Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

New roadworks to prepare the way for thousands of new homes on former green belt land in Coventry have been given the go-ahead despite protests.

Image source, Google

Coventry council’s planning committee approved plans for two new junctions off the A45, roundabouts, a fly-over and access link road on Thursday.

The plan by developer Hallam Land Management will support up to 3,495 homes on land at Eastern Green, although that scheme is yet to be approved.

The wider homes plan has sparked a petition of more than 1,500 signatures against it, but planning officers insisted the roads would “in no way pre-determine” that application.

A total of 16 people are self-isolating after three more employees tested positive for coronavirus at a meat processing plant in the West Midlands.

Image source, Google

Tulip Ltd has previously said 10 staff from its workforce of about 640 in Tipton, West Midlands, had tested positive for the virus over the past three weeks.

Three more have been diagnosed with Covid-19 following tests on Monday.

“The site has had a number of cases since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK and they are able to report that they have all returned to work safely," said Dr Lisa McNally, Sandwell's director of public health.

“We will be conducting further testing across the workforce in the coming days so that we can identify and isolate any further positive cases."

An aerospace firm consulting on redundancies says it has been left with no choice due to effects of coronavirus on the sector but that it was a "difficult decision".

The Unite union said 300 jobs were at risk at Collins Aerospace, which has bases in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Banbury.

Image source, Collins Aerospace

The firm said it was having to align the business "with significantly reduced demand for commercial aviation" due to the impacts of coronavirus.

"This is a critical step to ensuring that Collins Aerospace emerges strong once this crisis is contained," it added.

International travel has been severely stemmed during the pandemic,due to lockdowns across the world and a drop in demand during the outbreak.

Several companies across the sector have announced job cuts.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Joe Sweeney

Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre has survived two world wars and will bounce back from the coronavirus, its boss has vowed.

The 125-year-old venue in Lichfield Street closed its doors on 17 March as lockdown was introduced.

However, Adrian Jackson, the Grand’s chief executive and artistic director, has said that while many national theatre bosses have said they may not survive the pandemic, the show must go on in Wolverhampton.

“The Grand Theatre has been open throughout the reign of six monarchs and 28 prime ministers," he said.

"It has also survived two world wars and with everyone’s fantastic support, the team and I will do everything we can to ensure it survives Covid-19.

Unlike some trusts, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, where Nicola Ounsworth intends to give birth, said it allowed one birth partner to attend from the "very start" of labour.

"I do think having a birth partner is vital support, especially as we have had to miss things like antenatal classes," Nicola said

"I just want people to have the support they should be able to have."

Image source, Nicola Ounsworth

Lockdown restrictions mean her husband Richard has not been allowed to attend appointments or scans - often moments often cherished by parents-to-be.

Some campaigners have questioned the sense in allowing pubs and restaurants to open, but not allow partners from the same household to attend scans.

Campaigners are calling for pregnant women to be allowed to have their partners present throughout labour.

Almost 80,000 people have signed a petition to that end, including Nicola Ounsworth, from Bedworth, who is due to give birth in three weeks.

NHS England guidelines during the lockdown say women should have access to one birth partner during labour, from the point of admission to labour ward or birth centre.

But some women say hospitals have told them they would not be allowed to have their partner join them until they were at least 4cm dilated, which they say creates added anxiety and risked partners missing births.

Relive all the action as Brentford close the gap on the top two with victory over Championship table-toppers West Brom.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

Birmingham faces a homelessness epidemic due to joblessness and evictions, housing chiefs have warned.

There is currently a ban on eviction notices being issued or enforced. But housing officials fear landlords, many who have faced months without rent, are poised to act the moment this is lifted.

Julie Griffin, the council’s acting assistant director for housing, also pointed to a surge in local Universal Credit claims, with some of the worst-hit people not entitled to welfare benefits at all.

Councillors on the housing and neighbourhoods overview and scrutiny committee heard the current ban on evictions was only a "short term fix” and and private landlords would need to recoup losses against tenants in arrears.

Speaking during the meeting, Ms Griffin said: “Once this eviction ban is lifted, the impact of that is absolutely unknown at this point."

Birmingham Live

Some of Birmingham Live's headlines include:

• Second night of chaos as '400 lockdown ravers' invade Sorrel Park in Erdington, external
• First picture of 'doting father' Reece Adamson stabbed to death in Great Barr on Father's Day, external
• Student beaten and forced to steal from parents' home in 'revenge' kidnapping, external

A litter of five kittens rescued from a waste skip were "seconds away" from being crushed, said the RSPCA.

Image source, RSPCA

They were spotted among recycling waste at a firm in Shaw Street, West Bromwich.

All five boys were taken into care, following the rescue on 28 May, and they have been named Ricky, Ringo, Ronnie, Rossi and Romeo by staff at the RSPCA’s Stafford and Wolverhampton District branch.

Image source, RSPCA

Tracey Rogers, trustee and branch treasurer, said: ”It seems like mum decided to set up home with her kittens in the waste recycling skip but it was not the safe place she thought it was.

“It was just so lucky that the workers spotted the kittens when they did as they really were seconds away from being crushed."

They will all be available to be rehomed next month, the charity added.

The owner of some of the UK's biggest shopping centres, including the Merry Hill centre near Dudley and the Potteries centre in Stoke-on-Trent, has now called in administrators.

Image source, Google

Intu said earlier it had not reached an agreement in financial restructuring talks with its lenders.

Its centres will stay open under administrators KPMG.

The company said shares listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges had been suspended.

The company and its wider supply chain support about 132,000 jobs, which will now be in doubt.

There was no sign of disorder during a large gathering in a Birmingham park, police said.

West Midlands Police said officers monitored the situation in Sorrel Park using a drone into the early hours.

It said it was dealing with several similar kinds of reports in other parks which were most likely heightened due to the weather

Inspector Haroon Chughtai from the Erdington team, said: “We don’t underestimate the impact noise nuisance has on local communities and will continue to keep an eye on hotspots for reports of large groups attending.

“We are going to have more of a visible police presence in the park and surrounding areas over the next few days and would encourage residents to continue sharing any concerns with us and trust that we are doing all we can to keep everyone safe."

Pub group Marston's has said its financial outlook remains "uncertain" as it looks to open the majority of its pubs as the coronavirus lockdown eases.

Image source, Marston's

The Wolverhampton-based company, which runs 1,400 pubs, said it hoped to reopen between 85% and 90% of its sites in England on 4 July.

The business said it had taken a £40m hit during the lockdown.

Nevertheless, chief executive Ralph Findlay said he was pleased with the firm's financial liquidity ahead of a pivotal period for the business.

Allen Cook
BBC News

The World Worm Charming Championships are taking place this weekend, but organisers say they've had to make changes due to coronavirus.

The event's been held annually since 1980 in the village of Willaston, near Nantwich, Cheshire. , external

Usually competitors each take a 3x3m plot of land and try to lure the worms above ground using only vibrations.

But, due to social distancing restrictions, competitors will instead take part on Saturday afternoon from their own gardens via the video conferencing platform Zoom., external

Dozens have signed up, including from homes in Preston, Croydon and Sheffield and they will have 30 minutes from 14:00 to charm as many worms before counting them afterwards to find the winner.

The RAF Museum at Cosford in Shropshire has announced it will reopen to visitors on Monday 6 July.

Image source, RAF Cosford

It will remain free to visit but visitors are being asked to pre-book an arrival time online.

A one-way visitor system and a limit of the number of people in each building will also be in place.

Hand sanitiser will be available at the entrance to each hangar and throughout each building, the attraction said.

Mark Easton
Home editor

Chief constables are understood to have expressed private concern to the Home Office that plans to ease the coronavirus restrictions might lead to a rise in public disorder.

Image source, Getty Images

In the last month, illegal raves and street parties involving hundreds of people have been broken up in a number of locations including Staffordshire.

Events in Brixton on Wednesday night resulted in 22 officers being injured, vehicles set on fire and a number of arrests.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has indicated that she intends to discuss the unrest with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick.

You can read more on the story here.

A woman from the West Midlands has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of two men who were shot at a lockdown party in Manchester.

Abayomi Ajose, 36 and Cheriff Tall, 21, were killed at the party - attended by hundreds of people - in Moss Side, in the early hours of Sunday.

A 32-year-old woman from Birmingham was arrested on Thursday night, Greater Manchester Police said. She remains in custody for questioning.

Officers are continuing to appeal for information.

The lovely weather has meant lots of people congregating in parks and lots of rubbish!

Oscar Saxelby-Lee's mother says having him home "is everything we could have wished for".

Five flood alerts have been issued, external across the West Midlands ahead of thunderstorms that are expected to cause torrential rain across the region.

Image source, Met Office

A yellow warning has been issued by the Met Office for thunderstorms from 12:00. Flash-floods and travel disruption is expected with 50mm of rain forecast in just one hour.

Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: "Not everyone will see a storm, but if you catch one, you will certainly know about it."

The change in weather comes as the UK experienced its hottest day of the year so far on Thursday with highs of 33.4C (92.1F).