THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Tuesday, January 27, 2025

👋 MORNING! Right then! Storm Chandra's making itself known with flood warnings live around York. We've got a packed edition today - from a former officer's drink-drive ban to an MP calling for VPN age checks, power cuts closing Selby College, and the end of those endless rail disruptions. Plus brilliant news on student housing, farming support, and some proper community heroes. Let's crack on...

📰 NEWS

🌊 Storm Chandra Hits; Storm Chandra continues battering the region with flood warnings remaining active around York. Heavy rain and wind warnings are in place through Tuesday.

⚡ Selby College Closes After Power Cut; Selby College and Staynor Hall Primary School shut today after a planned power cut affected around 1,000 homes. Independent utility firm GTC apologised for not notifying customers in advance about the essential maintenance work.

🚆 Rail Upgrades Complete; Brilliant news for commuters - weeks of rail disruption have ended as the track upgrade work between Leeds and York is finally complete! Normal service has resumed.

"Weeks of disruption has ended for rail users between York and Leeds – and the result will mean “faster, greener, more frequent services across the North”.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade on Instagram: “Team TRU has now wrapped-up a huge month of upgrades between Leeds and York 🙌 Engineering work began on Christmas Day and spanned a 32-day period, which saw 45 engineering trains, 879 rail wagons, three large cranes and three tamping trains deployed. These helped us: - Install 70 new signals and a brand new power supply, for more reliable services 🚦 - Renew 3km of track, for faster, smoother journeys 🛤️ - Upgrade 11 switches and crossings, that allow trains to change from one line to another 🔀 - Install overhead line equipment foundations, for electrified, greener services ⚡ There was also a particular focus on Church Fenton during this period, with tracks through the area remodelled and platforms 3 and 4 at the station re-aligned, meaning the overall line speed through this section of the route will increase in the future, reducing journey times. The installation of a new passing loop will also enable direct services to overtake stopping ones, increasing capacity to allow more trains to run. Here’s how we completed these major upgrades 🎥👇”

38 likes, 0 comments - thetrupgrade on January 26, 2026: “Team TRU has now wrapped-up a huge month of upgrades between Leeds and York 🙌 Engineering work began on Christmas Day and spanned a 32-day period, which saw 45 engineering trains, 879 rail wagons, three large cranes and three tamping trains deployed. These helped us: - Install 70 new signals and a brand new power supply, for more reliable services 🚦 - Renew 3km of track, for faster, smoother journeys 🛤️ - Upgrade 11 switches and crossings, that allow trains to change from one line to another 🔀 - Install overhead line equipment foundations, for electrified, greener services ⚡ There was also a particular focus on Church Fenton during this period, with tracks through the area remodelled and platforms 3 and 4 at the station re-aligned, meaning the overall line speed through this section of the route will increase in the future, reducing journey times. The installation of a new passing loop will also enable direct services to overtake stopping ones, increasing capacity to allow more trains to run. Here’s how we completed these major upgrades 🎥👇”.

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🔒 York MP Calls for VPN Age Verification; Luke Charters, MP for York Outer, is calling for age verification on VPNs to stop children accessing harmful content online. Speaking on YorkMix Radio's Sunday Late Show, he expressed concern that children as young as 10 or 11 are using Virtual Private Networks to bypass age restrictions.

💷 Council Tax Hike Defended; York Council's defending its 4.99% council tax increase, saying the rise - which includes 2% for adult social care - is essential to maintain services while facing significant financial pressures.

🏋️ Leisure Centre Shake-Up; Big changes coming to North Yorkshire leisure centres! The council's proposing to scrap 70+ legacy membership types in favour of flexible pay-as-you-go options and no-contract memberships. Decision expected February 3rd.

👮 Women's Violence Strategy; Deputy Mayor Jo Coles has welcomed the new national strategy aiming to halve violence against women and girls. She met with York Central MP Rachael Maskell at York Women's Centre to discuss regional implementation.

🐦 Birds Need Year-Round Help; British Garden Centres is urging gardeners to support birds beyond just Birdwatch weekend (Jan 23-25). Create bird-friendly habitats with natural food sources and shelter.

💼 BUSINESS

🌾 Farming Support Overhaul; The Mayor's announced an overhaul of farming support schemes to boost rural profitability, reports Hambleton Today and the Yorkshire Post. The changes aim to make support more accessible for Yorkshire farmers.

🚨 CRIME

🚔 Ex-Police Officer Banned for Drink Driving; Jane Manley, 57, from Strensall has been banned from driving for six months after being found next to her car having drunk vodka. The former frontline officer of 11 years, who now runs a pet-sitting business, told York Magistrates' Court she believes she suffers PTSD from her police career. She was given a 12-month community order with 60 hours unpaid work.

🔒 Former University of York Student Jailed; A former University of York student's been jailed for three-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting a woman. He'd previously pleaded guilty at York Crown Court.

🚫 Visitors Banned From York Home; Magistrates have banned all visitors from a Leicester Way tenant's home after neighbours complained of constant trouble, reports YorkMix and York Council. The three-month closure order aims to give residents respite.

“I hope that this further acts as a deterrent for anyone considering being involved in such criminality. If you’re experiencing similar problems or are experiencing any behaviour that causes you distress or has a negative impact on the local community, please report it to the police.”

🎓 STUDENT LIFE

🏠 £22.7m Student Housing Investment; Peppermill Court student accommodation's secured £22.7m funding from Asset Capital and Paragon Bank. The 239-bed development aims to set a new benchmark for sustainable student living.

📚 £40m Doctoral Funding; University of York's celebrating major doctoral funding success as part of a £40m national investment in research training. The funding will support next-generation researchers across multiple disciplines.

🔬 Bradford Climate Research; University of York researchers are helping develop Bradford District's climate action plan, working with the council to create evidence-based strategies for reducing emissions.

🍽️ FOOD & DRINK

🍴 Cut & Craft £750k Transformation City restaurant Cut & Craft's undergoing a £750,000 refurbishment, closing January 25th and reopening February 13th with a fresh new look.

The Cut & Craft on Instagram: “WE’RE MAKING A BRAND-NEW RESTAURANT IN OUR HOME 💙 The city. The people. The moments. York will always be home. From 5pm today, we’re stepping into a makeover, ready to return on 13 February. Book now and be among the first to experience the next chapter of The Cut & Craft York. ✨”

221 likes, 8 comments - thecutandcraft on January 25, 2026: “WE’RE MAKING A BRAND-NEW RESTAURANT IN OUR HOME 💙 The city. The people. The moments. York will always be home. From 5pm today, we’re stepping into a makeover, ready to return on 13 February. Book now and be among the first to experience the next chapter of The Cut & Craft York. ✨”.

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🎃 WHAT'S ON

🎉 York Residents Festival Returns; This weekend! The York Residents Festival returns (Friday 31 Jan - Saturday 1 Feb) bringing free attractions and exclusive offers to York residents. Show your YO postcode for perks across the city.

🎵 Railway 200 Celebrations; The Railway 200 year-long celebration marks the bicentenary of modern rail, with York's National Railway Museum hosting exhibitions and events throughout the year.

👥 COMMUNITY

❤️ Riccall Couple's 28-Year Dedication; Karen and Brian Keen from Riccall have been celebrated for 28 years of volunteering for St Leonard's Hospice. Their Riccall Support Group has raised over £100,000 through garden events, craft fairs, and community fundraisers.

St Leonard’s Hospice 🌻 on Instagram: “For nearly 30 years, Karen and Brian have been at the heart of Riccall’s fundraising for St Leonard’s Hospice. From opening their garden each summer, to craft fairs, winter events, fancy dress walks, and even Brian dressed as Santa, they’ve raised over £100,000 by bringing the community together. “It’s just part of village life,” says Karen “and the Hospice makes such a difference to people.” Read more about their story via the 40 Stories for 40 Years link in our bio. 🌻 #40StoriesFor40Years #40Stories #CommunitySpirit #CommunityFundraising #Riccall #York”

27 likes, 0 comments - stleonardshospice on January 23, 2026: “For nearly 30 years, Karen and Brian have been at the heart of Riccall’s fundraising for St Leonard’s Hospice. From opening their garden each summer, to craft fairs, winter events, fancy dress walks, and even Brian dressed as Santa, they’ve raised over £100,000 by bringing the community together. “It’s just part of village life,” says Karen “and the Hospice makes such a difference to people.” Read more about their story via the 40 Stories for 40 Years link in our bio. 🌻 #40StoriesFor40Years #40Stories #CommunitySpirit #CommunityFundraising #Riccall #York”.

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