James Pearson
Political reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

Permanent flood defences for the Worcestershire town of Tenbury Wells are a step closer, now funding has been secured.

Some 130 properties were hit by flash flooding during Storm Dennis in February, when the River Teme and a nearby brook burst their banks.

Estimated to cost £5m- £6m, the defences are understood to consist of a wall around the town's church yard and along the river bank, as well as earthen bunds.

When complete, they are expected to protect about 70 homes and 140 businesses.

After £4.9m was set aside by the government in July, Malvern Hills District Council and Worcestershire's Local Enterprise Partnership have agreed to meet the remaining costs.

Dave Throup, Area Manager for the Environment Agency said it was "such good news".

"We’re very grateful for contributions being made by our partners meaning work can progress on this essential flood scheme," he added.

A weather warning from the Met Office has now been extended.

Its amber warning for storms, external covers Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Birmingham and the Black Country, as well as parts of Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

Image source, Met Office

It's in place till 21:00 and the Met Office says there's a chance of flash floods as well as damage from lightning strikes and strong winds.

It added that power supplies, as well as water and gas could be affected.

The Environment Agency's Dave Throup, based in the region, warned: "Exceptionally powerful thunderstorms could deliver up to 100mm of rain in a couple of hours. If that happens there will be severe impacts."

The lightning over many parts of the West Midlands on Tuesday night proved to be one of the most spectacular in years.

Matt Stanton's slow motion video captured it illuminating the skies over Stourbridge:

Allen Cook
BBC News

We'll return tomorrow from 08:00.

The leader of Birmingham City Council's been urged to "consider his position" after plans for a £500m athletes' village for the city's Commonwealth Games were scrapped.

But the leader, councillor Ian Ward, said today he didn't feel the change in proposals meant it was a failure by the council.

He said the decision was "entirely down to the pandemic" and denied it was a "convenient cover" for other failings as costs lurched £92m over budget.

But the leader of the council's Liberal Democrat group, Jon Hunt, said abandoning the use of Perry Barr for the village was "an astonishing failure" for the council.

He added: "City leader Ian Ward and some of those advising him should consider their positions."

Worcester News

The Worcester News is covering these stories today:

• Neighbours fear flats plan could change historic Worcester street forever, external
• Man charged for GBH as investigation into group attack in Wylds Lane continues, external
• Worcester benefits claims up by more than 100%, external

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Workers at a food packaging site which saw an outbreak of Covid-19 are going to start to return to work after latest tests came back negative.

Image source, Google

Last month, 14 staff at Evesham Vale Growers (EVG) Limited in Worcestershire tested positive.

The firm, which packs and distributes vegetables and salad products, employs around 340 workers.

Dr Kathryn Cobain, Worcestershire's director for public health, said , externalkey workers had swab tests on Friday and all of them had been negative.

"Workers will start to return to work under guidance from Public Health. Alongside existing measures, EVG have introduced additional stringent practices in the workplace and for those living on site."

BBC CWR

"We're ready" - officials at the University of Warwick have reacted positively to news they will be hosting hundreds athletes for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Image source, Google

Organisers of the Games announced yesterday they were abandoning plans for an athletes' village and instead would use the NEC and student accommodation at the universities of Birmingham and Warwick.

The new proposals will see 1,900 athletes and officials stay at Warwick , externalwhich will also mean they are near to the venues for rugby sevens, lawn bowls, judo and wrestling.

The university's director of sport, Lisa Dodd-Mayne, said it was "fantastic news" and it was well prepared to host the competitors.

"We've got the fantastic conference facilities, our colleagues in conferencing understand the needs that athletes have, they can relax and focus on the competitions and we've got the sporting facilities set up and ready to go so we've got no problems at all, we're ready."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A Grade II listed building in the centre of Wolverhampton which used to be offices, is going to be turned in to bedsits, possibly for students.

The property on Queen Street has been empty for a number of years and the city council's planning committee was told it had started to fall in to disrepair.

Image source, Google

Applicants AAJ Property Management said that its run-down condition and lack of facilities would have made it difficult to let as offices again.

A key figure behind the success of London 2012 is being considered as an independent delivery chief for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, West Midlands

Losing the Commonwealth Games athletes village is certainly not the norm, but it de-risks a project that had turned very risky indeed.

Athletes won’t be within earshot of the roar of the crowds at Alexander Stadium, but they will be in places with plenty of room and great facilities.

Image source, Birmingham City Council

Birmingham City Council’s adamant that this is a coronavirus compromise, but the fact is timescale and budget were already tighter than tight.

A projected £90m increase to the original budget and problems with getting contracts signed off took a toll.

Now there’s a little more breathing space - but eyes will be on how the Perry Barr legacy project costs are managed.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

A coronavirus-testing walk-in centre is being set up in part of Coventry after a small rise in the rate of new cases, health officials have said.

Image source, Reuters

At a city council meeting last week, director of Public Health Liz Gaulton said the north east of Coventry was seeing “slightly higher rates than elsewhere across the city”.

The centre will open for advance bookings next to the Broad Street GP surgery on Thursday.

The rate of Covid-19 cases across Coventry has dropped slightly in the latest figures for the seven days to 7 August with 14.0 per 100,000, compared with 14.5 for the previous seven days.

That is still well below the rate of 20.1 in Sandwell; while Pendle in the north of England has a current rate of 96.6 new infections per 100,000 people in the same period.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website's covering these stories today:

• Fashion giant to open new 6,000sqft outlet store at Staffordshire shopping centre, external
• Dog 'lucky to be alive' after being stabbed in unprovoked attack in Stoke-on-Trent garden, external
• Hundreds without power across area as storm batters region, external

Birmingham Commonwealth Games' organisers insist abandoning plans was "entirely" due to Covid-19.

A man is arrested after assaulting two paramedics treating him in Birmingham City Centre.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Alton Towers is gradually being closed this afternoon after last night's thunder storms disrupted its water supply.

Image source, Google

A spokesperson for the theme park says the storm affected the control system and managers decided to close as engineers couldn't quickly restore full supply.

They say guests are being asked "to leave at leisure" so they can maintain social distancing, and all are being offered a complimentary return trip.

Dozens of people took to Twitter in response, external with many saying they should have been told earlier in the day.

The spokesperson said the park tried to sort out the issue before deciding to close, and was hoping to "reopen shortly".

Patients awarded thousands in compensation have not been paid as he did not have insurance.

BBC Weather Watchers

After the electrical storm last night, this morning has brought more sunny weather with pretty much completely blue skies - at least, according to our local BBC Weather Watchers.

Here are three of their photos from users Snapper Simon in Church Stretton, Shropshire, Mustn't in Alsager, Cheshire and Step Counter in Bodenham, Herefordshire:

Image source, Snapper Simon

Image source, MUSTNT

Image source, Step Counter

BBC Shropshire

A man's suffered serious injuries after reportedly falling from a first-floor window this morning.

Butcher Row, Shrewsbury,, external was closed by police after paramedics including the air ambulance were called to the scene.

The ambulance service said the man was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for more treatment.

West Mercia PC Jamie Holloway was responding to an emergency call at the time of the collision.

Striker Kane Hemmings joins hometown club Burton after leaving Scottish side Dundee, while Luke Varney rejoins the Brewers.