously
:23:39. > :23:45.feel the same emotion we were feeling as we were singing it.
:23:45. > :23:51.Would it -- wouldn't it be fantastic if they want?
:23:51. > :23:55.Tang for the weather forecast, no supper computers yet. -- time for
:23:55. > :24:01.the weather forecast, no the weather forecast, no
:24:01. > :24:08.supercomputers yet. Good evening. By the time we get to
:24:08. > :24:12.thirsty we could have up to 15 Celsius. It cools down again
:24:12. > :24:17.towards the weekend. On the satellite picture this cloud racing
:24:17. > :24:22.across the Atlantic. This has some wet weather in it tomorrow. It will
:24:22. > :24:26.slowdown as it reaches us, and ahead of it there are some breaks
:24:26. > :24:31.in the cloud. Eventually, the weather system will move in, plenty
:24:31. > :24:36.of isobars saw windy conditions, south-westerly winds will be strong
:24:36. > :24:41.tomorrow afternoon. Once the wet weather moves in it will move
:24:41. > :24:47.fairly steadily, and behind it is the mild air. On Thursday, we could
:24:47. > :24:52.have temperatures well up into possibly 15 Celsius, but a round
:24:52. > :24:58.the coast it could be very misty and murky, and we will not see
:24:58. > :25:04.those sort of figures. Today the cloud has been fairly extensive.
:25:04. > :25:10.This was earlier today. Our cameraman went to have a look at
:25:10. > :25:15.the wildlife, very quiet, and with slightly milder air it did not feel
:25:15. > :25:19.too bad, not much of a breeze today. Plenty of water coming down the our
:25:19. > :25:29.Rovers, and that is where we have an advantage over the eastern side
:25:29. > :25:29.
:25:29. > :25:39.of the country. We will not see any water shortages. Cloud tonight will
:25:39. > :25:40.
:25:40. > :25:45.be patchy and come and go. Clear skies, at times, temperatures up to
:25:45. > :25:54.six or seven Celsius. Tomorrow morning, and dry, bright star,
:25:54. > :26:02.morning sunshine, but it will quickly clip lead over. -- cloud
:26:02. > :26:08.over. A wet end to today, becoming misty towards the end of the
:26:08. > :26:14.evening, temperatures up to 11 Celsius. Not feeling quite as warm
:26:14. > :26:20.tomorrow, it will be windy with south-westerly winds, up to severe
:26:20. > :26:24.gale force. And the Isles of Scilly, strong winds throughout and heavy
:26:24. > :26:34.outbreaks of rain in the middle of the day, drier in the afternoon. In
:26:34. > :26:46.
:26:46. > :26:54.the evening, turning quite misty. Coastal waters forecast, the winds
:26:54. > :26:57.are from the South West tomorrow, Force 5-7, the remote western a
:26:57. > :27:03.decreasing five into the evening, rain at times with moderate or good
:27:03. > :27:07.visibility. This ability becoming poor as we move into the evening.
:27:07. > :27:14.This is overnight tomorrow night into the early hours of Thursday
:27:14. > :27:21.morning. Mist and cloud appear income up mild air, very humid,
:27:21. > :27:26.added becomes murky first things on Thursday morning. A little cooler
:27:26. > :27:33.on Friday, but still unusually mild, back to normal on Saturday. Have a