12/02/2017 Midlands Today

Business leaders in Ludlow say they're worried the town's unique

High Street could be lost, due to a national change in the way

Some smaller shops will pay nothing from April -

but others, including many independent retailers,

GD Ginger Antiques have been trading in Ludlow for 31 years.

But over the road, at least three shops will pay nothing.

It's a system which is totally unworkable.

Everyone should pay a little, and they shouldn't expect the 40%

It's a system which is totally unworkable.

Everyone should pay a little, and they shouldn't expect the 40%

of shops in Ludlow that are paying rates to subsidise the

At the Queen's Pub, expansion plans are on hold,

We've been informed that our rates are going to be increased 130%,

We're a small pub in a small market town.

I've looked at the business rates of every shop in town,

and they're going up four times the national average.

I don't quite know why that's so, but it's going to affect our

The Department for Communities and Local Government says

three quarters of properties will see no change, or even a fall

The problem is that the quarter that do aren't spread

Business leaders say they're worried, if independent shops close,

the character of the town will be destroyed.

The times I hear, as I walk down the street, "Oh, isn't it lovely?

People are really valuing what a good high street is,

because so many other towns have lost it.

Traders will meet with their MP, Phillip Dunn, next week

Police are appealing for information about a mother from Dudley who has

Patricia Lashley, who is also known as Pat or Jade,

was last seen at a flat in Hall Street in September 1998.

Her eldest son has recently had a baby of his own who he'd

Firefighters say they could still be at plastics recycling

plant in Stoke-on-Trent for a few more days.

It's now a week since they were called to the blaze

The fire is under control but crews still need to get access

to previously unsafe areas to make sure it's extinguished completely.

Investigations are underway into what caused a fire

at a suspected cannabis factory in Birmingham.

Crews were called to a shop in Walsall's Wood's High Street

Firefighters then contacted the police after finding the remains

of what's thought to be 15 plants inside.

Five of the candidates hoping to become the next MP for Stoke

head in a live TV debate on the Sunday Politics today.

Key campaigning issues already appear to be,

the candidates local links to the area, the impact of Brexit

on the ceramics industries and the problems in the NHS.

The Green party is the only local political party to put forefront a

plan. The Labour Party has been protecting beds at the hospital and

we have been leaving that game. We have been at the public meetings and

your cup for the election. And you can find a full list

candidates on the Politics Local politicians have reacted

angrily to reports in two national newspapers that the US president

Donald Trump could hold The Stop Trump Coalition,

which includes the Birmingham Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood,

rejected claims that a speech by the US President

in the region would attract fewer She says Mr Trump is not

welcome in the city. Time now for the weather

and are there chilly times to come? A cold and grey Day

was plenty of rain and very little brightness but through

tomorrow we start to see a change. It is already starting to take

effect as we start to get a clearer coming up from the south, the

temperature holding up underneath the cloud and with that easterly

breeze ranging between 1-3. SOme mist patches could

develop but then we start to see things brightening up

and the sun breaking through the A nagging easterly wind

so even though the temperature is getting up to 5-6, I am afraid

that is going to feel more like 2-3. Another day for wrapping a warm

but at least the sun is coming out. Midlands Today will be back as usual

tomorrow just after six o'clock. I'm sure most of us are glad to see

the back of this weekend. It's been cold, bleak and at times wintry. It

provided some beautiful weather Watchers photos, like Sheffield

earlier today. I suspect some of the lying snow will be blown around by

strong winds starting to develop. The odd spot of drizzle into the far

north-east. The wind strengthening here. Already signs of something a

little bit miles, temperatures