Viewers unable to watch television for more than a month due to the Bilsdale transmitter fire are to be offered a partial refund to their TV Licence. A million people were impacted by the blaze across Teesside, North Yorkshire and County Durham.

The majority of homes affected - more than 400,000 - have had services restored. All services were due to be completed by today but a legal wrangle has led to delays.

Four “superheroes” are about to embark on a unique fundraising challenge to raise vital funds for the Live and Work Village, a building project in Sandwell, West Midlands that will create new homes and employment opportunities for local young homeless people.

Tom Johnson, Karen Allen, Lee Ward-Poulton and Janice Perkins from international law firm Pinsent Masons (aka the “Legal Eagles”) in Birmingham will be taking to the skies on September 9 for a truly hair-raising Wing Walk to raise money for the LandAid Midlands-backed Live and Work Village that is currently in development by youth homeless charity St Basils.

NHS staff working in IT services at two health trusts in the West Midlands are willing to take industrial action over plans to transfer them to a private firm, says UNISON. Almost 150 IT staff at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust (GEH) and South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) face being transferred to a new wholly owned subsidiary company (subco) against their will, says the union.

UNISON says this is an attempt to bring in ‘backdoor privatisation’ in the NHS and that managers at SWFT set up the subco months ago, before they even held discussions with staff. 

Make UK is backing a new initiative by support platform Next Gen Makers to help manufacturing and engineering employers retain apprenticeship talent and maximise their investment in young people.

As official training provider partner, Make UK will help to promote and develop the Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme - an initiative designed to support firms to overcome skills challenges and build talent for future success.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has confirmed a multi-million-pound investment package to kickstart the development of nearly 400 homes and new commercial premises at three derelict sites, supporting hundreds of jobs.

The brownfield regeneration schemes in Coventry, Nuneaton and Wolverhampton are the latest from the WMCA’s nationally acclaimed devolved housing and regeneration programme which, in partnership with industry, is providing new homes, jobs and commercial spaces while supporting the region’s economic recovery from the Covid pandemic.

Dale Edwards, a Green Energy Strategic Consultant with national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP, comments on the UK Government’s eagerly awaited launch of its hydrogen plan.

Following on from the Government’s 10-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, significant prominence has been placed in the role that hydrogen could play in driving the growth of low carbon economy. In the Energy White Paper, a stated objective of producing 5GW capacity by 2030 was announced, along with Government analysis suggesting that 20-35% of the UK’s energy consumption by 2050 could be hydrogen-based, raising expectations.