THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Thursday, 2nd April 2026

Good morning, York. April is here, and the city is already making itself felt — a sinkhole in Micklegate, a political spat over buses, and a rather excellent new restaurant to take the edge off it all. Here's what you need to know before your first brew.

📰 NEWS

🏛️ Micklegate Road to Stay Shut Over Easter: If you were hoping Micklegate might miraculously reopen before the long weekend, think again. The void discovered under the road near its junction with North Street on Thursday, 26 March, remains firmly under investigation, and the closure will stay in place throughout the Easter bank holiday. Head of highways asset management Steve Wragg says CYC is undertaking a thorough investigation of the void and its cause before any repair work can begin. Pedestrians, cyclists and businesses on Micklegate itself remain unaffected - deliveries are being managed from either end of the street. YorkMix | Geazette Herald

🚌 Skaith Hits Back at "Low Bar" Bus Jibe - Mayor David Skaith has pushed back after North Yorkshire Council told him to "step up to the mark" on bus service delivery. NYC agreed on Tuesday to continue managing bus services as previously - delegating Skaith's powers back to NYC and City of York Council until March 2027 — after the Combined Authority was unable to take on day-to-day operations. Skaith told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was "quite a low bar" from NYC to criticise his performance given the council had overseen a 50% loss in bus mileage over the previous decade. Scarborough News

“I think that’s quite a low bar from North Yorkshire to say that when we see over the last 10 years, that 50 per cent of bus mileage has been lost in North Yorkshire due to inaction from North Yorkshire Council and not funding the buses properly."

💷 York Crisis and Resilience Fund Opens for Applications - City of York Council is urging residents struggling with heating bills - including those hit by rising heating oil costs - to apply for the new York Crisis and Resilience Fund, which replaces the Household Support Fund. Unlike the previous scheme's direct payments to specific groups, the new fund takes a case-by-case approach to provide practical help with heating, electricity and other essential costs. Applications can be made online at york.gov.uk/crf. Deputy Leader Cllr Peter Kilbane said: "No one in York should have to choose between heating and other essentials." City of York Council

🚨 CRIME

🛵 Three Teens Arrested After E-Bike Robbery Near Millennium Bridge - Three teenagers were arrested on Tuesday evening after a boy had his e-bike stolen near the Millennium Bridge. The teenage victim and a friend were approached at around 7.30 pm by two individuals who threatened him and made off with his bike. In a separate incident around 8 pm in the Fulford area, a boy was approached by youths demanding his e-bike, but managed to escape. A PCSO on patrol in Fulford spotted the suspected offenders riding an e-bike shortly afterwards and called it in. Three suspects - two aged 17 and one aged 15 - were arrested on suspicion of robbery. Anyone with information should call 101 quoting reference 12260057413. YorkMix

🌿 ENVIRONMENT

🪨 Askham Bog Appeals for Funds to Secure Its Future - Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has launched a £250,000 Askham Bog Protection Fund to safeguard York's ancient peatland reserve from the accelerating effects of climate change. The bog, which sits just two miles from York city centre and was described by Sir David Attenborough as Yorkshire's "cathedral of nature conservation" - is facing increasing risk from its peat drying out as summers grow hotter and drier. The Trust is seeking five years of funding to create small dams, install a tilting weir and form new ponds to help regulate the bog's delicate water table. ITV News / YorkMix

💼 BUSINESS

📊 York Hospitality Faces "Disastrous Blow" from Business Rates Hike - York's pubs and hospitality businesses are staring down a sharp increase in costs from this month as the national business rates revaluation took effect on 1 April. York BID's analysis of the city centre found rateable values across the hospitality sector have risen by a combined 41% - more than double the national average increase of 19.2%. Under the new rules, a typical York city centre pub with a rateable value of £29,000 - now reassessed at £45,000 - could see its annual business rates bill rise by 97% over three years, reaching £17,190. YorkMix / York Press

🧩 York's Puzzling New Attraction Launches with NPIF II Backing - A new multi-room optical illusion attraction has opened in York after securing five-figure funding through NPIF II - BEF Smaller Loans. The Puzzling World of Professor Kettlestring, founded by Matthew Tritton-Hughes, took around 18 months to bring from concept to reality, involving property searches, planning, and a full fit-out of custom-designed illusion rooms after securing premises in October 2024. Tritton-Hughes credited the Business Enterprise Fund for making the launch possible, noting that with no trading history, a traditional high-street bank would never have backed it. The attraction features multi-sensory rooms, distorted and sideways spaces and bespoke sets. Investment manager Lizzy Upton at the British Business Bank said the project was a strong example of NPIF II backing entrepreneurs who strengthen Yorkshire's tourism offer. Insider Media

👥 COMMUNITY

🏊 Stamford Bridge Community Pool Needs Your Support - The Stamford Bridge Community Pool - a beloved volunteer-run facility linked to York - is calling for donations to help it keep its doors open. The pool, owned by PACT (Parents and Carers Together) and staffed almost entirely by volunteers, costs more than £100 a day to run and relies entirely on grants, fundraising and usage income. The pool serves the community with swim school sessions, private hire and open swimming. Anyone who wants to help can get in touch at info@sbcpool.org. Gazette Herald

🎗️ York Against Cancer Named York Professionals 2026 Charity - York Against Cancer has been named as the chosen charity of York Professionals for 2026 - a welcome boost for the independent local cancer charity, which provides practical support for patients and families across York, North and East Yorkshire. The charity funds services including a free minibus to Leeds for radiotherapy appointments, respite properties and pioneering research at the University of York's Jack Birch Unit. York Press | Welcome to Yorkshire

#charityoftheyear #fundraising #yorkbusiness #workingtogether | York Professionals

Drum roll please...! We are absolutely delighted to announce that York Against Cancer has been selected as our Charity of the Year for 2026. York Against Cancer is an independent charity helping people in York affected by cancer. They provide care and support for patients and their loved ones, fund pioneering cancer research and provide cancer awareness education and information. We can’t wait to work with Andy Knowles CEO York Against Cancer, Charlotte Wainwright-Price and the wider team to maximise our fundraising efforts this year. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/e-hUn5-Y #CharityOfTheYear #Fundraising #YorkBusiness #WorkingTogether

LinkedInYork Professionals

🗑️ One in Five Traders Missed Tip Slots in First Month - City of York Council has released the first figures on its new "Click Before You Tip" pre-booking system at Hazel Court Household Waste Recycling Centre. In the four weeks since the system launched on 2 March, almost one in five (195 out of 1,000+) trader slots were missed - though around 90% of resident appointments were kept. The system was introduced to tackle chronic queuing and traffic congestion on James Street. Yorwaste says day-to-day operations at the site have remained stable, and the alternative Towthorpe site has not been noticeably busier. If you haven't registered yet, book at york.gov.uk/HazelCourtHWRC. YorkMix

🕊️ Obituary: Jonathan Tyler, Former Sheriff of York - York has lost one of its most distinctive civic and environmental voices. Jonathan Tyler, who served as Sheriff of York in 2016-17, died on 1 March aged 85. A lifelong transport expert, Green Party pioneer and Quaker, Tyler was the Ecology Party's very first parliamentary by-election candidate back in 1976, and spent decades arguing the case for integrated public transport and environmental responsibility. Former Lord Mayor Dave Taylor described him as "supremely intelligent, and with a rather wicked sense of humour." Tyler is survived by his wife, Brenda and two children. His funeral took place on 24 March. Yorkshire Post

🍽️ FOOD & DRINK

🍷 The Cumberland Brings York's Most Historic Riverside Venue Back to Life - After three years standing empty, Cumberland House, the Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse on the corner of Cumberland Street and King's Staith, built around 1710, has opened as York's newest restaurant. Run by Shaun and Jamie-Leigh Binns (who also own The Lowther and Lil's on the Waterfront), The Cumberland opened its doors on Friday, 27 March under head chef James Whitlock, with a 70-seat dining room serving modern seasonal British cuisine. The building - which takes its name from the Duke of Cumberland, who is said to have stayed there after the Battle of Culloden - had been used as solicitors' offices until 2022, and is now fully restored. A 30-seat riverside terrace offers summer dining alongside the Ouse. To book, visit OpenTable. Gazette & Herald

🎨 ARTS & CULTURE

🎵 The Big Moon Complete Self Esteem's Museum Gardens Lineup - London indie four-piece The Big Moon have been announced as main support for Self Esteem at Live at York Museum Gardens on Friday 10 July. The full bill for the evening now reads: Self Esteem (headliner), The Big Moon, South African "future ghetto funk" pioneer Moonchild Sanelly and spoken word artist Joshua Idehen. The concert is the second night of the Live at York Museum Gardens series — OMD open proceedings on Thursday, 9 July. The Big Moon, best known for their Mercury-nominated debut album Here Is Everything, have previously shared stages with George Ezra, Marika Hackman and The Pixies. Tickets available at futuresoundgroup.com. York Press

🏃 SPORT

⚽ Five Games to Go - and York City Are Chasing Rochdale Down - With five matches of the National League season remaining, Rochdale sit three points clear at the top with York City in second, setting up one of the most gripping title finishes in recent National League memory. York's week was a rollercoaster - beaten by relegation-threatened Gateshead on Tuesday before bouncing back with a 1-0 win over Woking on Saturday, Ollie Pearce's penalty proving the difference. Rochdale, meanwhile, drew at Scunthorpe, keeping the gap at three points. Goal difference currently favours York by 20, meaning the mathematics remain very much alive. Tickets for the April 25 season finale at Rochdale's Crown Oil Arena - potentially the title decider - sold out within hours of going on sale, with fans queuing through the night at the LNER Community Stadium. Striker Pearce told his team-mates to block out the noise and take it one game at a time. York Press