Summary

  • Coventry City Council plans to raise council tax by 4%

  • Concerns over new school plans in Rugby

  • Updates on Wednesday 17 February 2016

Live Reporting

Moira Rawlings

  1. Unemployment up slightly in Coventry and Warwickshire

    The number of people out of work and claiming benefit is slightly up in Coventry and Warwickshire. 

    The unemployment figure for January stands at six thousand six hundred and eighty.

    In Coventry, the figure rose from 3,909 to 4,102 in January, while in Warwickshire, the number increased from 2,389 to 2,586.

    Nationally the figures suggest unemployment is at its lowest level for a decade, down to 1.69 million people.

    Job Centre

  2. Yellow warning for ice

    BBC Weather

    The Met office has cancelled the yellow warning for snow and replaced it with a yellow warning for ice.  

    This is valid overnight where roads could become icy and driving tricky as a result.

    Weather

  3. Latest: Unemployment slightly up; Council tax rise necessary to offset cutbacks

    These are our stories this afternoon:

    Alice Rosenthal
    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    - Unemployment is slightly up in Coventry and Warwickshire 

    - Coventry city council says planned 4% rise in council tax is to "counter government cutbacks"

    -  A 31 year old motorcyclist breaks his leg in an accident in Coventry in the early hours  

  4. Mental Health Week

    David Deakin
    BBC Coventry £ Warwickshire

    This week on @BBCCovWarks we've been talking about mental health issues and whether or not enough is being done to help people.

    Coventry and Warwickshire MIND has been piloting a scheme which helps integrate people who have had severe mental health issues back into communities when they come out of hospital.

    Facilities

    It's very difficult to suddenly just be moved into the community, without that support it's almost setting them up to fail, but by coming into a service like our own it gives them the support they need ... and builds up their confidence and self-esteem

    Tania Miller, Senior Operations Manager, Coventry and Warwickshire MIND

  5. Beautiful sky in Coventry this morning

    Red sky over Coventry earlier today, lovely despite the threat of rain!    

    Red sky

    Your pictures are always welcome so please tweet @bbcCovWarks

  6. Why is Coventry's council tax to rise by almost 4%?

    Sian Grzeszczyk
    Political Reporter, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    Coventry City Council is planning to raise it's council tax by nearly 4%, but why is it going up by so much? 

    Up until this year councils were only allowed to put the tax up by 1.9%, plans for anything higher would trigger a referendum. 

    But in the Autumn statement the government unexpectedly gave councils the option to raise an extra 2% for adult social care, so that's how the rise has got to just under 4%.  

    Other planned changes mean making up to 20,000 people in the city who've previously been exempt from paying any council tax now having to make at least a minimum contribution. 

  8. Council says rise in tax to 'counter government cutbacks'

    The councillor in charge of finance at Coventry City Council has been explaining why the authority is planning to put up council tax by 4% this year.

    The increase will see Band D households paying an extra £54 a year.

    Damian Gannon says it has to act in the face of major cutbacks in funding from the government.

    Damian GannonCoventry City Council

    We're seeing rising demand across a whole range of service areas, including adult social care, so we've got very little choice in the matter about whether we raise council tax or not. We have a statutory obligation to provide these services and this is the only way that we can provide these

    Damian Gannon, Cabinet member for finances

  10. Video: Cold weather warning for Warwickshire

    Another cold weather warning has been issued for Warwickshire.

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  11. Latest: Concern over planned council tax rise; motorcyclist breaks leg in accident

    These are the stories we are looking at this morning:

    Moira Rawlings
    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    - Coventry City Council has revealed plans to increase council tax bills by nearly 4%

    - A motorcyclist is in hospital after breaking his leg in an accident in Coventry in the early hours 

    - People living near a school in Rugby say roads will struggle if two new schools are built there

  12. Council tax rise plans revealed in Coventry

    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    Coventry City Council has revealed plans to increase council tax bills in the city by nearly 4%.

    The authority says It would mean an increase of £54 a year for the average band D property.

    Coventry City Council

    Councillors will vote on the proposal next week when they set their budget for the coming year. 

    The council says the increase will help protect frontline services in the face of government cutbacks.

  14. Police appeal over binman's stabbing in Nuneaton

    Police in Nuneaton are trying to trace two men after a binman was stabbed in the hand. 

    He had confronted the pair after he spotted them climbing over the back wall of a property in Brendon Way on Monday. 

    When he questioned them, they both ran towards him and one of them attacked him with what was thought to be a bladed weapon, leaving the refuse worker needing hospital treatment.

  16. Watch: Latest weather forecast for the West Midlands

    There's lots of rain around today. Over higher ground you might catch you snow. Temperatures range from about 4C (39F) to 7C (45F).

    A yellow warning for snow is in place for later. Find out what the outlook is like near you.

    Morning weather update for 17/2/2016

  17. Travel: M42 delays warning

    BBC Travel

    There is heavy traffic on the M42 southbound, between J10, for Tamworth, and J9, for the M6 Toll and Curdworth, drivers are warned.

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