23/02/2017 Spotlight

There are mixed fortunes across the region as the Government

has unveiled its latest round of Growth Funding to boost

Devon and Somerset came out winners receiving more than twice as much

But there was shock and disappointment west

of the Tamar at the amount designated for Cornwall.

Tamsin Melville has this report from Plymouth train station,

where the money will help fund major redevelopment.

When you arrive, that is my biggest beef, really. It is tired, it is

dilapidated. dilapidated.

If it is true first impressions count, today, Plymouth had reasons

to celebrate. Sprucing up the area outside the station is on a list of

ten projects across Devon and Somerset in line for some government

cash. This is an ideal way to spend

government money, because it will leveraged huge amount of private

sector investment. Universities are keen to get involved in the project.

They are keen to locate a new faculty, so we're talking about

winning in 40- ?50 million of private sector investment, and it

would transform the entire site. The money coming down the tracks to

hear is bid for by business leaders, and is for projects to boost the

economy and create jobs. Six local enterprise partnership areas across

the wider South West are sharing ?191 million.

In our area, this is how it breaks down. Dorset is in line for 19.5

million. Devon and Somerset will million. Devon and Somerset will

pocket 43.6 million, and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are getting

18 million. But Cornwall actually bid for 127 million, so there are

some tough decisions on what project will now get the cash.

We are disappointed that it is not more. Clearly, in terms of Cornwall

and the Isles of Scilly economy, we absolutely need further investment,

whether that be in infrastructure, direct into business, skills and

other things. We still need that investment. One thing I would say is

that on a per capita basis, we are about on a par with many other LEP

areas. In Devon and Somerset, funds for ten

projects instead of the hoped-for 27, but some are happy it is more

than expected. Some disappointment but Cornwall. I

think it is very important to look at again the quality of the bid. The

more tangible the better, and in relation to some bids in Devon and

Somerset, lots of joint ventures, people working together, and

government likes to see that, and that is perhaps a lesson that could

Work continuing on these Work continuing on these

improvements near Saltash, funded by money from one of two previous

growth funding rounds. But the council to night branded the

settlement as shockingly small and disappointing.

Our political editor Martyn Oates has been following the story. A huge

discrepancy between the money awarded either side of the tame our?

Yes, Cornwall council eventually today admitted that they were

shocked and disappointed by the amount of money they had got. They

say in future, they would encourage the government to base this on need,

because this is not, they say, reflect lower earnings in the

county, poverty and rural areas. But as the South West Devon MP hinted

there in the report, that is not how this particular scheme is set up. It

is basically competitive, so the government gives money to the

proposals it thinks are the strongest. So it is quite unlike,

for instance, the European funding that Cornwall has been receiving and

is continuing to receive, which is basically awarded according to need.

The background to all this is quite interesting as well. A few months

ago, Devon and Somerset were told they should expect as little as

Cornwall, if not an even smaller sum of money. In the meantime, there has

been some quite ferocious lobbying by MPs from the two counties, both

in parliament and administers' offices in Whitehall, and that seems

to have paid off. Briefly, how important is this

investment overall? Well, even in Devon and Somerset,

the money they have got is less than half the amount they bid for, so

there, as in Cornwall, number of projects will not now go ahead. I

spoke to one senior figure in the business community this evening who

said that frankly, ?43 million for Devon and Somerset is a derisory sum

for an economy the size of those counties.

Thank you very much. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency

is tonight insisting that people calling 999 in south Devon

will still get help, despite a dispute with

the Dartmouth Coastguard Two senior members have quit

and the other ten will resign if a resolution with the MCA

cannot be found. They're unhappy about changes

to their procedures. Other emergency services,

such as the RNLI Lifeboats, are still operational.

From Dartmouth, John Ayres reports. Tonight, the Dartmouth coastguard

rescue team are off-line, meaning they will not be answering their

pagers are going on any shouts. Ordinarily, it would take 7-10

minutes for them to get to an incident, but it would have to be a

neighbouring team now, which could take anything between 40-50 minutes.

They have had a vote of no-confidence the management, the

MCA. They are unhappy two senior members have quit. The remaining

members say they will resign if they cannot come to a solution. The

Maritime and Coastguard Agency said, we are aware of an issue with the

Dartmouth coastguard rescue team. We will be working with those involved

to bring about a swift resolution. Coastguard rescue team is a much

valued part of our search and rescue capability, which also includes

helicopters and lifeboats, so anyone who finds themselves in difficulty

should be assured that they will always get help if they call 999 and

ask for a coastguard. There will be a meeting tomorrow, and hopefully,

they can find a resolution. An independent investigation

into a former Avon and Somerset police doctor has found he fell

woefully or grossly below common and acceptable standards during 10

medical examinations. The report also found

there were several missed opportunities to act upon concerns

about Dr Reginald Bunting, Victims complained about being made

to strip naked unnecessarily and being touched inappropriately.

The force has apologised. Experts are warning that terror

groups are using gaming forums They say the problem isn't just

confined to urban areas, but also affects teenagers

in Devon and Cornwall. Terror groups are creating their own

games mimicking the style of popular games to draw people in.

Eleanor Parkinson has more details. It is a seductive world for

teenagers, the world of fantasy and often violence, and many young

people are linking up with others around the world on gaming forums.

But experts say often, they have no idea of who they are talking to.

Terror groups are now using gaming forums to radicalise and recruit. As

a potential radicalise, you are looking for vulnerabilities in an

individual, and if those are identified, that is where they start

to signpost them to alternative sites, alternative chat rooms, and

start to communicate with them outside of the normal media

channels. In 2008, Nicky Reilly, young man with learning

difficulties, try to set off a home-made nail bomb in Exeter. It

emerged he had been encouraged by two men he had been speaking to an

online chat room. All schools in Cornwall have no train their staff

to look up on my medicalisation. At this college, they have had to refer

two pupils because of low level concerns about their behaviour, and

he's are not isolated cases. -- these are not. At this college,

students can now use an app to talk to a teacher if they have concerns

about a friend. If I were to see one of my close

friends who were starting to act differently, perhaps not so social,

or spending more time inside by themselves, I would just go and

question them, CF anything was happening to them, such as the

radicalisation. It might be a student who changes

their friendship group, becomes more isolated. Their parents may report

that they spend more time alone in their bedroom, more time alone

online. It might be that they have particular searches that flag up on

our filtering system in the school that might be a concern, or in some

cases, students who might respond to national or international incidents

in a way that worry you. Terror groups have even designed

their own games to mimic the plots of the game is being sold in shops.

Parents are advised to move console into a shared living space so they

can look out for anything suspicious.

Exmoor explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is back striving to become the first

person to cross both ice caps and climb the highest peak

The challenge was in doubt last month when he suffered severe back

But he's been given the all clear to tackle Indonesia's

He's been talking about how he had to be airlifted to safety

when he was just hours from the peak, and how

Thank you. Hello, good evening. Doris has blown through, and left

behind some pretty lively gusts of wind. These are the strongest gusts

of wind from earlier today. Top of the league was bliss, 67 mph. The

winds are much lighter now, and will continue to drop overnight tonight.

For the next hour and a half to two hours, Stills and very strong gust

of wind, but as I mentioned, they will ease through the night, and a

much quieter day to come tomorrow. A week weather front may drift in late

in the day, but for many of us, a quiet, dry, bright day, more wind

and rain on Saturday, but not as windy as it has been today. By

Sunday, we are into blustery westerly winds again. So overnight,

a chance of a shower, but they are fleeting for most of us. Dry, clear

night. The winds continuing to drop through the night, and also falling

down to just 2-3 in places. A touch of frost is certainly possible first

thing tomorrow. Tomorrow, a bright dry day. There may be a few showers

around, but they will be isolated. Not overly warm, 8-10 is the

maximum. More cloud around on Saturday. Eventually, that will

produce outbreaks of rain. Breezy and mildly 10-11 the top

temperature, and it stays mild into Sunday as well.

Have a good night. That it from the late team.

Thank you for your company. Good night.

be much milder. I will leave you with Thomas Shelter.

Good evening. It was quite a day for some of us. We get these sort of

storms every couple of years also. Difficult to give an exact number,

but it was certainly a nasty one. It's now moving into Holland,

Germany, south of Denmark, and it continues to blow itself out. The

winds around coasts were not particularly spectacular, but the

inland winds were unusual, 62 mph in London. A trail of damage across the

UK with trees falling down, mainly trees, but also other spectacular