Summary

  • Updates on Monday 4 April 2016

  1. Council’s homeless hostel set for nodpublished at 17:28 British Summer Time 9 October 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    A purpose-built student accommodation block is set to be converted into a homeless hostel in Coventry city centre.

    St Margaret RoadImage source, Google

    The council approved the acquisition of 72A St Margaret Road in March and is in the process of completing the deal with Coventry University.

    The property will house 16 single homeless adults but could cater for more if a single parent with children stays there.

    Use as a hostel will provide more suitable temporary accommodation for homeless individuals and reduce costs, the council has said, with many homeless people currently housed in expensive hotels and B&Bs instead.

    The building has prompted 22 letters of objection from neighbours.

    Planning officer Dean Leadon said West Midlands Police had raised “some concerns” but a condition for security measures leaves him “satisfied” it would be “suitably managed”.

    Plans are recommended for approval.

  2. Police find £30k in safe seized in McDonald's car parkpublished at 15:31 British Summer Time 9 October 2020

    A man has been arrested on suspicion of money laundering, after a safe containing up to £30,000 in cash was found in a restaurant car park.

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    A man was discovered by police at McDonald’s in Gallagher Retail Park, Coventry, on Wednesday at 10:35, following reports he had been seen with a knife.

    A weapon was not found, but West Midlands Police said officers discovered a safe on the back seat which "was later found to be hiding a stash of money.

    It added: "You could buy 139,860 chicken nuggets with £30,000! The suspect clearly had a case of the munchies."

    Police seized the money, which they suspected "could be ill-gotten drugs profits" and said the safe would be "examined for any traces of illegal substances".

    A 24-year-old man, from Coventry, was questioned on suspicion of theft and money laundering.

    He refused to account for the money or give any indication where it came from and had been released under investigation while inquiries continued, the force said.

  3. Teenager jailed for murdering aspiring footballerpublished at 15:10 British Summer Time 9 October 2020

    Sukhbir Phull stabbed Ramani Morgan, 16, in an "unwarranted and vicious" attack outside a house party.

    Read More
  4. 'Life-saving' CPR flight nurse wins top awardpublished at 14:21 British Summer Time 9 October 2020

    Isobel Corrie was a student nurse when cabin crew asked for help from anyone with medical experience.

    Read More
  5. Micro-mobility studies to take placepublished at 18:04 British Summer Time 8 October 2020

    The company involved in an e-scooter trial that was halted in Coventry last month says they will return to the city in the next few months, BBC CWR reports.

    Lucy Yu

    The scheme will focus on the University of Warwick, after safety concerns were raised amid reports some users were riding them on pavements with others discarding them across the city centre.

    Voi head of public policy Lucy Yu says it has been working hard to ensure it doesn't happen again.

    Quote Message

    It's a very small minority of users who have been responsible for anti-social behaviour. We have worked very closely with West Midlands Police to carry out enforcement activity against those users and we're also doing much more wider education with the whole user base."

    Lucy Yu, Voi head of public policy

  6. New Coventry cycleway plans unveiledpublished at 15:57 British Summer Time 8 October 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Plans have been unveiled for the first phase of a new multimillion-pound cycleway in Binley, Coventry.

    The Binley Road cycleway CGI at Raleigh RoadImage source, Coventry City Council

    The city council has set out the plans for the first part of the fully segregated two-way cycleway, which runs to Binley Business Park on Harry Weston Road.

    The first phase covers a 3.4km (2.1 mile) section, but the final route will span 6km (3.75 mile), eventually running to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.

    It will also link cyclists to the likes of the city centre, Coventry University, Gosford Green and Stoke Green.

    The scheme could start in spring 2021 and take up to a year to complete.

    A number of side roads will become closed to vehicular traffic including Stoke Green (West), Raleigh Road [CGI above] and Anthony Way at their junctions with Binley Road.

  7. 'Concentrating on Covid could cost cancer patients' lives'published at 17:34 British Summer Time 7 October 2020

    Michele Paduano
    Health correspondent, BBC Midlands Today

    A lung cancer patient from Coventry says he fears for his future after his potentially life-saving operation was pushed back due to the pandemic.

    John Smart, who has been shielding ahead of his surgery, says as the Covid-19 situation gets worse, he fears the operation at University Hospital in Coventry will keep being postponed.

    NHS guidelines state cancer treatment should start within 62 days of a patient being referred from a GP, but it's now more than five months since Mr Smart first coughed up blood.

    John Smart

    He says he's worried that with every day that passes, his life could be cut short.

    A cancer expert warned of delays in diagnosing and treating people with the disease, earlier this year.

    "Nobody is counting cancer deaths, " he said.

    "One day in the future, some people will start to count up these things and it will be seen that the cost of concentrating on Covid action, has cost more lives than Covid did."

  8. Did PM not expect students back at university?published at 13:40 British Summer Time 7 October 2020

    Labour's Matt Western says universities "are struggling to contain coronavirus" with 5,000 cases in recent weeks.

    Read More
  9. Ex-leader quits over quarantine breachpublished at 13:21 British Summer Time 7 October 2020

    After considering the circumstances of the breach, police said councillor Mutton was given a warning.

    Read More
  10. 'Significant' lead prompts murder case reopeningpublished at 12:16 British Summer Time 7 October 2020

    George Tweedie died from a blow to the head before being found in a burnt-out car in Buxton.

    Read More
  11. Tripling of city's Covid-19 rate 'alarming'published at 11:50 British Summer Time 7 October 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service
    Tom Davis

    A near tripling in the rate of new coronavirus cases in Coventry in a month is "alarming", according to the city council's leader.

    Area around Coventry CathedralImage source, Google

    The latest figures for the seven days to 3 October show 98.8 new cases per 100,000 people compared with 33.65 for the first seven days of September.

    The government is expected to confirm a new "three-tier" approach to Covid-19 restrictions soon with 100 per 100,000 cases triggering tighter guidelines.

    Nearby areas including Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Solihull have already had new lockdown measures such as banning households from mixing.

    Coventry City Council leader George Duggins said it was important residents help avoid any localised restrictions as he feared there was “no clear pathway out”.

  12. Friendly people 'as common in cities as villages'published at 11:27 British Summer Time 7 October 2020

    Sean Coughlan
    BBC News family and education correspondent

    People living in a city are no less likely to help a stranger than in a town or village, according to research published by the Royal Society.

    Women holding umbrellasImage source, Danny Lawson

    Psychologists from University College London carried out experiments such as pretending to drop things and seeing if anyone came to help.

    Nottingham was the place with the greatest amount of sociable behaviour, with positive results from places including the Warwickshire village of Polesworth.

    Birmingham was middle ranking in the experiments.

  13. RSC says 158 jobs 'at risk' due to pandemicpublished at 20:53 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    The company hopes to keep compulsory job cuts below 90 and plans to re-open one theatre in December.

    Read More
  14. Brexit warning over university income from EU studentspublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    Simon Gilbert
    Political Reporter, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    Universities could lose up to a fifth of their income as a result of Brexit, one university leader has warned.

    Coventry University

    Students arriving from the EU will need to apply for a visa after Brexit and could face higher tuition fees.

    Ian Dunn, Provost of Coventry University, said currently around 10% students at the city's two universities are from European countries.

    "I would suggest between 10-20% of university income is linked to the European project. That doesn't mean all of that disappears automatically with Brexit but it is of that order," he added.

    The government said it is committed to a points-based immigration system based on the skills people have rather than their country they are from.

  15. Jaguar Land Rover increases production as sales risepublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    Car maker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has restored a two-shift work pattern at several UK plants as demand increases for its cars.

    Workers at JLRImage source, Jaguar Land Rover

    The Coventry-based firm has cut thousands of jobs over the past two years amid a slowdown in sales which it blamed on Brexit and then Covid-19.

    Production was halted completely in March during lockdown and then restarted at a reduced capacity.

    But JLR said , externalsales had increased more than 50% in the three months to the end of September compared to the previous quarter.

    To meet the rise in demand, the firm has increased production to two-shifts at plants including Solihull and the Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton.

  16. CCTV released over railway attackpublished at 12:53 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    A CCTV image of a man police want to speak to in connection with an assault outside Coventry's railway station has been released.

    CCTV imageImage source, British Transport Police

    A man was attacked as he left the station on 1 August.

    He had travelled from Birmingham and had spoken to a man on the train about the way he had been speaking to another person.

    It is thought his attacker then got a train back to Birmingham.

    Officers said they believe the man in the CCTV image could have information which can help their investigation.

  17. Ten drivers get stuck in flood waterpublished at 12:03 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    Sonia Kataria
    BBC News

    Drivers are being warned not to ignore road closure signs after flooding in Leicestershire.

    The county council's flood responder, Ben Nandrame, said a van, stuck in Witherley on Monday, was one of 10 reports of vehicles stranded across the county he has received since Friday.

    Van stuck in floodwater on Mythe Lane, in Witherley, LeicestershireImage source, Anthony Parkes

    Mr Nandrame said Mythe Lane in Witherley (pictured above), Watery Gate Lane in Thurlaston (pictured below) and Slash Lane in Sileby are all closed due to flooding and are not passable.

    However, Merrylees Road, Bagworth, is "passable with due care and attention".

    He said: "Fast flowing flood water can easily move a car and knock you off your feet, so please do not enter any flood water and find an alternative route."

    Flooding on Watery Gate Lane, Thurlaston, LeicestershireImage source, Jason Gulliver