Local Democracy Reporting Service

A decision on plans for blocks of flats in Coventry, some of them 22 storeys high, has been put on hold for another month.

The city council was supposed to vote on the proposals today, but said it will now have to wait, because of staff sickness.

Image source, Complex Development Projects

The plans, for the former National Grid site on Abbotts Lane, would create 731 apartments, plus shops and offices.

The applicant, Complex Development Projects, said it was a “great opportunity” to bring brownfield land back in to use.

However, the scheme is more than seven times larger than was allocated in the local plan and campaigners say it would worsen traffic and pollution problems in an already congested area.

BBC Radio Shropshire

A political party hoping to stand candidates in next year's Shropshire Council election has disbanded after failing to attract more members.

The Shropshire Party was formed to look at local issues and its founder Robert Jones stood for it in last year's ceneral election.

He's now left to join the Liberal Democrats.

The cartoon character was one of many listed to appear before a judge at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Coventry Live

Here are three stories from the Coventry Live website today:

• Coventry's positive Covid-19 cases double in 24 hours, external
• Plans for almost 400 homes on former green belt, external
• Biker dies three weeks after hit and run, external

Lucy Letby is charged with killing eight infants at a hospital neo-natal unit in 2015 and 2016.

Empty offices in Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre are set to be used as housing for rough sleepers through winter.

The rooms in St George's Chambers on Merrial Street will be used as a temporary supported accommodation unit for up to six people.

Newcastle Borough Council has already been using bed and breakfasts and temporary accommodation to house 19 people who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness.

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

The Port Vale owner, Carol Shanahan, wants fans back in football stadiums when lockdown ends and said plans were already in place.

She also said the club had a "perfect track and trace system" prepared, because only season ticket holders would be allowed in, and they have contact details for all of them.

Football had been preparing to allow fans back before coronavirus cases started to increase again and Mrs Shanahan said: "It isn't going to be like it was last season, it would be different, everybody accepts that."

But she asked for football clubs to be given the chance to prove their safety measures work and said she trusts the fans, because, "they don't want to mess it up, they want to be back in Vale Park, watching their team".

Stoke-on-Trent Live

Here are three stories from Stoke-on-Trent Live today:

• Coronavirus spread 'starting to plateau' in Stoke-on-Trent, external
• Matt Hancock praises Royal Stoke, external
• Sneak peek of Stoke-on-Trent's newest Lidl, external

West Mercia has issued fines totalling £11,400 since use became mandatory in England amid the pandemic.

Three incidents of racist graffiti are being investigated in Shrewsbury.

West Mercia Police said the graffiti, which included a swastika symbol was found sprayed on a wall and a pavement and cut into the grass on a public playing field around Racecourse Lane and Mytton Oak Road.

The force said all three incidents happened between 13 October and 11 November.

An inquiry found 60 families did not have their children's ashes returned between 1996 and 2012.

BBC Radio Stoke

A "testing error" has been blamed after Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck were all listed as defendants set to appear at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

The names were being used to test a new case management system and should have been deleted before the list was published.

Image source, Getty Images

Daphne Duck, Road Runner, Sleeping Beauty and Buzz Lightyear were also listed.

The sacking was mainly motivated by the teacher's trade union role, a tribunal panel found.

An online map has been created, to help people in Herefordshire find local shops that are still trading during lockdown.

Herefordshire Council said it includes businesses offering delivery or click-and-collect services.

Image source, Google

At the start of lockdown all non-essential retailers were told to close until 2 December, but the local authority said it wanted to make sure small traders didn't miss out to the big online retailers.

Councillor Ellie Chowns, Cabinet Member for Environment, Economy and Skills said: "As we head towards Christmas, our first thought when gift shopping should be to shop local and make sure the money we spend stays in the local economy."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Sixty seven homes are to be built on a former landfill site in Staffordshire.

The land off Watermills Road, Chesterton, was previously marketed as a potential employment site and a previous application was turned down on the grounds it should be used for businesses.

But Newcastle Borough Council has now approved proposals put forward by Carden Developments Ltd.

A permanent memorial to remember the babies and infants who’s ashes were lost at Shrewsbury crematorium has been installed in the town.

An inquiry discovered Emstrey crematorium failed to recover any remains between 1996 and 2012.

Image source, Glen Perkins

The stone memorial has been installed in the cloisters garden at Longden Road Cemetery and includes a plaque with the children’s names on.

A ceremony is planned for when the Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted.

BBC Radio Stoke

An inquest will be held today into the deaths of four children in a house fire in Stafford last February.

Fire investigators concluded the fire at the property on Sycamore Lane in Highfields was accidental.

Image source, Police handout

Two people arrested following the fire were told in August they wouldn't face further action.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Taylor Wimpey has drawn up plans for another 397 homes on former green belt land at Keresley, on the outskirts of Coventry.

Outline planning permission has already been granted for up to 800 homes and plans for 322 of them were granted reserved matters approval in November 2019.

Image source, Taylor Wimpey

This latest application would form phase two of the scheme, and is made up of two, three, four and five-bed homes, including about 100 affordable homes.

Image source, Taylor Wimpey

Taylor Wimpey has also set aside 0.5 hectares of land for local shops.

A petition with nearly 7,000 names on it was handed in to the council earlier this year, calling for a to halt development and a review of the local plan for the area.

Shropshire Star

From the Shropshire Star today:

• Highways England raises concerns over A5 bridge plan, external
• Villagers claim contractors did 'half a job' filling potholes, external
• 1.7 million fewer bus journeys taken in Shropshire, external

The family of a motorcyclist who was injured in a hit-and-run-crash and later died have paid tribute to him.

Malachi McClelland, 29, was "the kindest soul'" with a smile "that would light up a room", his family said.

He suffered multiple injuries in the crash with a car on Kenilworth Road, Coventry, on 17 October.

The driver of the vehicle, believed to be a black Golf, fled the scene, West Midlands Police said, external.

Mr McClelland died on Sunday from his injuries.

Image source, Family handout

Mr McClelland's family said: "Malachi was the cheekiest character; he always had a care-free, live-for-the-moment attitude."

Two men, aged 65 and 34, and a woman, aged 19, were arrested on Monday on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and a VW Golf car was seized.

All three have been released pending further inquiries.