BBC Local Live: Stoke & Staffordshire on Friday 16 September 2016

Summary

Dozens of senior jobs 'at risk' as university plans restructure
Charity blames homelessness rise on council cuts
Police officer 'knocked unconscious' in stone-throwing incident
Football: Diouf and Johnson back for Stoke City
Updates from Friday 16 September

Live Reporting

Allen Cook

Christmas turn offpublished at 09:20 British Summer Time 15 September 2016
Christmas lights are facing the chop in Cannock Chase this year as the area faces budget cuts.
Some leisure services and CCTV provision are also under threat as the local authority faces a funding shortfall of more than £1m.
Councillors say the cut in funding from government has not been helped by the early closure of Rugeley Power Station which affects how much is received in business rates.
Quote Message
We spend about £35,000 funding Christmas lights and events across the district in the run up to Christmas. The proposal is that the budget goes and we don't fund any activity of that sort in the district.
Tony McGovern, Cannock Chase Council's Managing Director
Rio 2016 Paralympics: Pearson wins dressage silverpublished at 09:07 British Summer Time 15 September 2016
BBC Sport
Staffordshire's Lee Pearson missed out on an 11th Paralympic gold medal in Rio last night.
Image source, Getty Images
Pearson from Cheddleton had to settle for silver in the Grade Ib dressage individual championship.
He missed out on gold on his horse Zion by a single point. The silver takes his Paralympic Games medal tally to 13.
News: Housing plans for former football ground; 1,000 tonnes of hay fire; police meet charity over homeless tentspublished at 08:50 British Summer Time 15 September 2016
Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
This morning's headlines include:
- Plans to build more than 120 homes on the site of the old Victoria Ground in Stoke-on-Trent go on display today
- A huge fire has ripped through a barn in the Staffordshire Moorlands overnight, involving about 1,000 tonnes of hay and straw, external
- Police are due to meet a charity today after it was told to stop giving tents to the homeless in Stafford
Part of road still shut due to holepublished at 08:29 British Summer Time 15 September 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
If you're heading along the A34 in Trent Vale this morning, a reminder that part of the southbound side's been closed due to a hole, external, which appeared in the road yesterday afternoon.
It's near the junction with Harpfield Road and the closure's still in place today.
Image source, Steve Rust
Watch: Stoke and Staffordshire's weather todaypublished at 08:17 British Summer Time 15 September 2016
Kay Crewdson
BBC weather presenter
Here's your first update on today's weather - keep up-to-date with the latest forecasts on the BBC Weather website.
Media caption,
Kay Crewdson
Welcome to Stoke and Staffordshire's live coverage for Thursdaypublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 15 September 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Good morning and it has been a misty and foggy start to Thursday in Staffordshire - this was sent by Jon Kelso from Trentham this morning.
Image source, Jon Kelso
Well the sun is starting to get rid of it and we'll have Kay Crewdson here shortly to tell us what the rest of the day's weather holds for us.
There'll be news, sport, travel and other updates including more of your pictures through the day - get in touch on email, Twitter, external and Instagram, external.
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.
Watch: Tonight and tomorrow's weather forecastpublished at 17:59 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today
If you want to get up-to-date weather forecasts at any other time for Cheshire or Staffordshire, bookmark the BBC Weather website.
Media caption,
Shefali Oza has your forecast
Football: Port Vale chairman expects interest in defenderpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Ged Scott
BBC Sport
Port Vale chairman Norman Smurthwaite is anticipating "interest" in young defender Nathan Smith following his outstanding start to the season.
Image source, Getty Images
After an impressive year on loan at Torquay in the National League last season, the 20-year-old has now quickly established himself in the Vale first team under new boss Bruno Ribeiro.
"He's being scouted by Championship clubs," Smurthwaite told BBC Stoke.
"You could see he's come back a man from being at Torquay for a year."
Plans for ex-university campus 'once in a lifetime opportunity'published at 17:40 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Tim Wedgwood
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
A "once in a lifetime opportunity" is how plans to regenerate the former Manchester Metropolitan University campus in Alsager, external have been described.
Image source, Google
The planning board of Cheshire East Council will meet next Wednesday, external to discuss the vacant site and whether to approve proposals for 426 homes with parking and sports pitches.
The decision was deferred from July when the authority insisted on more affordable housing and a contribution to existing education.
Woman says lightning blew up her TV and destroyed neighbour's chimneypublished at 17:32 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Lichfield Mercury
Lightning in Lichfield last night struck with devastating consequences, destroying the chimney of one home and blowing up televisions in another., external
Image source, Sally-Ann Semple/Lichfield Mercury
On Midlands Today from 18:30: Why traffic jams could be damaging the economypublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Nick Owen
Presenter, BBC Midlands Today
A new report says more needs to be done to get people out of their cars, a story we'll be covering on BBC Midlands Today this evening.
It says there are more and more traffic jams in the West Midlands and fewer people using the bus.
The report by Greener Journeys, a coalition of the UK's leading public transport organisations, says it's damaging the local economy.
Find out more on BBC One from 18:30.
Football: Port Vale chairman expects club to be 'top six at Christmas'published at 17:17 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Port Vale chairman Norman Smurthwaite says he thinks getting in to the play-offs this season is a realistic target.
Image source, Port Vale FC
Vale are ninth in League One after the first seven games and Smurthwaite told BBC Radio Stoke that getting into the Championship is his main ambition.
Quote Message
I expect to be at top six at Christmas and I've said that from the outset which I was scolded for by some of our fans. The plan is that we need to be competing, to actually try and get ourselves into the next division and the only way we're going to do that is be in the top six to do so."
Norman Smurthwaite, Port Vale chairman
Candidates line up for Midlands mayorpublished at 17:09 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Names in frames in race to be Midlands 'metro mayor'.
Read More
Pictures: Hole in A34 causing 'traffic chaos'published at 17:05 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
These pictures of the hole that's opened up on the A34 in Stoke-on-Trent have been tweeted to us by Steve Rust from West Midlands Ambulance Service.
He says it's causing, external "traffic chaos" on the road near to Harpfield Road.
Image source, Steve Rust
Image source, Steve Rust
News: Millions of pounds of council tax unpaid; recreation centre demolition could cost £50k; large hole opens in Stoke-on-Trent roadpublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Our top stories for this evening include:
- More than £13m of council tax went unpaid across Staffordshire and Cheshire last year, according to a BBC investigation
- Plans to demolish the former Knutton Recreation Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme, external at a cost of around £50,000 will be discussed this evening
- A large hole's opened up this afternoon on the A34 in Trent Vale say police, external, forcing part of the route to be shut
Rio Paralympics 2016: Marsden favourite for para-canoeing goldpublished at 16:50 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Matt Sandoz
BBC Radio Stoke Sport
A para-canoeist from north Staffordshire is favourite to take the gold medal in Rio tomorrow.
Image source, Getty Images
Trentham's Ian Marsden was the fastest qualifier as he won his KL1 heat with a personal best time of just over 52 seconds. , external
The 44-year-old British champion is competing in his first Paralympic Games.
Travel: Crash near Tamworth on A453published at 16:38 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
BBC Travel
The A453 Sutton Road in Mile Oak's partially blocked in both directions near Tamworth, at the Bangley Lane junction, because of a crash.
Recreation centre demolition could cost £50,000published at 16:37 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
Plans to demolish the former Knutton Recreation Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme, external will be discussed this evening.
A council report says that is likely to cost the borough council around £50,000.
Image source, Google
The building's been empty since the Jubilee2 leisure centre opened in the town centre in 2012.
The report says the council's already cut off the gas, electricity and water but it's still costing them just over £10,000 a year to keep it going, even though nobody is using it.
The study says the ongoing costs are because of "business rates liability", required inspection visits, grass cutting and litter picking - which accounts for £250 a week.
The authority's cabinet are due to discuss the report from 18:00 tonight, external.
£1.2m safer cycling scheme is extended in Staffordshirepublished at 16:25 British Summer Time 14 September 2016
Burton Mail
School children from across Staffordshire will continue to benefit from free cycling training over the next three years after a scheme, external was extended.
Image source, Staffordshire County Council/Burton Mail