Joe Gerrard

Only seven fixed penalty notices, worth £325 in total, were issued for street urination in York during the first year of the citywide public space protection order, with three fines unpaid. The figure contrasts with 4,891 clean-ups carried out by York’s Business Improvement District. The council and police say enforcement is difficult because most offences occur at night and require witnesses or evidence identifying offenders. The BID is expanding night safety patrols with body cameras, while the council is encouraging hospitality venues to provide toilets and promoting campaigns urging people to use them before leaving.

City of York Council is facing a forecast £9.65 million budget gap for 2027/28, despite plans for £10.92 million in savings and the maximum permitted council tax increase. Changes to government funding could cost York a further £38.4 million by 2029, potentially making it the lowest-funded authority in the country. Liberal Democrat and Conservative politicians blamed Labour for failing to secure adequate funding and for poor spending and service delivery, while Labour argued that the opposition parties' past roles in national and local government contributed to the pressures. The council says it has balanced its books annually while protecting essential services.

Hera Social, described as Yorkshire’s first women’s sports café bar, is being developed in the former Osbornes@68 premises on Gillygate in York. Founders Hattie Dillon and Erin Draper plan to operate a café and restaurant, seek alcohol sales from 11am to 11pm, and open the venue and courtyard from the morning. City of York Council has approved building works including relocating toilets and installing a garden pergola, while the venue’s owners say refurbishment is beginning and that the business has received strong support. The site became available after Viv and Simon Osborne closed their café ahead of retirement.

City of York Council is forecasting a £9.65 million budget gap for 2027/28 after planning £10.92 million in savings for 2026/27 and approving a 4.99% council tax increase. BBC analysis found that councils across the UK face a combined £3.8 billion shortfall, following £3.2 billion in planned savings, while more than 35 authorities are expected to receive exceptional financial support. York officials attribute the pressure to rising service demand, costs and years of funding cuts, and warn that proposed Fair Funding reforms could reduce York’s funding by up to £38.4 million by 2029. The council is seeking fairer funding, investing in services such as highways and exploring efficiency measures including artificial intelligence, while the government says national funding and adult social care support are increasing substantially.

Disabled people in York are expected to gain all-day free bus travel from April after the Government announced that time restrictions on disabled concessionary passes would be removed, backed by £60 million in funding. York councillors and the York Bus Forum welcomed the change, saying it will improve independence and access to work, healthcare, education and social activities; more than 3,500 York residents are expected to benefit. Disability rights activist Flick Williams supported the move but warned that any savings could be negated by potential future welfare cuts, and questioned the political motivations behind the policy.

City of York Council has approved plans for 703 solar panels on the roof of Network Rail’s National Records Centre at Clifton Moor Retail Park in York. The array will have a capacity of up to approximately 358 kilowatt-peak and will be installed across four roof areas. Planning officers concluded that the panels would fit the surrounding industrial setting, would not be visible from public viewpoints, and would not cause glare or loss of amenity for nearby residents.

A licensing application has been submitted to City of York Council for a new KFC drive-thru at Monks Cross Shopping Park in York. If approved, the restaurant would offer takeaways and deliveries from 9am to 5am daily, with outdoor seating. The development is being built beside Lidl, while a related application seeks approval for 27 KFC-branded signs. Construction is reportedly ahead of schedule, and public comments on the licensing application remain open. KFC has also advertised for a team leader at the site.

York and North Yorkshire’s Cultural Passport for Young People scheme will provide free arts, culture and heritage activities for 11- to 18-year-olds. Following a pilot involving hundreds of participants in activities including filmmaking, theatre, pottery, music and sculpting, the programme is seeking applications from regional organisations for funding. City and county council leaders and Mayor David Skaith say the scheme will remove financial barriers, build confidence and creative skills, and potentially encourage careers in the cultural sector.

York’s Station Gateway project has risen from an original £26 million budget to £60.1 million, an overspend of more than £34 million. Liberal Democrat leader Nigel Ayre blamed the Labour administration and called for major projects spokesperson Katie Lomas to resign, while Lomas said the previous Liberal Democrat-Green administration approved a reckless contract without adequate cost controls. An audit by Veritau found critical weaknesses, including contracts being entered into before legal agreements had progressed sufficiently, project changes that caused delays and higher costs, and significant delays in reporting overspends. The project remains unfinished, and most additional costs are expected to be covered with money unspent on other transport projects.

Pivovar plans to open the £1.6 million Mittel River Terrace bar and gastro-restaurant in York’s former Guildhall Restaurant building in November, following approval from City of York Council. The venue will seat up to 300 people, include a Czech-built brewhouse producing Bavarian-inspired lagers on site, and serve food such as oysters and rotisserie meat sourced from local suppliers. It will operate from 8am to midnight, with two outdoor terraces overlooking the River Ouse. The project was delayed from its originally planned summer opening, and nearby businesses previously raised concerns about noise and disruption.

O'Neill's on Low Ousegate in York has closed for refurbishment after City of York Council approved external works, following earlier approval for interior renovations. The project includes new signs, dark-green repainting, new flooring, booths, an accessible toilet and changes to the bar area. Amendments removed proposed faux planting, floodlights and a barrel sign, helping satisfy conservation concerns about the Grade II-listed building and the city-centre conservation area.

Michael Pavlovic has stepped down as City of York Council’s executive member for housing, planning and communities to spend more time with his family and pursue other projects. Anna Perrett has taken over the communities and housing brief, while Dave Merrett assumes responsibility for planning. Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Hollyer criticised Labour’s record, citing stalled affordable housebuilding, declining tenant satisfaction and setbacks to regeneration schemes. Labour councillor Anna Perrett defended the administration, pointing to progress in preventing local people from sleeping rough, future commitments to build fully affordable homes on council-owned sites and the need to manage limited funding during local government financial pressures.

Admiral Taverns has applied to City of York Council for permission to refurbish The Saddle Inn in Fulford. The plans include demolishing an outbuilding, building a pergola, extending the car park, and adding lighting, seating, flooring, fencing and planters outdoors, along with redecorating and upgrading the pub’s kitchen and toilets. The applicant says the work would improve the appearance and viability of the community facility within the Fulford Village Conservation Area.

York’s public health director, Peter Roderick, warned that the city is vulnerable to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases because uptake of the two-dose MMRV vaccine among five-year-olds is 87.7%, below the World Health Organization’s 95% target. The warning follows rising measles cases and outbreaks in England, which led the WHO to remove England’s measles-elimination status. The Local Government Association is calling for councils to receive greater powers, funding and accountability for local vaccination programmes, particularly as commissioning responsibilities are due to move from NHS England to Integrated Care Boards.

York could lose up to £38.4 million in local-government funding by 2029 if proposals from the Fair Funding Review proceed, potentially making City of York Council the lowest-funded unitary authority per head in England. Liberal Democrat opposition leader Nigel Ayre urged Chancellor John Healey, who studied in York, to stop the loss, while Labour council leader Claire Douglas said the change in national leadership offered an opportunity to secure a fairer settlement. The Government says the reforms would increase funding for local areas overall and direct more money toward deprived communities, but Healey and Prime Minister Andy Burnham have not confirmed whether they will proceed.

Plans have been lodged with City of York Council for 27 KFC-branded signs at a drive-thru under construction beside Lidl at Monks Cross Shopping Park in York. Developers Lionacre identified KFC as the future operator, while AKN Build Ltd reported that the building’s steel frame, roof and drainage works had been completed ahead of schedule. KFC is recruiting staff for the outlet. The development follows a separate 2022 approval for a KFC drive-thru at the nearby ASDA car park, on which there has been no public update.

Yorkshire Burrito has submitted plans to convert the vacant 17 Coney Street premises in York into a food outlet. The proposal includes reversible branding and signage on the Grade II-listed building, with no structural alterations planned. The business, known for wrapping roast dinners in Yorkshire puddings, already operates five London outlets. The application follows other proposed or approved developments on Coney Street, including Space NK and a Federal Café licensing application.

The UK Government is consulting on a High Value Council Tax Surcharge for properties worth £2 million or more, potentially starting in April 2028 and raising about £430 million annually for public services. City of York Council leader Claire Douglas says councils must receive sufficient funding, support and clear guidance because they would collect the charge while the revenue goes to central government. The Local Government Association warns that identifying owners, handling deferrals and appeals, and recovering debts—particularly from overseas owners—could create significant costs and complexity. The Government argues the surcharge would correct disparities in the current council tax system, where some ordinary homes pay more than expensive mansions.

Dunnington Parish Council has applied for the Cross Keys pub to be designated an Asset of Community Value by City of York Council. The application argues that the pub, which has existed since around 1823, was the village’s main meeting place and hosted social events, clubs and fundraisers before its closure in November 2025. Greene King said it was seeking a new operator, and the pub reopened the following December. York councillors are due to consider the application alongside two other local-pub cases; approval would give community groups time and a potential six-month moratorium to bid if the property is put up for sale.

Space NK is expected to open a new beauty store this autumn in the former JD Sports premises on Coney Street, York, after City of York Council approved plans for refurbishment. The work includes new internal finishes, lighting, ventilation, air conditioning units, a platform lift and external branding, with planners concluding that the changes would not harm the Grade II-listed building. The opening is being overseen within the wider Coney Street regeneration led by Helmsley Group, whose developer Max Reeves said it demonstrated continued retailer interest in York despite changing consumer expectations.

The Minster Refectory in York has applied to extend its opening hours to 9am–11pm Monday through Saturday and until 10pm on Sundays, compared with its current mix of earlier closures on some days. Located in a historic Grade II-listed building once used by the York Minster School, the restaurant serves locally sourced British dishes and was officially opened by King Charles and Queen Camilla in 2023. Operated by The Star Group and converted by GEM Construction, the venue’s proposed licensing changes await approval from City of York Council.

City of York Council has approved the sale of a former mental health unit in Clifton, allowing its conversion into a six‑bedroom home. The property, vacant since 2019, will undergo renovations to restore its original residential character and remove unsympathetic alterations made during its previous use. Plans include a new entrance, ground‑floor extension, vehicle access, and contemporary design updates intended to better fit the surrounding historic area.

A York councillor urged residents to share views on plans to convert the former Iceland store on Fulford Road into a Greggs after a previous McDonald’s proposal was rejected. Fishergate ward members expressed concern about noise and the precedent for larger cafés but said they are reviewing the bakery chain’s application neutrally. The proposed Greggs would occupy Unit 2C, operate extended daily hours, and include new signage, access changes and external equipment. The site has been vacant since 2023, and the applicant argued the conversion would enhance the area. Over 3,000 people previously petitioned against the McDonald’s plans, which were refused in 2024.

Research shows York recorded 769 smoke‑drift complaints since 2025, the highest figure nationally. Most complaints relate to residential smoke drifting between homes, with councils able to treat persistent issues as statutory nuisances. Nationally, 1,363 complaints were lodged between January 2025 and April this year, with Stoke‑on‑Trent receiving the most residential reports. Health risks from second‑hand smoke remain significant, and experts advise residents experiencing persistent smoke drift to identify entry points, speak with neighbours, and contact landlords or councils if problems continue.

A national watchdog upheld eight of nine complaints it investigated about City of York Council in 2025–26, including cases involving incorrect planning advice, delays in planning decisions, failure to reimburse education-related fees, and issues with communication around care and deaths. The Ombudsman reported a significant national rise in complaints and said many residents feel they are not receiving the support they are entitled to. York Council said it accepts all recommendations, has improved year-on-year compared with similar authorities, and remains committed to better service delivery.

A former restaurant in York’s Coppergate could be converted into a Yorkies Fish and Chips seafood restaurant and takeaway under new plans submitted to City of York Council. The proposal includes refurbishing the empty Grade II*-listed building, installing new air conditioning units, replacing stairs, rewiring, and adding a wine cellar. The redevelopment follows the closure of the previous tenant, Vitoria, in 2023. The applicant states the renovation would create a high‑end fit‑out and help preserve the historic structure.

A planning application from Eddie and Jenny Copley‑Farnell proposes converting the vacant former Boots pharmacy in Clifton, York, into a new branch of The Curious Coffee Company. The plans include new signage and window graphics, aiming to bring the vandalised ground-floor unit back into use after more than two years without a tenant. The café would seat up to 40 customers and expand the company’s presence beyond its existing sites in Haxby and Easingwold. City of York Council has yet to issue a decision on the proposal.

City of York Council approved installation of 36 temporary banners and flags to guide visitors to the National Railway Museum after road changes from the York Central redevelopment caused navigation problems. The signs aim to improve wayfinding and public safety during construction of the museum’s new Central Hall and surrounding infrastructure. No objections were filed, though York Civic Trust recommended limiting the signs to temporary use due to their scale.