Young people’s bus fare reductions extended as ticket sales reach half a million
Free and reduced price bus tickets for York’s young people will continue until 30 March 2025, after an extension to the subsidy was agreed as part of the city’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). Unaccompanied under 19s currently pay just £1 for a single fare and accompanied under 16 year olds travel for free, in a…
York-based investigation helps jail criminals behind £1m home improvement scam
Four men who exploited the Government’s ‘Green Deal’ initiative and cheated their way to more than £1 million were sentenced on Friday at Leeds Crown Court (13 December 2024). The group offered home improvement services – particularly supplying and fitting windows and doors – and targeted victims across Yorkshire and Derbyshire between April 2017 and…
MHA welcomes Government representatives to Keighley and Bradford
Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has hosted senior strategy and policy staff from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on a two day factfinding trip. The visit was part of MHCLG’s Social Housing Immersion Programme which provides a bridge for policy and strategy staff to engage with housing associations and tenants across the…
Does your polling district and station work for you?
City of York Council is starting a review of its polling district boundaries and the places where people can vote, and is asking residents to comment on the new proposals as well as on existing arrangements. Like all towns and cities, York is divided into polling districts in which local residents can vote at polling…
Planting to brighten up Front Street
As work to improve Front Street continues to progress, green-fingered volunteers have been planting flowers and trees to brighten up the area. The Greater Acomb Community Forum has branched out, lending their hands and expertise to sow the seeds for a brighter future. The council has worked with the community forum to select the trees,…
The Lord Mayor prepares for festive Community Carol Concert
Following some 400 older residents enjoying the annual Christmas Cheer receptions held last week, another festive treat from the Lord Mayor of York is being prepared. The receptions have been held every year since the mid-1950s and are free to the residents who attend. They are funded in part by York’s annual Community Carol Concert….
Support for Blue Badge holders against fraudsters
To address any misuse of Blue Badges and to uphold the rights of disabled people, counter fraud investigators and council officers carried out a day of action. On 4 December 2024, officers patrolled high-traffic areas around the city to check that Blue Badges were being used correctly and by their legitimate holders. Of the 162…
Increased hours of access through new Central Hall building
City of York Council has welcomed news that the National Railway Museum has agreed to additional hours of pedestrian access through Central Hall, once major works are complete and it is open to the public. Central Hall is the National Railway Museum’s brand new welcome building. It will include a welcome and orientation hall, a…
York teenagers give community space a makeover
York teenagers have been working with experienced tradespeople and an artist to breathe new life into a youth and community centre in The Groves. Community interest company Volunteer It Yourself provides free, hands-on work experience opportunities for local young people who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and at risk of becoming NEET. Whilst renovating…
Boosting walking, wheeling and cycling in York
Plans to create new and improved walking, wheelchair-use, wheeling and cycling facilities across York will be considered by senior councillors this week. At the meeting on 12 December the council’s Executive will be asked to approve the first Local Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) for the city. The plan proposes aspirational strategic networks for…
Enforcement against dog control and public urination could change. Do you agree?
The Council is looking at updating the way in which it can deter people behaving in anti-social ways including urinating in public or not controlling their dogs, and issue fines which are fair and timely. New proposals for powers to enforce these offences by police and council officers are being proposed. These Public Space Protection…
Bradford College officially opens STEM building after £6.9m refurb
Guests from education, construction, and regional employers joined staff and students for the official opening of Bradford College’s Garden Mills building. A multimillion-pound renovation project has transformed the derelict mill on Thornton Road into a flexible digital, science, and allied health training facility for higher-level students. The 1900s five-storey building opened after months of construction…
City of York Council invites residents to help shape the future of library services
City of York Council is calling on York residents, students and workers, other users and non-users, to participate in an early engagement exercise to help shape the future of the city’s library services. This exercise launches on 6 December 2024 and will remain open for nine weeks, closing on 7 February 2025. The Council has…
The Grammar School at Leeds named Eco-School of the Year
The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) has been named one of five schools nationwide to receive the prestigious Eco-Schools School of the Year Award for 2024. This accolade celebrates GSAL’s outstanding commitment to environmental sustainability and its efforts to involve students and staff in creating a greener future. At the heart of GSAL’s success is…
Council presented with gold award for its support for armed forces’ members
The revalidated Gold Award has been presented yesterday (Tuesday 3 December) to City of York Council for the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme for its work to support past and serving members of the armed forces. This prestigious medal acknowledges the depth and breadth of the Council’s ongoing work since it signed the Armed…
Plans to improve air quality on York’s most polluted street
A trial that seeks to tackle congestion and improve air quality on Gillygate will be considered at a decision session this week (5 December). At the meeting, the Executive Member for Transport will review options and decide whether or not to carry out a trial in 2025 to understand how changing the traffic signal sequencing…
Date changes for some Christmas waste and recycling collections
Waste and recycling collection dates in York will be changing for some households over the Christmas and New Year period. On average, City of York Council collects waste and recycling from around 18,000 households every day. Crews carry out around six million waste collections every year and is proud to be the only frontline service…
City of York Council joins national campaign to showcase rewarding careers in local government
City of York Council is proud to support the national “Make a Difference, Work for Your Local Council” campaign, a ground-breaking initiative designed to highlight the vast range of career opportunities available in local government and attract new talent to the sector. As part of this government-funded campaign, the council aims to demonstrate the transformative…
Time running out for York businesses to get free green makeover to slash emissions and energy bills
Scheme has already identified 587 Tonnes of CO2 Savings for local businesses Free onsite support and training tailored to help cut carbon, reduce energy bills, and boost competitiveness Scheme aims to help businesses meet net zero goals – firms must apply before January York businesses are being urged to sign up in time for a…
Appeal to York businesses to support local young people leaving care
City of York Council is thanking businesses and residents across the city who have already contributed Christmas gifts for children in need and young care leavers in York. The festive season can be a difficult one for many children and young people, particularly those who have had a challenging start in life and who live…
Free start-up launchpad programme to boost economic growth in Leeds
Leeds-based start-up businesses will be empowered to boost their strategies to enter new markets, achieve growth, and build long-term sustainability, through a new partnership between Leeds Beckett University, the University of Leeds, L Marks and Leeds City Council. The project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and the…
Startup programme supports stained glass studio launch
A stained glass studio has been supported in its early business stage by a startup programme, commissioned by City of York Council. Since they first met several years ago while studying for their MAs in Stained Glass Conservation at the University of York, best friends and Megan Barnett and Zoe Harrigan have been united by…
Ousewem unveils second video in partnership with The Artery
Ousewem, an innovative flood resilience project supporting vulnerable North Yorkshire communities, is proud to release the second video in its compelling series exploring the transformative role of natural flood management (NFM) in building resilient communities. Created in collaboration with The Artery, a champion for creativity and collaboration in North Yorkshire’s rural and coastal communities, the…
Blue Badge holders’ Christmas market access to city centre confirmed
Following the Council’s Executive decision to establish limited Blue Badge holders’ access into York city centre during this year’s Christmas market, it’s been confirmed that it can start from 5pm on Tuesday 26 November. The delay in implementing the new access arrangements is to allow time for a suitable temporary barrier to be fixed in…
Health trainer team celebrate top performance in country
New NHS figures show that City of York Council’s Health Trainer team are providing the most effective stop smoking service in the country. The figures, which relate to the period between April and June 2024 , showed 82 per cent of people who set a quit date with the service had successfully stopped smoking four weeks…
Ousewem further expands flood resilience efforts
Ousewem is thrilled to announce the continued expansion of its natural flood management (NFM) focus areas within the North Yorkshire Swale, Ure, Nidd and Ouse catchments, expanding its focus initially to communities in Arkengarthdale, Masham, Bellerby, and Bishop Monkton, with other communities to follow where resources allow. This follows the previous phase which targeted communities…
Senior residents invited to apply to attend Christmas Cheer receptions
The Lord Mayor and Sheriff invite 400 of York’s senior residents to join them at the city’s spectacular Assembly Rooms to celebrate at the Christmas Cheer Receptions. The annual receptions for residents aged 65 and over will take place on Tuesday 3 December 2024, when a spread of tasty Christmas fare will be served and…
City of York council unveils key proposals in ‘Our Big Budget Conversation’ amidst unprecedented financial pressures
City of York Council is asking for the community’s continued engagement as it tackles one of the most challenging budgets in its history. As part of Our Big Budget Conversation, residents, businesses, and partners are invited to provide feedback on proposed budget changes designed to protect essential services while ensuring the council operates within its limited…
Research shows over two thirds of pupils avoid using the toilet at school amid fears about safety and dirty and inadequate facilities
Pupils working with academics to address problems with school toilets A ground-breaking research project, Toilet Talk, is supporting school pupils to explore issues with school toilets and work with their schools to drive change. Pupil toilets are known as a problematic space in many schools and were the subject of several pupil and parent protests…
Blue Badge holders’ access to extend during Christmas markets
The Council’s Executive has decided to establish Blue Badge holders’ access into York city centre for two hours daily at less busy times during this year’s Christmas market. Senior Councillors were asked to consider a number of access options, recognise the risks with permitting access but consider these alongside the various human rights and equalities…
Buses are best in York this Christmas
Residents and visitors are being encouraged to use York’s bus network and Park and Ride sites this Christmas, with the launch of a new marketing campaign aimed at reducing congestion across the city and lowering the cost of Christmas for families. Funded by Government via York’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, the collaborative project between City…
£87,000 secured to support rough sleepers this winter
An extra £87,000 has been secured by the Council to support the expected rise in rough sleeping with up to 29 extra emergency beds and additional support this winter. This emergency winter provision ensures that everyone sleeping rough has the option of a warm place to stay this winter, whatever the weather. The extra funding…
Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College receives third consecutive ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating
Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College Sets the Standard in Yorkshire with Third Consecutive ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted Rating and Exceptional ‘Strong’ Skills Provision Following an inspection in September 2024, Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College is immensely proud to announce that Ofsted has once again awarded the College ‘Outstanding’ status for all six key judgement areas….
Council seeks to support care experienced children and young people
A report calling for the council to support children and young people in care by treating ‘care experience’ as if it was a protected characteristic – in a similar way as ethnicity or age – will be discussed at a meeting later this week (Executive, 14 November). The proposal follows a wealth of national evidence that…
The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
CBAM has been created by the EU and is the worlds first carbon border tax. To be precise the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) operates by imposing a charge on the embedded carbon content, of CBAM designated imports, that is equivalent to the charge required for the same materials resulting from industries subject to the…
H2Boost project welcomes government officials to witness progress with waste-to-hydrogen technology
The government-backed H2Boost project, led by the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC), recently hosted a delegation from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to its demonstration facility near Selby. The visit highlighted the project’s innovative approach to clean hydrogen production and carbon capture, which could support the UK’s net-zero ambitions. The delegation included…
A neighbourhood plan for Murton
Murton Parish Council has formally submitted the Murton Neighbourhood Plan for examination. Government rules introduced in 2012 give local communities greater powers to create their own plans and policies. As part of the Localism Act 2011, local communities are encouraged to come together to get more involved in planning for their areas by producing plans,…
Accessibility, sustainability and connectivity at the heart of York’s future transport plans
A detailed plan to deliver York’s future transport network has been released ahead of a City of York Council Executive meeting on 14 November. Elected Members will discuss the Local Transport Strategy’s (LTS) Implementation Plan, which has been produced following the adoption of the LTS itself in July 2024. The Implementation Plan sets out the…
Private tenants protected from unlicensed landlords
City of York Council has used its powers to protect tenants in four properties in York, where landlords were not complying with housing licensing legislations. The vast majority of York’s private landlords ensure their homes meet the required legal standards and most homes which require a house of multiple occupation (HMOs) license have one. Such…
York marks Remembrance Sunday
The Rt Hon Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Margaret Wells, the Civic Party and City of York Council will pay their respects to fallen soldiers and ex-service personnel at York’s official Remembrance Sunday service and parade. On Sunday 10 November, the parade will depart from Clifford’s Tower at 10:20am and make its way to the…
Night works completed ahead of schedule
The work to remove parts of Queen Street Bridge has been completed ahead of schedule, meaning the scheduled road closures for tonight (7 November) and tomorrow (8 November) will not happen. Over the course of three nights starting on Monday, intensive work has taken place to remove the remaining parts of Queen Street Bridge, which…
Council welcomes creative industry leaders to York
This week, York will welcome creative industry leaders from around the world as the city celebrates ten years of being a UNESCO City of Media Arts. York is one of 26 cities globally to have won the City of Media Arts designation and the only city in the UK to hold the title. The tenth…
Have your say: Riverside path project takes next steps
City of York Council is inviting residents to have their say on detailed designs to improve the riverside path between Jubilee Terrace and Scarborough Bridge. The designs will see around £1.7m invested on improvements that include creating separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians, raising the path to make it more resilient to flooding as well…
Revitalisation of Bradford City Centre progresses as ECF appointed to deliver new ‘City Village’
Plans to transform Bradford’s former retail heart into a new sustainable ‘City Village’ have taken a major step forward. Bradford Council has appointed ECF, the partnership between Homes England, Legal & General and Muse, as its preferred development partner to deliver the scheme. ECF’s appointment, via Muse, was approved in principle by the Council’s Executive…
York free school meal pilots could be extended after research suggests improved school attendance
Free school meal pilots in York could be extended to two further schools next year following initial research into the impact of the meals. Pupils in key Stage 2 (years 3-6)* at Westfield Primary Community School and pupils at Burton Green Primary School have been able to get free school lunches, and breakfasts, respectively, since…
Richard Hawley, Asian Dub Foundation, Bassline DJs and brass bands are all part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture
Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (Bradford 2025), is set to electrify audiences next year with a packed music programme, featuring a blend of world-class talent and local legends. Tickets for the first wave of performances, including must-see events like The Big Brass Blowout and Bassline Symphony will go on sale this Thursday 7 November….
Talk Money fortnight is here to help you get more and spend less
The week after the Autumn Budget, City of York Council and partners are holding a fortnight of events and activities from today to help residents with their own finances. Talk Money Fortnight runs from 4-15 November. Drop-in events and advice sessions will be held for any residents facing financial struggles. All are welcome to get…
By election called in Haxby and Wigginton Ward
The statement of persons nominated for election for the Haxby and Wigginton by-election has been published today, Friday 1 November 2024. The details of who is standing are available at www.york.gov.uk/elections-1/haxby-wigginton-election-october-2024. The election will take place on Thursday 28 November with polling hours between 7am and 10pm, and with the count taking place at the close…