THE YORK BRIEF ⏰Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Good morning York, Right then, let's crack on. The University's sounding alarm bells about the UK's future economic growth – turns out we need far more graduates to hit those ambitious targets. Closer to home, someone's been causing bother at the Archbishop's place in Bishopthorpe, banging on doors and prompting a proper security upgrade. The racecourse is getting a six-figure facelift, our beloved Lendal Bridge repairs are pushed back again, and Restaurant Week's about to make your wallet weep (in the best way). Oh, and there's a Hollywood thriller filming right here in York. Not bad for a Tuesday. Let's dive in.

🗞️ NEWS

🎓 UK needs double the graduates to hit growth targets, warns University; The University of York's research shows Britain needs to dramatically boost higher education to unlock £490 billion in AI and industrial growth. Current graduate numbers won't cut it for the government's ambitious economic plans. A bit concerning, that. University of York

"The future remains open to those who prioritise high level skills - and if the UK doesn’t, it will lose ground in the global race to other countries who happily will”

🎖️55 employers meet 200+ cadets at annual York careers fair; The 3rd Annual Cadet Careers Fair took place at York College last Saturday (8th Feb), bringing together Sea Cadets, Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps, and Combined Cadet Force members with regional employers during National Apprenticeship Week. It's the only careers fair in the UK exclusively for cadets.

🚨 Intruder at Archbishop's home sparks major security review; An intruder trespassed onto the grounds of Bishopthorpe Palace, banged on the doors, and properly alarmed the Archbishop of York and his household. Counter Terror police got involved, and now the 13th-century Grade I-listed building's getting reinforced oak doors with thicker glass and better locks at its historic West Front entrance. The new doors will recapture the 18th-century style while being significantly more secure. York Press

🏥 York patients forced to turn down hospital appointments; People across York and North Yorkshire are refusing essential hospital treatment because they can no longer get NHS-funded transport to appointments. Healthwatch heard from 200+ people after national eligibility criteria tightened last May. Some are going into debt funding their own transport, others are driving against medical advice, and many are just... not going. In a largely rural region with patchy public transport, this is causing proper grief.

🎭 York school gears up to stage Queen musical; A York school is preparing to stage "We Will Rock You," the smash-hit Queen musical featuring Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are the Champions, and all the classics.

💼 BUSINESS & TOURISM

💰 Visitor levy debate heats up: 71% oppose, Mayor calls it "game-changing"; York businesses are overwhelmingly against the proposed visitor levy (71% opposed), but the Mayor's calling it a potential game-changer for York's £4 billion tourism economy. The battle lines are drawn.

🏇 York Racecourse unveils six-figure Knavesmire Stand refurbishment; The racecourse is splashing out on a luxury makeover for the Knavesmire Stand, with 11 suites getting upgraded for spring 2026. They're raising the hospitality stakes (literally) with this one.

🌾 Grow Yorkshire appoints new chair as farming crisis deepens; Jan Thornton MBE takes the helm at Grow Yorkshire as new figures reveal over half of farms are making unsustainable profits. Challenging times for the agricultural sector.

🏆 University of York celebrates 5 years as Good Business Charter member; The University is marking five years since becoming the first UK university accredited to the Good Business Charter, which promotes fair pay, employee wellbeing, and ethical business practices.

🚢 Luke Charters MP visits City Cruises York; York Outer MP Luke Charters toured City Cruises on the Ouse, highlighting the company's role in York's tourism economy. The cruise operator welcomes around 200,000 visitors annually and discussed flooding challenges facing the city with the MP.

🍽️ FOOD & DRINK

💕 Five York venues land in UK's top 100 romantic restaurants; OpenTable has crowned Casa Brazilian Rodizio, Cut & Craft, Drovers Arms, Star Inn The City, and Lucia as five of Britain's most romantic spots. Valentine's sorted, then.

🍴 York Restaurant Week returns March 9-22 with 100+ venues; Over 100 York restaurants are serving up special menus from £5-30 during Restaurant Week. With £5-6 million total economic impact expected, this is massive for York's hospitality sector. York Restaurant Week

York Restaurant Week

WE’RE BACK 🙌🍴 100+ venues to enjoy. 200+ great deals to be devoured. Offers revealed on Monday 23rd February. York Restaurant Week returns 9th-22nd March 2026. Are you ready?…

York Restaurant Week

🥐 Heppni Bakeri releases special Valentine's Day palmiers; York's beloved Swinegate bakery is taking orders for Valentine's palmiers – heart-shaped pastries made with Edinburgh butter, pink icing, and three days of careful lamination. They can be personalised with custom icing. Owner India Luck says it's about adding "a little extra magic" to Valentine's Day.

🎭 ARTS & CULTURE

🎬 Hollywood thriller filming in York with Barbie and Star Wars stars; York's streets are doubling as a film set for 'Scorn,' a new thriller starring Adria Arjona (Andor) and Kingsley Ben-Adir (Barbie). St Mary's Church is closed Feb 9-13 for filming. Lights, camera, York.

🚗 TRANSPORT

🌉 Lendal Bridge repairs delayed to 2027 as Station Gateway project slips; The £1.9 million Lendal Bridge works have been pushed back several months to 2027 because the Station Gateway project is running late. York's ongoing saga of delayed infrastructure projects continues. YorkMix

🚂 NYMR's 180-year-old Bridge 42 to be temporarily propped; The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is propping up its historic bridge to keep trains running for the 2026 season (starting March 28), while they raise £800k for permanent repairs. Clever interim solution.

⚽ SPORTS

🏉 York Knights to host Keighley Cougars in Challenge Cup; The Round 4 Challenge Cup draw has pitted York Knights against Keighley Cougars at the LNER Community Stadium on March 14-15. The Knights progressed after defeating Barrow Raiders in Round 3.