15/03/2017 Midlands Today

Taking Wolverhampton to Cannes - the latest phase of the city's

multi million pound regeneration - looking for international

For a few years we've been moving into our economic recovery phase.

Now we're into that really confident phase.

We'll be looking at how and when this promised regeneration

Stalling on pension plans - the BMW workers protesting

against the car makers proposals to close final salary scheme

Too fragile to touch, the family of a five year

old raising awareness of a rare skin disease - which means

When you pick a baby up, you'd scoop them under their arms -

naturally, that's the way that you'd pick a baby up.

Not the historic house, but a small eco-dome made

And Hereford was basking in the best of the sun and the temperatures

today on the warmest day of the year so far.

But will we be so lucky this weekend?

The future of Wolverhampton has gone on show on the French Riviera.

It's hoped businesses attending an international property convention

in Cannes will help to regenerate the City - and create 2500

It's part of a multi million pound redevelopment of Wolverhampton.

As our Black Country reporter Ben Godfrey has been discovering,

the investment has been a long time coming.

You have to go back a long way to hear people talking up

Wolverhampton as a place of prosperity.

But after years of failed regeneration,

of missed opportunity, the economic clouds are parting.

a staggering ?3.7 billion is currently being invested into

Wolverhampton. It's the largest Invesco meant in years.

The Mander Centre is being rebuilt, grim old market buildings are making

way for a massive retail corridor on the Westside, and the decaying

railway station will be rebuilt as part of a

And this is i9 - a prestige office development,

occupying 50,000 square feet of land next to the historic

Today, the plans went on show in Cannes, where international

With 2000 and eight in the economic recession, Wolverhampton was hit the

same as other people. The last few years we've been moving into an

economic recovery phase. Now we're into the really confident phase

where we know we can do things. Around 2,500 jobs will be

created in the city centre, when the Wolverhampton interchange

is complete. There's some brilliant work being

done about how you rigid generator cities. If you can keep that 20 to

30-year-olds in the city, the city will regenerate.

But for many Wulfrunians, large scale regeneration

like this is decades overdue, so you can forgive some cynicism.

You've got places like Bentley Bridge, St John's retail centre, you

can actually do your shopping without coming into town centre. It

just ate a little bit more, a bit more shine to it. You have people

who live on the street and that is not good if you are doing with

generation. You want to take care of your people.

With a growing student population, the city is becoming one

Investment brings new challenges then, and here the demand

for affordable homes has never been higher.

Ben Godfrey, BBC Midlands Today, Wolverhampton.

Joining us now from Wolverhampton, is Ninder Johal from

the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership.

There are some big numbers here -

for the interchange area and this new office

It is all ready been secured and we are hoping if everything goes to

plan everything should be up and ready at the end of 2018. Apologies

for the interruption. We'll see if we can go back once we've gotten rid

of the interloper! How much does the regeneration

of the City depend on investors I think if you have great products

to sell you need to go where the action is. And the action is where

all the global players come together and if that is the place you need to

be that is the place you need to be. And if you are not there then you're

not serious about your products, your place. You will be missed and

people will know that. Well, there is certainly no shortage of

enthusiasm in Wolverhampton! The point was made in the report

about taking care of the people of the City -

not just office space, but affordable homes,

plans for that? Absolutely. If you look at Bilston,

there is ready and village being built there. We should be looking at

another 13 to 15,000 homes. Across the country we are looking at

40,000. For the region to work it needs housing, infrastructure and

with this kind of investment you are taking all the boxes. Thank you very

much. BMW workers at the Hams Hall engine

plant in Warwickshire could be going out on strike,

in protest at the car makers plans BMW wants to close the current

scheme for everyone at the end of May -

workers say they stand to lose Hands off our pensions!

Hands off our pensions! They've never protested

like this before - but then there's never been

so much at stake. ?150,000?

It's roughly about ?130,000. That's what they reckon they'll lose

if BMW push through with a plan to end the current final salary

pension scheme by May of this year. Last year BMW reported record

profits of ?6 billion. There's real anger here today -

in fact, industrial relations are said to be at their

most fraught since the They say they are proud

of what they call excellent pension

provision in the past but, crucially, they want

toensure and protect pension With an ageing population though,

some argue big companies like BMW can't afford final salary

pensions any more. Profitable companies,

it's part of the package they offer. Our members have actually

given up some of their pay in the past to make sure this

pension scheme operates properly. Many of the 600 staff

here transfered from BMW's The agreement was that when we came

over here they would keep our final And we feel let down

that they haven't done that and honoured that agreement

from when we did come over here. Because they needed

skills to come into this A ballot for industrial action

will close at the end of March - unions say a strike is imminent

unless BMW do a U-turn. Sarah Bishop, BBC Midlands

Today, near Coleshill. Unemployment in the region

has bucked the national trend and is on the rise,

according to new figures. The jobless total in

the West Midlands rose by nine thousand in the last quarter -

meaning 160 thousand people That's the equivalent of 5.6%

of the working population - 261 motorists have been

given new heavier fines for using mobile phones

while driving in the West Midlands. In a week-long clamp-down,

offenders included 30 lorry drivers, a driving instructor,

and a driver accessing mobile All those caught have

been fined ?200 - A former governor allegedly involved

in the Trojan Horse scandal in Birmingham schools,

is appealing against a ban imposed on him

by the Department for Education. Tahir Alam, who was chair

of governors at Park View in Alum Rock, is barred

from being involved He was accused of trying to instil

hardline Islamic values. Mr Alam is challenging the decision

at a tribunal in London. Fundraisers trying to keep

a rare piece of Wedgwood pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, have been

given until July to find the money. Yesterday's deadline

was extended after a ?90,000 But a total of ?482,500 is needed

to stop the vase from going abroad, rather than being returned

to the Potteries Museum. As a parent, hugging your child

is one of the things But for Kim and Paul Lovatt

from Stoke-on-trent, cuddles have been few

and far betwen. Their five-year-old daughter, Poppy,

was born with a rare skin condition It means her skin is so fragile

that it can blister and peel Her family have been fundraising

and want to help others Laura May McMullan's report

contains images some Poppy loves flowers

and playing outdoors. But the slightest of knocks

and even a cuddle can We have to dress the

affected areas every day. The worst areas of her left leg,

round her feet, round her You just have to be there for her,

more than anything else. Five-year-old Poppy was born

with EB, epidermolysis bullosa - a rare condition affecting

around one in every 17,000 Picking a baby up, you'd scoop them

up under their arms, - naturally that's the way

you'd pick a baby up and we had to tell people not

to because she blistered and the skin came away

from her armpits. There were three main types of EB

and the severity, there is a wide spectrum

from mild to very severe. And Poppy as the type of EB

where as she gets older, hopefully, it will be

easier to manage. Mummy does my dressings

and I help her. On her back, there were scabs on her

back and you had to avoid them, But it doesn't stop

her living her life. She's thriving at school,

where they've made special We had to look at the indoor

environment, and change the tables We had to add a medical room

to the school so there's a safe, sterile environment to deal

with Poppy's needs. There's no cure for the condition,

and that's why her parents Debra, the EB charity,

term it as "the worse disease That's their slogan

for their charity, because so many Nothing at all holds her back -

she's very, very strong willed. She won't do anything

she doesn't want to do. And we're all really,

really proud of her. I like cuddles with

Mummy, Daddy and Jacob. Poppy tries to lead as normal a life

as possible and, on her say so, the family never say no

to her precious cuddles. Thanks for joining us

on Midlands Today, this is our top story tonight: Taking Wolverhampton

to Cannes - the latest phase of the city's multi million

pound regeneration - looking for international

investors. Your detailed weather

forecast to come shortly - also in tonight's programme,

Keeping the Wolves from the relegation trap door

-with a late comeback and three rare Telling the story of One Love -

the life and work of Bob Marley told Bob Marley told on stage,

being premiered in Birmingham. How quickly would you be

prepared to turn your back on your home comforts,

to live in an Eco-dome ? Well hundreds of so called

"caretakers" have volunteered to live without modern comforts

and technology in a dome made of recycled rubbish,

in the grounds of the magnificent In a forest clearing

in the Warwickshire countryside stands The Clearing - a creation

of environmental art facing the I know they seem quite different,

if you look over the river, yes, they are very, very different,

but actually they really balance of the landscape and the mansion

house with something that actually is very 21st-century - for me it's

really, really important. Built with temporary

planning permission, scrap metal and recycled industrial

plywood, the ?60,000 Heritage Lottery-funded dome will be

in place for three years. But can the experiment

with other people's What we're trying

to do is we're trying to do a project

about climate change. It's the idea that, this world

without traffic jams and central heating and Kim Kardashian

and big supermarkets - is that actually a nightmare or is it

actually an opportunity to live in a Capability Brown

carefully designed this Now it is hoped the people

of the 21st-century will get a You don't have to like it -

art's always like that, isn't it? If you make art that pleases

everyone, it's really rubbish art! So, yeah, when not even trying

to please everyone, you know? We're confident that we've

made a good thing here. From next week series of volunteer

caretakers will live in the dome for a week at a time,

turning their back on the comforts of home for a once-in-a-lifetime

experience. Well, I think there's plenty

of people that put their names down to be caretakers,

so we're one of the lucky ones, There's everything

here you need, so... To survive, anyway -

let's put it that way. When you live in a space

like this you make with what you have and you appreciate

everything you have, so it's an exercise of, is almost a social

experiment in itself, you know? If you fancy a peek

at an artistic life of the grid, the dome opens

to the public this weekend. Time for sport - Ian Winter has

joined me, not a vintage night if for our football clubs -

but one exception. But a couple of well-timed

substitutions inspired Wolves to a well-deserved win,

away to Brentford. It was quite refreshing

to hear both managers agree And Wolves are now four points

clear of the Championship It must be infuriating to be

a Wolves fan this season. They were booed off on Saturday,

and last night, they fell But their battling

performance deserved better. And their patience paid off with two

goals in the the last four minutes. Matt Doherty made it 1-1,

before Heider Costa sealed And both managers agreed,

Wolves were the better side Not quite such a rosy

picture in League One. Walsall missed the chance to move

closer to the play-offs, And just look at the basement battle

to avoid relegation. Shrewsbury, who didn't play last

night, have that five point cushion above Port Vale,

who lost 2-1 defeat at Northampton. but a late, late goal made it

a disappointing night It was the same old story

for Coventry as Southend scored twice in the first

half to win the game, Well, let's just say today's racing

at the Festival was more exciting than last night's football, as

the Robins lost 3-0 away to Exeter. I'm not too sure about Cheltenham's

purple and yellow kit... A glorious day for

the Festival today - Stand by for arguably

the most exciting finish Racing towards the last

in the Neptune Novices Hurdle, keep an eye on Willoughby Court

in the yellow and black - ridden by David Bass and trained

just 15 miles from Cheltenham The horse delivered a storming

finish to beat the 2-1 Delight for the trainer

Ben Pauling - And I'm sure there'll be quite a few

happy punters in that corner Birmingham's first World boxing

champion says he believes the city will produce more big stars

in the future. Kal Yafai will make his first

title defence against And he'll be joined on the bill

at the Barclaycard Arena just a warning, this report contains

some flash photography. Ladies and gentlemen -

the reason we're here, the homecoming of the newly-crowned

WBA world champion - Kal Yafai. This was the man they'd

all come to see. After winning the world title

in Manchester in December, Kal Yafai will make his first defence

in Birmingham in May. And just keep building

World Championship boxing here, in Birmingham,

and then bring one of the other champions over

to Just having a world title

fought here in Birmingham is massive but to be able

to bring a unification fight That success has been built

on relentless hours in the gym under the guidance of Max McCracken,

whose brother Rob came close to being the first

Brummie world champion. And while Yafai is the star turn,

the full bill showcases the current With Sam Eggington's European title

shot and of course that first world title defence for Kal Yafai,

this really is an amazing time for boxing

in the second city. There's always been a very strong

boxing community in Now it's time to reach out

to the casual audience, the people that like good

sport, good entertainment, and we

want them to come along, enjoy

the fact that Birmingham has got some

great fighters, now world champions as well, and come

and follow their journey. Kal's brother Gamal is also tipped

to be a future world champion and then there's Sam Eggington who's

rapidly climbing The car really compare his story to

mind because he's an Olympian. It's hard to beat that. But having a

Birmingham world champion definitely pushes Birmingham boxing forward in

general. Like I say, it's a big thing and hopefully I can mimic what

he has done. Kal Yafai may well be

the centre of attention at the Barclaycard Arena in May

but he hasn't let it go to his head. This afternoon he retweeted

a picture of his unusual Nick Clitheroe, BBC

Midlands Today, Birmingham. But whatever he was eating

at that little table, Kal Yafai certainly packs a big

punch, Mary The music and words of Bob Marley

have echoed across the world, long after his untimely

death in 1981. Now, his story is being told

on stage in a new musical, which is being premiered

here in Birmingham. Our arts reporter Satnam Rana

looks at why it's so # Serious

# Little darling # Serious #.

Bob Marley and the whalers on their 1973 appearance on the old Grey

Whistle test. This sound has crossed continents and cultures, people and

politics. And he left this 17-year-old boy and unforgettable

teenage experience back in the 70s. 1975, Bob Marley was forming at the

Odeon. He is now a musician and artist, and recalls the moment he

met the man in Birmingham city centre. The coach pulled up and he

came off. We asked him, Bob, can we have a ticket. He said, turned round

to his quote crew and said, give the young lads a ticket. He didn't say

it like that, did he? No. And that's how we manage to go in and get

concert to see this great man. So here it is, Bob Marley on that day,

walking the streets of the city centre.

# Stand up for your rights #. Now his music is back, but this time

on stage. This is One Love the musical. It looks at two years of

Bob Marley pop's life. He put his life on the line for his country.

They shot at him. Then he did it again, he returned to Jamaica again

to say he stood for peace. It has been written and directed by a

former Casualty actor. He chose to bring it to Birmingham. The producer

said where should we do this, I automatically said Birmingham,

because of the diversity of the city, the audience, the weight-loss

reggae. And that love will be shared from now until the 15th of April, in

One Love the musical. Now to the weather. There was

beautiful son today. And it certainly inspired some of our

weather watchers. A very good evening to you. A slow

start for some this morning with missed and cloud around but after

that, wherever you looked, whether it be North, South, east or west,

there was plenty of sunshine to set the temperature is racing. And in

the end Hereford had the highest temperatures with 17 Celsius. The

warmest place of all in the country was Kew Gardens in London at 18.8

Celsius. The warmest day of the year so far. There will be a change to

the right night. Cloud is spreading up from the south-west and that.

Temperatures falling below seven or eight Celsius. We could get some

missed through the valleys and high points of hills. That Mr will

disperse through the morning tomorrow but there is a change on

the way in the form of this cold front moving south-eastwards. Head

of that, the cloud will thicken through tomorrow, in fact it will

already be across many parts during the morning. Much duller day than

today. A bit of rain on the north-western fringes towards the

south-eastern corner. On the whole it will be dry but cloudier and the

temperatures will be around 11 to 12 Celsius, with a light to moderate

south-westerly breeze. As the cold print sinks further eastwards, there

is much colder air and temperatures of around three or four Celsius

overnight. It will be a dry night but then we start to see further

changes, all as a result of storm Stella. That is heading closer to

the UK. It was lengthened the jet stream and that is why these systems

are pushing in from the Atlantic. It was drink from the wins as well.

Friday has a much weeks a picture, breezy and colder. Temperatures down

to about nine Celsius. Although the weekend is unsettled it will be

slightly warmer than Friday. On tomorrow's Midlands Today,

we'll be catching up with Herefordshire's Champion Jockey

Richard Johnson. He's riding the joint favourite

Native River in Friday's Gold Cup. That's all from me for now,

I'll be back at 10.30 We'll leave you this evening

with some of the images of Ladies Day at the Cheltenham

Festival.