Local Democracy Reporting Service
Joe Sweeney

Some of today's stories from the Local Democracy Reporting Service include:

• A former youth centre in Wolverhampton looks set to be turned into a residential children’s home, despite a number of objections from neighbours.
• A new Director of Governance has been appointed by Wolverhampton City Council, its leader announced last night – occupying a £140,000 post that has been vacant since early this year.
• One of Wolverhampton’s longest-serving councillors has been granted special dispensation from attending committee meetings on the grounds of ill health, his colleagues have agreed.

BBC News Travel

Flooding is affecting the A428 Coventry Road in Long Lawford, Warwickshire.

Some buses are unable to serve nearby Church Lawford.

The road is affected between Lawford Heath Lane and School Street.

The flooding is at the railway bridge.

A car's ended up in a ditch after coming off a road near Shrewsbury., external

Image source, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service

The vehicle left the carriageway just before 05:45 on the A53 at Hopton, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

When they arrived, they found no-one was trapped and said one man only needed precautionary checks from paramedics.

Coventry Live

These are some of the Coventry Live headlines today:

• Nursery staff devastated by vandalism spree, external
• Unconscious woman rescued by firefighters from smoke-filled home, external
• Massive £9m revamp on the cards for leisure centres, external

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Thousands of people in Hereford don't have any water this morning due to a burst water main.

Image source, Welsh Water

Welsh Water says it's happened in the Putson area and is affecting up to 5,000 properties including in other places in the city such as Belmont, Newton Farm, Hinton and Hunderton.

At least two schools have said they are closed today, St Martin's Primary, external and Riverside Primary, external, as they don't have any water.

The firm says it's now digging down to reach the water main and there's a high voltage cable nearby engineers have to work around., external

BBC Business News

Luxury carmaker Aston Martin says "tough trading conditions" are behind its third-quarter pre-tax loss of £13.5m. In the same period last year, it made a profit of £3.1m.

Image source, Getty Images

The Warwickshire firm said it expected total wholesale volumes to be "lower than previously guided", but it was still on track to meet market financial expections for the full year's results and was taking action to control costs through an efficiency programme.

It said four Aston Martins would feature in the next James Bond film, which is due for release in the first half of next year.

BBC News Travel

Train passengers are facing delays between Crewe and Chester this morning due to flooded railway lines., external

Disruption's expected until at least 11:00, National Rail Enquiries tweeted,, external and added services could be delayed by up to 25 minutes.

Image source, The Great North Rail Project

BBC Politics

BBC Online has been answering a selection of election questions sent by under 25-year-olds including this from Charlie Evans in Shrewsbury.

Does registering to vote improve your credit score?

Image source, Getty Images

It can do. Registering to vote puts you on the electoral roll, which helps banks and other lenders verify your identity.

A higher credit score can make it easier to borrow money or enter into financial agreements such as a mortgage or mobile phone contract, and may mean you get a better repayment rate. This could be particularly useful to younger people who haven't had a chance to build up much of a credit rating yet.

Not being on the electoral register may also slow down the lending process, as you could be asked for more documents to verify your identity.

It is also a legal requirement to register to vote if you are asked to do so and are eligible, although voting itself is not compulsory.

You will initially be placed on two versions of the register - the full electoral roll, and the open register. The latter can be accessed by firms who want to use your details for marketing purposes.

You can ask to be taken off the open register at any time without affecting your credit score, as lenders use the full electoral roll when running background checks.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak says Ian Austin calling for voters to back Boris Johnson above his former leader Jeremy Corbyn "is a truly devastating indictment of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership".

Image source, Getty Images

The Conservative candidate in Richmond says: "Ian Austin has been a Labour MP for 14 years so he knows Corbyn better than most."

Coming straight after Tom Watson announcing he was standing down as Labour deputy leader, he says it's "another hammer blow to his [Mr Corbyn's] authority".

"Corbyn's MPs are saying what we all know - he is unfit to be prime minister."

Express and Star

Some of the Express and Star headlines today include:

• 'Vote Tory and stop Corbyn' says Ian Austin as ex-Labour MP quits Parliament, external
• Family home surrounded by sewage for two weeks due to blocked pipe, external
• Council leader calls for predecessor to apologise over suspensions, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

A town's pantomime has been delayed by more than a month after the reopening of a Grade II listed entertainment venue was put back., external

Image source, Google

Tamworth Assembly Rooms closed in February 2016, external so the building could be regenerated and it was due to reopen at the end of the month.

But the borough council says extra works are needed to safely finish off the work and it can't reopen until the new year.

As a result, most of the scheduled shows have been put back to new dates, including this year’s performance of Aladdin which the council says makes up most of the ticket sales.

Instead of over 10 days from 14 December, the show's now due to take place over eight days from 18 January, with the council offering the new dates or a full refund.

Some residents may be left with no water due to a burst water main in the Puston area of Hereford.

Welsh Water said it is affecting the water supply in Belmont, Newton Farm, Redhill and Whitecross, Kings Acre, Putson Hinton and Hunderton.

BBC News Travel

Flooding is affecting roads around Market Drayton.

Standing water on the A53 Hodnet to Shrewsbury road is affecting both carriageways, said the fire service.

Labour's deputy leader has expressed his sadness at leaving politics.

Tom Watson described serving the people of his constituency of West Bromwich East as "an honour".

He says he will continue to campaign for the party and the decision was "personal, not political".

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn thanked Mr Watson, externalfor his service, adding: "This is not the end of our work together."

Former Labour MP Ian Austin has said voters should back Boris Johnson at the general election.

The Dudley North MP who quit Labour and became an independent in February, said Jeremy Corbyn was "completely unfit to lead our country".

He says after 34 years in the Labour Party, it "has really come to something when I tell traditional Labour voters they should be voting for Boris Johnson at this election".

He also said he wouldn't stand at the upcoming election.

Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market is returning this morning for its 20th year.

It will run until 23 December and as well as the food and gift stalls and the bars, there is an ice rink and big wheel in Centenary Square.

The market will be open from 10:00 to 21:00 every day, apart from 10 November when it will be open from 13:00 to 21:00 as a mark of respect for Remembrance Sunday.

West Midlands Police said officers would be on patrol, some of them in plain clothes, and warned shoppers to be aware of pickpockets.

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

It will be a largely dry and cloudy day with highs of 8C (46F).

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Thursday.

We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.

We love to hear from you, so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external

He quit his job within hours, travelled the world, did "crazy things" and now "couldn't be happier".

The first ever Global Happiness Conference is being held at a school in Worcestershire.