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A white water facility in Pershore, a BMX track in Evesham and new wetland and wildlife habitats are all being planned by Wychavon District Council.

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They're included in its spending plans for the next four years along with a commitment to tackle congestion in Evesham and a promise to open the district's first health and wellbeing centre.

Councillors also voted to freeze council tax for the third year in a row.

It will be a dry and chilly night with some patchy fog and lows of 0C (32F).

BBC Weather Watchers/Anna L

You can find a detailed forecast for your area on the BBC Weather site.

Here are three of the main stories from the Worcester News website today:

• Man rescued from River Severn in Worcester
• Panic buying at pharmacy over coronavirus concerns
• Tributes to popular karate instructor

A man struck by a bus in Dudley town centre has died, police say.

James Reade was hit just before 16:00 GMT in Castle Street on 30 January.

The 64-year-old was taken to hospital in a serious condition but died in the early hours of 2 February, said West Midlands Police.

Officers are asking for any witnesses to come forward.

AFC Telford United will be able to continue using their main stand and changing rooms, despite the closure of the leisure, hospitality and fitness facilities at the Bucks Head stadium.

They'd been owned by Telford College, which announced this week it was shutting them down after spending two-and-a-half years unsuccessfully searching for a buyer.

BBC

Fans have been told the only change will be the catering for the hospitality boxes and directors of away teams, because the club is going to need to find a new supplier.

In the future, the football club says it will be "pursuing what future opportunities this matter may present to us", which could mean the club buying back those parts of the stadium, which they lost when the old club went out of business in 2004.

Many of you have been getting in touch via the BBC Midlands Facebook site to comment on our story about smear test results being delayed for up to 10 weeks.

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Jodi Burgess posted: "I waited 12 weeks to be told not enough cells collected to then wait a further 10 weeks."With abnormal smears previously this was a long six months wait to hear all ok. Crazy how long the wait is."

Karen Groves wrote: "I’m into week 11 of waiting now and keep being told 'no news is good news'. They’re quick enough to bombard women with letters and further reminders to go in the first place though! Absolute disgrace."

Hannah Parkes commented: "I was told the normal 2 to 3 weeks when had my appt back on the 20th November - rang at new year to be told results are up to 3 months - mine took 2 months in the end and thankfully everything is ok. 3 months wait is a long time if there is something abnormal!!"

There's more than five miles of queuing traffic on the M6 southbound in Staffordshire after a crash involving a car and a lorry.

Two lanes are blocked between J15 and J14 just after Stafford services.

Temperatures today are hovering only just above freezing and we're seeing lots of frosty photos from the BBC Weather Watchers.

These ones were taken near Norton Canes, Staffordshire; Ruyton XI Towns, Shropshire; and Belbroughton, Worcestershire.

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Trish

More than 57,000 (57,340) EU citizens living in Birmingham have applied to live and work in the UK after Brexit, the Home Office has announced.

The city has the most applications outside London.

Those applying for settled status must prove their identity, show they live in the UK and declare any criminal convictions.

Once granted settled status, they can use the NHS, study and access public funds and benefits, as well as travel in and out of the country.

Between August 28 2018 and December 31 2019, more than 2.4 million (2,450,220) applications were finalised, the Home Office data showed.

An artist has created a 10ft (3m) high sculpture of a polar bear from willow and tissue paper to highlight his concerns about climate change.

Bamber Hawes, from Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, said it would be mounted on a platform and carried to Glasgow for the United Nations climate conference, later in the year.

BBC

Mr Hawes is planning some test runs to make sure his bear "sedan" chair works, and it will be on show in Ludlow on 14 February.

The fire at a restaurant in Sparkhill, Birmingham, has now been extinguished, said the fire service.

West Midlands Fire Service

Crews were sent to Pranzo restaurant, in Warwick Road, shortly before 09:00 GMT after the blaze had spread to the roof of the property.

More than 30 firefighters were sent to the scene.

They are now carrying out checks for hot spots and ventilating the building.

Warwick Road is still closed in both directions around Albion Road.

A £15,000 fund could be set up to fix Worcester's street signs, to end the debate over which ones should be fixed and which shouldn't.

Conservative councillor Simon Geraghty, who put forward the plan, said: “If it needs doing, it needs doing. But let’s do it properly.”

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Mr Geraghty explained the problem had been, in the past, people had had to lobby for individual signs to be repaired.

But Adrian Gregson, the deputy leader and leader of the city council’s Labour group, said the council had recently looked at which signs needed fixing or replacing and the money had been spread across the city “rationally”.

A fire has broken out at a restaurant in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham.

Drivers are being warned to avoid Warwick Road.

BBC

An online checking service has been set up to help motorists prepare for Birmingham's Clean Air Zone (CAZ)

BBC

It allows drivers to check whether a vehicle will be charged for driving into the city centre when the CAZ comes into effect in July.

The proposals are to bring in fees for older vehicles, which release high levels of toxic emissions, that are driven within the city's ring road.

The service went live on the Department for Transport's website on Wednesday after it was initially expected in January.

A fire at a guest house in Stafford is being investigated, said the fire service.

Staffordshire Fire Service

About 20 firefighters were sent to the Lichfield Road property overnight, said the Staffordshire force.

No-one was injured, it added.

Storm Ciara is set to bring strong and possibly damaging winds across the West Midlands.

Met Office

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the region from 18:00 on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.

Its forecast says gusts of between 80 and 100km/h (50-60mph) are likely across inland areas.

Some of the Birmingham Live's headlines today include:

• Abusive husband faces prison sentence for killing wife and two children
• City centre music bar shut down following 'drugs seizure'
• Birmingham women face smear test wait as results delayed by 10 weeks

Any early mist and fog should clear leaving a dry and bright day with highs of 5C (41F).

A points failure at Birmingham International is delaying rail services between the station and Birmingham New Street.

Services are expected to be cancelled or delayed.

It's forecast to be a cold, clear night for most of us and in some places the temperature will drop below freezing.

Temperatures tomorrow will remain cold, and further ahead there's some stormy weather expected at the weekend.

Postman Les