Birmingham's Debehams store is set to become home to a huge Marks and Spencers as well as a football entertainment venue.

Image source, Getty Images

Hammerson, which owns the Bullring and Grand Central, said Debenhams is set to be replaced by 2023.

M&S will be housed on the lower two floors of the shopping centre's former flagship shop, with entertainment venue TOCA Social set to occupy the top floor.

The leisure venue, which has another site in London, is said to "combine immersive football-based games" with American dining.

Image source, TOCA Social

The Debenhams shop has been shut since May when the brand closed all of its 124 branches during the pandemic.

Harry Badham, from Hammerson, said repurposing the triple-storey shop was "an exceptional opportunity".

"Together they will offer something completely new to Birmingham and our customers as we work towards expanding and diversifying the purpose of our estates."

Image source, Getty Images

In April, Hammerson reported a record £1.7bn loss for 2020 and announced plans to slash its rents for retailers as part of its Covid-recovery plans.

In Coventry, plans were recently announced to turn the city's disused Debenhams shop into a bowling alley and mini golf set, and in south west London one former branch has been turned into a go-karting experience.

Rod Murtagh has sold to punters for 45 years but needs new workers to keep the tradition alive.

BBC Radio Shropshire

It has become compulsory for all frontline NHS staff in England to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus.

Workers will have until the spring to be double jabbed. But the health union, Unison, says people should be encouraged - rather than forced - to receive the vaccine.

Image source, PA Media

Mark Cheetham, a consultant surgeon at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said we need to sit down with people with concerns and explain things carefully.

"As a surgeon I've been compulsory vaccinated against Hepatitis B, and I can't operate unless I can show immunity to that, so to me this is similar to that," he said.

"But it's important that it's done sensitively because I think some people have genuine concerns about a new vaccine."

BBC Midlands Today

Princess Anne has officially opened a new coaching academy at the headquarters for Riding for the Disabled Association in Warwickshire.

The new academy, named after the Princess Royal, aims to train coaches to a higher standard so they can hopefully help teach another 10,000 disabled children.

The Princess Royal is president of the charity and has been involved with the organisation for 50 years.

The 62-year-old died of multiple stab wounds, a post-mortem examination shows, police say.

Play facilities at a Birmingham park are set to undergo a £500,000 renovation.

New play equipment; surfacing and fencing; improvements to the Gospel Lane skate park at Gospel Lane; alterations to paths; new seating; tree planting; and other associated landscape improvements are all planned at Fox Hollies Park, in Acocks Green.

A plan was initially drawn up in 2017 and new fencing has already been put up to protect the park, with the next stage of work to be finished by summer 2022.

Image source, Google

Funding for the scheme is coming from Section 106 contributions, secured from the developers of four other projects in the city.

Councillor John O’Shea, from Birmingham City Council, said: "Fox Hollies Park is a much-loved and well-used resource, which needs investment if it is to continue being a place that can help improve the health and wellbeing of people in Acocks Green and the wider area.

"I look forward to seeing the project when it is complete and to the park being used and enjoyed by residents and visitors."

"Some people will stick by their principles," over the mandatory staff vaccinations, a GP warns.

The contest in North Shropshire follows the Tory MP quitting after he broke Parliamentary rules.

Wasps sign Scotland loosehead prop Gordon Reid on a "short-term" deal to provide cover in the position.

Birmingham Bears re-sign West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite as T20 Blast captain for 2022.

A hospital trust said it has received funding to seek planning permission for a new staff car park.

University Hospitals of the North Midlands NHS Trust said staff parking is currently provided at the Royal Infirmary and Central Outpatients sites.

Image source, University Hospitals of the North Midlands NHS Trust

But with these sites set to be demolished for housing developments, the trust said it has been looking for a permanent solution.

It has acquired the Grindley Hill Court site, next to Royal Stoke University hospital, after receiving public funding, it said, as it was considered the best local option for future expansion of hospital services

Grindley Hill Court currently houses NHS staff and if planning permission for a staff car park is granted, the trust said it will give residents information to help find alternative accommodation.

The granting of planning permission will be subject to public consultation, which begins on 9 November.

A Shrewsbury road remains closed while work continues to fix collapsed sewer pipes.

The work on Longden Road began on 1 November, and is expected to run until Friday.

Shropshire Council said a void under the road had caused a delay to the work.

IT staff at two Warwickshire hospitals have started a two-day strike over plans to transfer their jobs to a new company.

Image source, Google

The Unison union says staff at Warwick Hospital and the George Eliot Hospital, in Nuneaton, have been told their jobs will be transferred at the start of next month.

The new firm is jointly owned by the two hospital trusts, but the Unison union said the move would make the staff almost private contractors.

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and South Warwickshire NHS Trust said they were disappointed by the strike action.

The man, 23, remains in custody as police investigate seven incidents of suspicious activity.

Two police officers have been given awards after they helped save the lives of two paramedics when they were stabbed.

Deena Evans and Michael Hipgrave, from West Midlands Ambulance Service, were attacked while responding to a welfare check at Martyn Smith's home in Wolverhampton on 6 July 2020.

PCs Victoria Gaunt and Michael Edge were with the pair when Smith, 52, came at them with two knives.

Smith was later jailed for nine years with a further five years on licence after admitting two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm., external

They were given Blue Light Commendations by ambulance service chief executive Anthony Marsh.

Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

Ms Evans said: "We are both so grateful that they were with us on that day.

"If they hadn’t been, the outcome could have been a lot different."

Mr Marsh, added: "Although I met Victoria and Michael not long after the incident, it was a real privilege to be able to recognise them formally for their swift actions which helped to save Mick and Deena.

"They undoubtedly put their own lives on the line to save their blue light colleagues, something I will forever be grateful for."

Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard remains high on Aston Villa's list of potential targets to replace Dean Smith - but other contenders are still under discussion.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A hospital trust said it hoped plans to reorganise hospital services could move on to the next stage "rapidly".

Chris Preston, interim deputy chief executive, at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said it was "working closely with regulatory colleagues" to ensure the review and approval process for the strategic outline case for the Future Fit plan was "as short as possible"

The document – which outlines how the hospital reconfiguration would be delivered – was submitted to NHS England and NHS Improvement last month.

The plan would see emergency medicine moving to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, with Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital focusing on planned care.

It was subject to a consultation in 2018.

In his report, Mr Preston stresses both hospitals will continue to provide round-the-clock urgent care but says "the current clinical service configuration does not meet the needs of patients".

The trust’s board will meet on Thursday.

An exhibition exploring Coventry's rave scene is to be held in part of the former IKEA building.

House is a Feeling will take place from 11 to 28 November as part of 2021 City of Culture.

The city was central to the scene and saw the first legal events orchestrated by Amnesia House and The Eclipse, the first all-night 24 hour club in the UK.

Image source, Tony Davis

Adi Dowling, who has curated the exhibition, said: “This is a historical documentation of one of the most important cultural movements of the 20th century and maps the journey of a youth revolution that took over the world.

"The amazing thing was this was brought together by black, brown and white street kids who had nothing but each other.”

Today should start fairly mild and bright but, as the day draws on, thicker cloud will build from the north west - although it should stay dry.

Overnight it should remain overcast with some light spells of rain pushing in from the north west until dawn.

You can find out more about the weather where you are on the BBC Weather page.

BBC Midlands Today

People in the West Midlands are being urged to take up their flu vaccinations because of fears of a serious outbreak this winter which would stretch the NHS.

NHS England said world modelling predicts up to 60,000 deaths in the UK from flu.

There are concerns that due to lockdowns for much of last winter, people haven't been exposed to the virus for 18 months, so will have limited immunity.

Health experts are worried there will be a rise in those needing hospital treatment.