BROMSGROVE council was being swamped with applications from its tenants to buy their own homes under the right to buy scheme before the April 5 deadline. Officers were receiving up to six applications a day and, with 300 waiting to be processed and a further 50 in the pipeline from a previous scheme, it seemed many would have to wait three or four years before becoming proud owners.

PENNY pinching was how many townsfolk described the district council which had voted to save cash by cutting the opening times of the Market Street loos by an hour and three quarters each day. It was reckoned around £14,000 a year would be saved in attendants' wages.

BOURNHEATH and Fairfield were set to lose that cut off feeling with the introduction of special shoppers' coaches.