26/11/2013 Spotlight

will be back with more from Edinburgh at

A cause for celebration, or a major economic setback? As the plug is

pulled on a massive offshore wind farm.

Good evening. Opponents have welcomed the news.

But business leaders say the region's lost millions of pounds and

hundreds of jobs. The market has realised the way the wind is blowing

and they realise they need to put expensive money into this and it is

not viable. We will have to work very hard to repair the economic

loss we have suffered today. Also tonight: Vital services

affected in Cornwall, as cuts are agreed.

The council has to save ?43 million. The council tax will go up too.

And, a sobering thought, as paramedics warn about the levels of

drink and drug`taking among parents of young children.

Seven years after it was first proposed, a giant offshore wind farm

off the North Devon coast has been shelved. The news, revealed by BBC

Spotlight last night, has been welcomed by anti`wind farm

campaigners. However, business leaders say it would have brought

vital jobs and income to the region. The Atlantic Array was planned for a

site about ten miles off the North Devon Coast, with up to 240 turbines

producing 1,200 megawatts of energy. That would have been enough to power

900,000 homes. In a moment, our environment correspondent will

assess the impact on the renewable energy industry. And our political

editor will have reaction from Westminster. But first, here's our

North Devon reporter Andrea Ormsby. This is the site many people in

North Devon feared, for them, today is a day of celebration. This is

clearly a victory for people power. RWE has said they have pulled out

because they can't match the financing to the technicalities of

the site. The reason is the market has realised the way the wind is

blowing and they need to put expensive money into this and it is

no longer viable. Not everyone is happy, this was a huge project,

doubled the size of any wind farm operating in Britain. It would have

brought jobs and investment. This is a massive body blow. The expectation

was huge, hundreds of jobs during construction, 200 jobs probably for

25 years looking after it once it had been built. We will have two

work very hard to repair the economic loss we have suffered

today. Here in Willie comb, delight, the village would have been

closest. It would have gone across over here, ten miles out but still

clearly visible. Concern that people would not come as tourists. From our

survey two years ago, we asked 750 people if they would come back if

there was a wind farm, 79% of them said they would not. In fact, it's

not only good news for the people who know and love North Devon but

for the wider population of Great Britain. Not everyone will see it

that way, the Atlantic array brings a host of issues, from the jobs that

may have been created, to the tourists that may have been lost,

from the power generated versus concerns about the environment. The

look of it, the politics of it, a host of issues and a range of

opinions. One thing for sure, in this village, tonight is a time to

celebrate. This raises The Atlantic Array would

have generated around 17% of the region's renewable energy target.

Many questions. So what is the future for green power in the South

West? I'm joined by our environment correspondent Adrian Campbell.

Adrian, what has the reaction been from the renewable energy sector?

There was a renewables conference taking place in Bath today. Fair to

say that people were disappointed and surprised. It's a significant

development because this was to be one of the big new wind farms off

the coast of England that are supposed to keep the lights on in

the coming years. We spoke to the man who has pioneered the whole idea

of the Atlantic Array, who has been involved in the London Array which

is now operating. He said he is more optimistic than many people.

I have been in this business for a very long time, and setbacks is the

name of the game. As I said, it took us 17 years to build the one in

London, others have taken longer from start to finish. It is a

setback. But I am determined to do what I can to make it come back and

I am certain it will. What are the wider implications for

the renewables sector in the South West?

For example, there's tidal energy and the wave hub. However, we are

living in times where ambitions are being cut back on big offshore wind

farms. The government has set out a road

map to 2020 with up to 16 gigawatts of offshore wind are to be deployed

in that time frame. That is a lot less than the current projects going

through the leasing and planning project `` process. Some of those

projects will fall by the wayside but each project carries with it

major impact on the local community, supply chain and skills where people

are making investment. Tonight, confirmation from the Crown

Estate that for the short term they have no plans to undertake any

further work in the Bristol Channel zone for the foreseeable future.

We need these wind farms to provide electricity.

Today, the Prime Minster added his reaction to the news. He says,

despite RWE's decision, the UK is still the world leader in offshore

wind power. But today's announcement comes at a time of increasing debate

about green levies on energy bills. So, what's been the reaction at

Westminster? Our political editor Martyn Oates is there tonight.

Earlier, we heard opponents of the scheme celebrating a victory,

saying, we told you so. I am joined by the constituency MP Sir Nick

Harvey. Those aren't positions you share. I understand people who

opposed the scheme being pleased it is off, but they haven't defeated it

in planning terms. They have simply dodged the fight. They need to bear

in mind there is still a lot of wind at that and maybe someone will come

back with a different technology to make a go of it. Do you agree with

the Green party and labour saying this is the kind of thing that was

bound to happen once the Prime Minister started talking about

reviewing green levies? I don't think it had anything to do

with what has happened today. This is actually to do with the state of

the German parent company which has run into difficulties in the German

and central European energy markets. Do you think that is generally a

problem? Your own energy spokesman said last week that there was a

suggestion we are rolling back green subsidies which would undermine

confidence? That is a problem but the bigger

issue at the moment is that we seem to have sub contracted as a country

the decision over our key energy infrastructure and environmental

goals to foreign utility companies. They seem to be in a position to

completely change our plans for us. Of course we want their investment

by the government will have to take this and find other schemes for the

future that guaranteed the lights will stay on.

Uncertainty in the longer term as to whether this scheme will go ahead,

whether it will be revived. And ongoing disagreement as to the

direction the government energy policy should be heading in, or more

generally. The public are being asked for their

views on plans to manage the risk of flooding in Somerset. Several parts

of county have been affected in recent years. The consultation,

which ends just before Christmas, is part of a strategy to outline who's

responsible for clearing gullies, managing surface and ground water,

as well as helping residents manage their own flood risk.

More than ?30 million of public funding has been given to the

University of Exeter from the country's three main research

councils. The faculty, which has more than 700 studentships, is

hoping for millions of pounds of further funding in the future. The

university says it will help the next generation of researchers to be

trained in Devon and Cornwall. Cornwall Council has approved a

budget for next year, which includes ?43 million worth of savings. The

cuts include adult care, and health support for vulnerable youngsters,

council`run leisure centres across the county, and road maintenance. In

addition, council tax will increase by nearly 2%, the first rise for

three years. Here's our political reporter Tamsin Melville.

33 against. A decisive vote at County Hall as councillors approved

a cost`cutting plan for next year which will hit many front`line

services. I think everyone is reluctant to do what we have to do,

but we are in a situation where lack of government support means we have

to make huge cuts, and I commend the council on the way they have

approached this in making sure the impact is mineralised. Something

they still haven't got it right. They are not looking at themselves

much, at highly paid officers, they are thinking immediately about

cutting services. I am not saying that cutting our paid to officers,

how many we have, would be enough, but it is absolutely essential if

you are going to ask people to take `` to take these cuts in services.

Public consultation revealed buses to be a priority and put leisure

centres and libraries on the hit list. These people think cutting

libraries would be wrong. For me, it is a life`saver, and

emotional help. I don't think you can put a value on boosting

children's imagination and reading. The council and lodgers whatever

they cut they won't be popular. Unions are warning hundreds of

council jobs are under threat. We have already seen a significant

reduction in staffing numbers. People going on voluntary

redundancy, huge numbers of compulsory is. The staff left behind

have to absorb huge amount of work, the service can't continue like

this. The budget next year may have been approved easily at County Hall

today but it has been agreed going forward things will be far from

easy. It is predicted if the spending squeeze from central

government continues, Cornwall Council will have to find ?196

million of cuts over five years. Two workers who exposed widespread

failings at a Devon care home have won the latest round in their legal

battle to get tens of thousands of pounds they were awarded for being

unfairly dismissed. The owners of Park View Care Home in Plymouth

challenged the award to Rosemary Parker and Launa Llewelyn Jones, but

lost. Our home affairs correspondent Simon Hall reports.

This was a resounding victory for Rosemary Parker and Launa Llewelyn

Jones. The judge rejected the evidence of the home owner as

unreliable and said the ?40,000 the women had been jointly awarded for

unfair dismissal should stand. It feels good, just determined not to

give up and get justice for ourselves, for other workers, for

our elderly people, for the whole thing of the care community. This

has become a protracted case. In summer, the women with supporters

staged a sit in at Park View Care Home for not being paid. They were

dismissed after exposing poor standards of care. But they have

still received no money. We haven't got any money yet.

There is another route we will have to go down now as soon as we get

back, to see somebody else about the money which the judge has said we

can take to another court hearing. We're not done yet. It's not a

victory but it is in our favour. It proves we didn't tell lies, we were

honest to the judge. It is a victory, we have won it. It will be

a victory when we get the money. Park View Care Home has since been

closed by Plymouth City Council. The next page in this battle is likely

to see roles reversed with women pursuing mixture to the courts. As

for Mr Chapman himself, he was not in the tribunal and has not

responded to our request for a comment.

Coming up later in the programme: Commemorating one of the Royal

Navy's most famous ships. HMS Warspite, which saw action in

both world wars, is remembered 100 years after its launch.

And, with one voice, the choir hoping to help others in the run up

to Christmas. Figures released to BBC Spotlight

show that, in one month alone, paramedics in the South West raised

concerns about families with young children around 80 times. In the

majority of cases, parents drinking or taking drugs was the main factor.

It's left paramedics worried about the ability of some adults to

properly look after youngsters who've injured themselves. They say

children's lives are being put at risk. Simon Clemison reports.

With a bottle or glass of something at home, fast catching up with a

pint on a night out, what if you are a parent of a young child who needs

your help? One mother said she is never touching alcohol again.

Telling a generalist her story was too much. In e`mails passed through

the NHS in Dorset, she has answered some of my questions. In one of the

most extreme cases, she drank at lunchtime and had 14 cans of cider,

falling asleep on the server. Meanwhile, her baby has stopped

breathing. When she was told he was dead, she said she couldn't stop

other parents not to end up empty and lost. She says she believes if

she hadn't drunk, she might have noticed her young son wasn't well

and got help sooner. Alcohol will go the senses. You sometimes miss

things happening. A child might be doing their normal thing but,

because the parent isn't being as attentive, they might have a fall or

crashed into something, wondered off. Figures I have been given a

show on 81 occasions in June alone, paramedics raised concerns about

families with young children. In the majority of cases, parents in their

feud had had too much to drink or taken drugs. In 46 cases, the

youngsters were under five. Of those, 21 were less than

one`year`old. I was fairly surprised that intoxication was the main cause

for referral in the age groups. It is probably down to the fact

paramedics are seeing safeguarding as a more important part of their

role rather than their emergency life`saving situations. A parent

dialling emergency may simply not be able to follow instructions over the

phone. A nurse who has been needing an awareness campaign says in her

career she has seen 24 cases of children dying where a parent has

been incapable. We are trying to make people think

about the level of alcohol. One or two glasses might be a cake but if

they are drinking the whole bottle or drinking another bottle and

started at lunchtime, it will have a curative effect. Staying in maybe

the new going out but whether that makes someone a more responsible

parent is now open to question. Sports news now.

It's a big night for Devon football, particularly at Plainmoor where

Torquay United and Plymouth Argyle do battle for the 37th time in their

history. John Sheridan's Pilgrims go into the contest as favourites,

after going unbeaten in their last five league outings, moving to

within five points off the play`off places. But the Gulls are struggling

badly, and are next to the bottom of League Two, with only one win in

nine games. BBC Radio Devon will be at Plainmoor

to bring you full coverage from 7.05pm, along with the latest on

Exeter City's match at Wycombe Wanderers.

She was widely considered the greatest British war ship ever

built, HMS Warspite was launched 100 years ago today in Plymouth. The

super dreadnought of 1913 was actually the seventh battleship in

Royal Navy history to bear the name Warspite, which dates back to 1596

when Sir Walter Raleigh was her captain. Today, her more recent

veterans gathered in tribute. Clare Burton was there to hear their

stories. NEWSREEL: This is war, the dim light

of early morning. HMS Warspite, gliding towards the Germans. There

are other shells exploding. April 1940, the world is watching as HMS

Warspite hunts down and destroyed German ships in Norwegian waters.

Just one battle in a 30 year service career which ended when she ran

aground in Cornwall in 1947 on her way to be scrapped. But this is

where it all began in November 1913. Number three slip at the

Devonport dockyard. Today, this is where then `` where 100 infections

have `` veterans have gathered. Unfortunately we don't have a

warship or submarine here, but this is one of the proudest ships we have

in the Navy. My memory is very good. I had some

good times. Believe it or not, I had some bad times. We got hit a couple

of times. But we did very well. It's own happy and sad times

remembered in a ceremony today, a chance for officers to reflect on

the changing face of the Navy. It has been very interesting

researching into life in the Navy that it served in. Let us not forget

HMS Warspite saw service covering two world wars which saw a huge

change in the way the world wars. Symbolic, not just of Britain's

naval history, but Plymouth's master shipbuilders, the name HMS Warspite

still inspires a pride and passion that time cannot erode.

Christmas has come early in Weymouth. The town's One Voice Choir

has released a CD to raise money for local children's charities and food

banks. Local school children have been performing some of the songs,

including a special composition, Christmas Time In Weymouth. Graham

Smith reports. One night in the pub after

rehearsal, I said, if you want me to arrange anything for your choir, I

would be only too happy. The whole project was born from that.

Doesn't it feel strange to be singing about Christmas in the

middle of November? Well, yes, but it is nearly Christmas. I want it to

be Christmas every day. What do you think, Chloe? The same as her but

maybe not Christmas every day because it wouldn't be fair on

Father Christmas. John came to me in July last summer

with a song, and I thought it sounded great. He invited all of the

local schools to take part. We wanted to at Saint Andrews. Since

September, we have been rehearsing. And have all come together today. It

is so thrilling. We approached all of the primary schools within the

borough. And we were able to get six who helped us.

Time now for the weather. It is feeling a bit Christmassy, it

was freezing last night. I was going to ask whether you have done your

Christmas list? Funnily enough, no! Plenty of time

yet. Let us have a look. It is certainly

cold enough but I don't think we will see any of the white stuff.

Some fairly low overnight temperature is, last night it was

down 2`3 in several places. Tomorrow, it is less cold. I am

choosing my words carefully. Rather cloudy, and some drizzle in the wind

every now and then particularly across Dorset and Somerset. More

clouds on the satellite picture. It is allowing some weather fronts from

the North West over the next two days. That area of high pressure

moves further away back into the Atlantic over the next 24 hours. A

warm weather system comes from the north, fairly weak, introducing

cloud, meaning less cold air and the threat of drizzle and low cloud at

the end of the day tomorrow. By the time we get to Thursday, little

change in that pattern, we are on the edge of the high pressure so a

limited amount of frost is likely as we see a lot more clout at

night`time. That process has already happened tonight. Across Somerset

and Dorset, briefly a touch of frost. Mostly, a cloudy night.

Temperatures several degrees above freezing by dawn tomorrow. Those are

the figures we can expect, up to four degrees by dawn tomorrow.

Temperatures will start to rise again in the second half. The reason

for that is we have this cloud producing a little drizzle. Mostly

across Dorset and Somerset, drifting towards northern France. Devon and

Cornwall, a lot of cloud. Over high ground, it becomes quite misty and a

spit of drizzle in the wind. After the sparkling clear days we have

seen, the moorlands are likely to be misty over the next few days. Double

figures at last. Quite a big difference tomorrow. It will feel a

little less cold. 10 degrees, considerably higher than we have

seen for several days. The forecast for the Isles of Scilly. Rather

cloudy, mainly dry. The seat is relatively calm. The winds are

gentle. And on to the times of high water.

For our coastal waters forecast, the winds are light. If you are heading

down to the beach surfing, you might disappointed. The seat is beginning

to cool down now, between 12 and 13 degrees.

The coastal waters forecast. So, when will the frosts come back?

Probably on Saturday night into Sunday. The next few days, cloud

around, thick enough on Friday to generate some showers and a brisk

north westerly breeze. 11 degrees by Friday but back into single figures

at the weekend. Fine weather for the weekend but the Frost returns on

Saturday night and Sunday night. Have a good evening.

We have put a video of the choir in Weymouth on our Facebook page.

That's all for now.