11/02/2014 Midlands Today

Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight: With flood

waters still rising and drains backing up, the drive to keep things

moving across Worcestershire. More rain is on the way. It is

appalling. We have more rain coming tomorrow and the big system on

Friday and Saturday. There could be as many as 80 millimetres more rain

which is what we do not want. We'll be live at the riverside for all the

latest developments. Also this evening: Downriver in Tewkesbury `

homes at risk as flood waters there continue to rise. I don't know

whether we would prefer to face bombs or water, to be honest. The

water is frightening. Our homes are now worthless, says

villagers living within yards of the proposed high`speed railway line. We

are really fed up because we have been waiting almost four years and

it is the uncertainty that gets to you.

Kitchen conversion ` rugby stars from Worcester Warriors take time

out to help a struggling homeless charity.

And this may have been the scene in Shropshire this morning, but it

wasn't the only place to have seen snow. And there's plenty more to

come later tonight. But that's just for starters. It's all happening

tomorrow. Find out more later in the forecast.

Good evening. The fight to keep the region's raging rivers at bay

continues tonight ` with the threat of even higher water levels within

the next 48 hours. Anxious communities living alongside major

rivers such as the Severn and the Wye have been warned that further

flooding is expected, with fire crews, council workers and

Environment Agency staff all stretched by today's fresh deluge.

Our reporters have been across the region today. Our first report

tonight comes from Cath Mackie in Worcester.

It's a nervous waiting game for people living near the River Severn

in Worcester, as the water creeps up their flood defences. It is a

concern. It is not one that we consider jumping ship, excuse the

pun, but you need to be aware of it. You need to manage it and make sure

the neighbours are OK. It has been seeping up through the concrete. It

has wet the carpet in odd places. Water gets everywhere, doesn't it?

More than 60 volunteers are on stand`by across Worcestershire and

Gloucestershire with a fleet of 4x4s to help people stranded by flooding.

Ron Hart has just returned from Somerset, where he carried out

rescues in high floodwater. He's now in Worcester, ready for action. It

is really to get their essential care workers, doctors, surgeons, to

and from hospital, so when they are cut off because of floods and snow,

we will make sure that they make it to work and back.

Across Worcestershire, maintenance teams are at work clearing drains

and ditches. It is basically like a big vacuum cleaner. It sucks all the

mud, silt and water. This two`man team clocked on at 6.30 this

morning, driving around the county removing blockages that, if left,

could cause flooding. Go to about 95 gullies per day. Working nonstop

since 6:30 this morning and all the way through until four. It is fair

to say that lessons have been learned since the big flood of 2007

when so many blocked drains and gullies added to the general

flooding misery. And you can see now the investment that has gone in to

try and keep those drains clear at times like this. You have got

different technology now, so when we go to clear the drains, if there is

something they cannot clear, it comes up on the screen in the

vehicles and it is fed back to headquarters, who can deal with the

blocked pipe or whatever. All eyes are looking anxiously at

the water levels. There's no let up in the rain ` this morning a

shocking downpour and hailstorm greeted traffic crossing the

partially opened river bridge. Disruption is becoming the norm.

This community is extremely resilient and extremely experienced

in these conditions. Businesses are open as usual and we will try to

maintain the situation as best we can.

Every drain that's cleared across Worcestershire is now recorded and

monitored ` but with more rain forecast,t, the hope is they're not

fighting a losing battle. Well, Cath is at the water's edge in Worcester

this evening. Cath, how's it looking? I have spoke

to a man who brought his daughter here from Birmingham to show her

what nature could do. It is a site in war star with the River Severn

rising around us. With me is David from the Environment Agency. How

nervous are you? We are vigilant and ready to act. We have got some high

levels up at Ironbridge, it is now peaking and that one area we have

the highest levels for 14 years. It will work its way down through

Worcester by tomorrow and Thursday. The flood defences were built with a

standard peak of 5.7 metres. Do you think we will see that? 5.5 is the

current prediction. But we must keep a close eye on things. Do you have

contingency plans in case the flood defences are breached? We are

operating under a silver demand which is all of the emergency

organisations working together. If something unexpected happens, we

will be ready to act. In 2007, we had half a foot of rain in one day.

This time it has been more gradual. Has that made it easier to plan? I

think so. In 2007 it was mainly surface water. The River Severn is a

slower reacting river. Towns and cities along the Severn are open for

business but this is very much a waiting game. People are hoping that

the forecast is not as bad as predicted.

At least 45 properties in Ironbridge in Shropshire are tonight at risk of

flooding. The River Severn is thought to be at its highest levels

in the town for 14 years. From the birthplace of the Industrial

Revolution, Ben Godfrey sent this report.

Late this afternoon, reinforcements were arriving to protect the

historic wharfage in Ironbridge. Although the swollen River Severn

peaked here earlier, surface run`off water from surrounding hills is

putting homes at greater risk. Tonight the Severn at Ironbridge is

getting exceptionally high. It is standing at around six metres, the

highest it has been in 14 years. In an unusual move, the council

contacted 45 properties today, asking them to consider moving onto

the first floor ` or leave until further notice. And people have been

prevented from walking behind the flood barriers. There is one metre

of water against this barrier. If it did go with that amount of water on

it, it would be a bit of a disaster. They are asking people to take

precautions. People are heeding those precautions. Coalbrookdale

primary school says it'll close tomorrow. A few properties ` which

we couldn't reach on foot ` have suffered minor flooding, but so far

these barriers are working effectively. They are the most

important thing. The Environment Agency are doing a wonderful job.

The council. Without the flood barriers, some of the shops would be

under. Environment Agency staff are now wearing life jackets, but they

say it's a just precaution when the river rises significantly. Traders

are putting on a brave face as the river rages by. Ben Godfrey, BBC

Midlands Today, Ironbridge. Further downstream from Ironbridge

and Worcester is Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire, which of course

provided one of the most enduring images of the great floods of 2007 `

the town and its famous abbey effectively cut off. Fast`forward

nearly seven years and residents are still facing a major challenge, with

hundreds of sandbags handed out in the last 24 hours. Sarah Falkland

has spent the day in Tewkesbury with worried homeowners.

A bit choppy today with the wind we have been having. If you live in a

situation like this, you learn to live with it and keep a general eye

open. And make decisions based on what we can see. But what is that

seeming muddy ocean out there? It is the flooded river Avon and the

flooded River Severn combined. It is getting dangerously close to Abbey

Terrace. A few doors down and this neighbour is already worrying about

the aftermath once the waters have receded. It is like, have I really

got to start again and do it all over again? But you do. You find

yourself thinking, well, yes, what else am I going to do other than

cry? We cannot afford years. There is too much water out there to add

to it! For many of the residents along the Terrace, this afternoon is

all about pumping what you can out of your cellar and moving your

possessions to safety. For some, that means the cost of putting

furniture into storage. For everyone it means that sandbags, although the

council is running people not to be greedy. We have had had bands taking

30 or 40 bags. `` we have had bands. We have put security in place

to make sure it is fair for everyone. Geoffrey Clarke is putting

his faith in his home`made flood defence system. It has kept six

inches of water out of the house. Any water leaking through went into

the fish pond and we popped it back over the wall. As long as the flood

outside do not get higher than the wall, we are OK. River levels are

set to rise and for some that means having as much faith in man`made

forces as in divine ones. Good to have you with us here on

Midlands Today. We have the all`important weather forecast with

Shefali coming up later. And we'll be offering you a unique perspective

of the floods in Shrewsbury. Find out how we got these pictures.

Residents in a small community in north Warwickshire claim they're

living in Britain's most blighted village ` and their homes are now

'unsellable' thanks to the proposed High Speed Two railway line. Within

a mile of Gilson, there are three motorways and, if plans for HS2 go

ahead, the village will be surrounded by a major railway

junction. The area's inside a special "Safeguarding Zone" aimed at

protecting homeowners. But so far, the Government's only agreed to buy

a handful of properties. Our Transport Correspondent, Peter

Plisner, has the details. A picture postcard image in today's

snow ` but is this Britain's most blighted village? Some people

certainly think so. Originally affected by the construction of the

M42 and then the M6 toll and now HS2, the controversial line passes

right through the middle of the field over there. And that means

it's pretty close most houses here, and as a result the majority of them

sit within an HS2 Safeguarding Zone, where home`owners can ask the

Government to buy them out ` so they can move. But letters from the

Department for Transport, saying that the Government is unable to buy

the majority of properties ` because their land is not in order to build

or operate Phase One of HS2. It leaves homes here worthless. Local

estate agents won't even put them on the market. You can't put a property

on the market that you know is not going to sell. You know if you put

it on the books, clients will ask you about HS2 and as soon as they

know, they will not want to view the property. So you have unsellable

stock, so you are wasting time, effort and money trying to sell a

property you know you will not be able to sell. It's all left people

like retired teacher, John Whitehead in a classic state of limbo and,

like the name of his house, at his wits end. We were angry at first and

now we are really fed up because we have been waiting almost four years

and it is the uncertainty that gets to you. The Government has agreed to

buy some properties. But so far only those which will be knocked down if

the line gets built. Surveyors acting for residents in the village

say it's all very unfair. People want to get on with their everyday

lives. They can't plan for their future, they have their kids to

think about, which schools do they go to, if they want to retire, where

do they go? The whole area is simply blighted at the moment. The good

news is that a new compensation scheme, expected to be launched in

the summer, could provide the solution. But there are no

guarantees. Any purchases will still be at the discretion of the

Government. And Peter joins us now from Curzon

Street in Birmingham, the proposed site of the city's station for HS2.

What a nightmare for the residents, Peter, it does seem unfair? That is

what we are seeing tonight but a lot of people went there to retire, for

a quiet life, now they are pretty busy fighting plans for HS2 and

trying to sell their houses. Many thought that when it was designated

inside the safeguarding zones they had a guarantee their houses would

be purchased, but it seems the only guarantee inside that safeguarding

zones is that you cannot build any extensions to your houses or new

houses, no development is allowed at all. The only people who have agreed

to sell their property to the government are those who are so

close that they are likely to be compulsory purchase. The local MP

has been lobbying hard to get the government to what he says do the

right thing, but is it the right thing, bearing in mind that these

houses would probably be purchased with taxpayers' money? What chance

do the residents have against the of the government? Some would say the

president has been set ten years ago when the M6 toll was built nearby, a

lot of properties were purchased by the government under something

called this guestimate `` something called discretionary blight. There

was supposed to be one for HS2 but the government has had to re`consult

on a scheme because of court action by anti`HS2 protesters. It is

thought that once that scheme comes into being, it could be in the

summer of this year, that a lot of properties, those who want to be

purchased, probably will be purchased and that will hopefully

mean a happy ending for those who live there. Peter, thank you.

And on this week's Sunday Politics, one of the studio guests will be

Alison Munro, chief executive of HS2. That's all with our political

editor Patrick Burns from 11 o'clock on BBC One.

Police investigating the disappearance of teenage mother

Nicola Payne failed to find anything during a search of a nature reserve.

Officers spent six hours at grassland in the Stoke Floods area

of Binley on Monday. The last sighting of the 18`year`old was in

the Henley Green area of Coventry in 1991.Three people remain on police

bail as part of the investigation. A review of children's services in

Birmingham has found that they're improving but remain fragile. The

City Council's children's department has faced criticism after several

deaths, including that of two`year`old Keanu Williams, who was

beaten to death by his mother. The Local Government Association found

improvements in management but that it was still concerned about

unallocated cases and the speed of intervention.

For years now, many passageways in Birmingham city centre have remained

hidden ` out of sight and underused. Now an Architect Masters student is

making a case for opening them up in a bid to make the second city more

connected. He's looking at Milan to draw inspiration. Our Arts and

Culture reporter, Satnam Rana, has been finding out why.

Milan and Birmingham ` two cities full of splendid and sometimes

similar architecture. But unlike Birmingham, Milan is well known as a

design city. Now this Masters Architect student is using Italy's

second city as a source of inspiration to create a design kit

for city planners here. He's presenting his findings later this

week at Selfridge's Festival of Imagination. We have a lot of the

ingredient here that could make Birmingham a really great design

city. But we perhaps need to learn a couple of lessons just to maximise

on what we already have. So, much like Milan, Birmingham has its grand

civic squares. Here is St Philips Square. But walk around the corner

and there are hidden passageways which Luke says be opened up. In

Milan you do get lots of spaces like this which are widely used during

the day because a lot of activities surround them and so they becoming

exciting spaces. `` and so they become exciting spaces. So the pubs

down there are using them and the offices. That's it. In Milan, you

would have accommodation and manufacturing workshops in the

spaces too. Luke also wants planners to reconsider a legacy of

demolition. In Milan, buildings are often modified rather than

destroyed. Here, disused building like the brutalist Central Library

are set to go. But will Luke's recommendations be useful? Nick

Corbett has been working in town planning and urban design for 20

years and has written about Birmingham's regeneration. In

Birmingham, we have the big city plan which proposes a streets and

squares model. Luke's recommendations are helpful because

we can look at more detail, I think, how Birmingham would benefit from a

public realm strategy. To have a range of public spaces and bring

together designers, business people and industrialists, because that is

what the prosperity of the city is built upon. Those interactions.

Milan may be thousands of miles away, but for Luke it's a city we

can learn from. And as New Street Station undergoes its ?550 million

redevelopment, Luke hopes his ideas will be used to create better links

within the city. Satnam Rana, BBC Midlands Today, Birmingham.

Intriguing. So what's your view? Do you agree

with Luke? You can join the debate on how Birmingham city centre could

be revamped on our Facebook page. Our top story tonight: With flood

waters still rising and drains backing up in Worcester, the drive

to keep the city moving. Also on tonight's programme, from

goal to grill ` rugby stars helping a struggling charity by cooking

breakfast for the homeless. A busy night of football ahead,

including two big games in the Premier League. West Brom face the

leaders Chelsea at the Hawthorns. Back in November, they drew 2`2 at

Stamford Bridge, and only a controversial penalty denied Albion

a victory. But Chelsea have the meanest defence in the Premier

League, and head coach Pepe Mel rates them very highly indeed. My

problem is Chelsea. My problem is their players. It is a problem for

us. Jose Mourinho is a good coach. He is a good manager. For me, he is

a good person. Aston Villa are hoping that Ron Vlar

is fit to return in defence to face struggling Cardiff City. Villa are

going for the double, having already won 2`0 when they met at Villa Park

three months ago. But Cardiff have changed managers since then. And a

win could lift them above West Brom in the battle to avoid relegation.

Birmingham City, Port Vale and Cheltenham are also in action

tonight. Full coverage on BBC local radio.

The Worcester Warriors rugby team have come to the rescue of a charity

who were forced to give up serving breakfast for the homeless. Players

from the Premiership club have stepped in to cook at the centre in

Birmingham once a week. Now they want other businesses to get

involved. As Nick Clitheroe reports. Early morning in Birmingham and

there's not a rugby ball in sight as the Worcester Warriors get to work.

They may never win Masterchef, but these players are providing a vital

community service They've banded together to buy the food and start

every week by driving up to Digbeth to cook breakfast for the homeless.

It is quite humbling. You come here and you see guys who are struggling

on a day`to`day basis. For us to get down here and just help, it goes a

long way. The SIFA Fireside Centre has been feeding the homeless two

hot meals a day for years but all that changed after Christmas. The

pressure on funding from rising costs such as heating bills meant

the charity had to make a decision. It had come down to one hot meal per

day so it had to be breakfast or lunch. They decided to keep the

lunches, so without the Warriors there'd be no more breakfasts and

the diners are incredibly grateful. Most of us would starve because it

is a rough life being on the streets, believe me. I have been on

the streets for six months. Without it I wouldn't be able to move

forward to even think about what I need to do next, to start looking

for work or any of those things. Without it, it would be very

difficult. If it puts a smile on someone's face on Monday morning,

great. It is a good experience for us. I think the more things like

this we can do, the better, the better connected we are in the

community. Coming in for a meal is often the first contact many people

have with the centre. Hot showers, medical advice and help with the

underlying causes of their homelessness follow. They feel

marginalised, they feel like people don't care. If we can get people in

here and start to massively, massively improve the situation they

are in, the emotional thing about knowing that people do care about

their well`being, it moves mountains. Now they're hoping other

companies will follow the example of the Worcester Warriors and restore

breakfast to the Fireside menu. Nick Clitheroe, BBC Midlands Today,

Birmingham. Ever wondered what it would look

like if you were able to fly directly over the floods ` getting a

view like this from just above the swollen waters? Well, tonight we can

show you, thanks to Gareth Griffiths. He's been flying his

remote`controlled helicopter camera above the River Severn in

Shrewsbury, and Joanne Writtle's been to meet him.

Beyond the barriers. These remarkable pictures show Shrewsbury

under water. A stark reminder of why the flood defences were needed here.

It was shot by this man. Gareth Griffiths, wearing video goggles so

he can see what he's filming, sent his quadcopter, with a camera

attached, above the River Severn. Shrews brewery floods all of the

time but it is very rare that you see a viewpoint like this. `` shrews

Berry. It is good that it is not giving you a full picture of what is

going on. This dust flies up and you can control it and move it around

and get the picture you want to see really. Gareth's camera is now

heading upstream past the Theatre Severn on the right, which is safe

behind the flood barriers. Ahead, motorists make their way across the

Welsh Bridge. This is Frank well foot bridge leading over the swollen

River Severn from the centre of shrews break to the other side. The

other side of town. And from the air it looks like this. A mass of water

engulfing the area. Gareth does this as a hobby. He's actually a web

designer. But today he was attracting attention from those here

to see the floods. I thought it was like something out of Star Trek with

the headgear on and the remote control in his hand. From the

footbridge it was easy to see that no`one would be able to buy a

parking ticket here. And the only way to see this sign welcoming you

to this town is from above. Shrewsbury coping with the forces of

nature, and being filmed by something hi`tech and entirely man

made. Those are terrific pictures. Thank

you to Gareth for sharing them with us.

And you can watch Gareth's film of the floods in Shrewsbury on the

Midlands Today Facebook page. And our Environment Correspondent

David Gregory`Kumar has been looking at flooding in the Midlands and

analysing how things have changed since the Easter floods of 1998. You

can read more and leave your own thoughts on his blog at

bbc.co.uk/davidgregorykumar. Well, we've had it all today.

Torrential rain, a snowstorm and sunshine. I'm very confused. What's

next, Shefali? sunshine. I'm very

You are probably going to be completely baffled by the end of

tomorrow. To clarify things for you, we have more snow arriving later on

tonight and that will be more substantial than the lot you saw

this morning but it all arrive is ahead of a deep area of low

pressure, the next low`pressure system that rattles up from the

south`west through tomorrow and it will bring a whole host of other

problems with it. This is what you can expect over the next 24 hours.

We have got snow, strong winds and we have got heavy rain. Yellow

warnings for all three of those things but particularly for the

winds and four Shropshire, is there surely we have got amber warnings so

that is more serious and it looks as though Shropshire will get a

clobbering tomorrow. For right now we have showers affecting the

eastern half of the region, still falling as now, but we have got a

slight lull in proceedings in between. That goes through the

middle part of tonight when the temperatures and the winds will drop

and they will lead to some frost and ice problems. As you saw, we had

lots of white patches in the region and they will produce two or three

centimetres of snow. The leading edge of the next weather system will

come into contact with the cold air and turned to snow. That estimate of

snowfall is quite conservative and could be more than that. You will

probably wake up to snow tomorrow morning, not just falling at higher

levels, but also at lower levels and could just be about anywhere but the

transition between that and the next system piling in from the West is

going to be pretty seamless. That will all revert back to rain as the

temperatures rise slightly because we have got a warm sector going

through it in the middle part of the day. We are looking at a lot of rain

and those strong winds, that will finally clear away to drier

conditions by the end of the day and perhaps a spot of sunshine, taking

temperatures up to eight or nine Celsius and gusts of around 60 mph.

Finally, we are looking at things coming down to tomorrow night but

still some showers and a good till all as snow in some places but this

will set the trend for Thursday is self which is actually looking much

camera. Just a few showers dotted about but he largely dry day and the

driest of the week. Thank you.

Back now to our top story tonight, and the rising river levels which

threaten even more flooding later this week.

Thank you. Back now to our top story Cath

Mackie is in the heart of Worcester for us now. What's likely to happen

in the next 48 hours, Cath? It really is a waiting game. I have

been told by agency staff in Ironbridge have put on life jackets

as a precaution and I have been informed that the river bridge in

Worcester will be closing at 8pm. The best thing is to listen to the

BBC Radio Ulster nation but with 39 flood warnings and 41 flood alerts,

it really is a worrying time for local people across Worcestershire

and other parts of the Midlands this evening. `` listen to the BBC local

radio stations. Tonight's main headline from the

BBC: More communities hit by floods ` in the Thames Valley as well as

the West Midlands. The Prime Minister warns it'll get worse

before it gets better. That was the Midlands Today. I'll be

back at ten o'clock with the night's football results and the latest

update on river levels, including a live report from Ironbridge. Have a

good evening and we leave you with pictures of the swollen

It was only for a second or two but I know -

You're dragging up the past and into our house. She's my family