THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Friday, March 13, 2026

Good morning, York! Friday the 13th - and honestly, it's not all doom and gloom. York Central has a major civic endorsement, Spark is officially here until 2030, Pride 2026 has landed serious backing, and there's a new dog treat cupboard off Bishy Road if you need cheering up. Let's get into it. ☕

📰 NEWS

🏗️ York Central gets civic seal of approval - "a once-in-a-generation opportunity" - York Civic Trust has thrown its full weight behind the latest £2 billion York Central plans, saying the scheme, covering around 1,000 homes, a 213-bed hotel, an Innovation Hub, a new central park, and a western entrance for York Station, must shape the city for decades to come. A planning decision is expected this spring, with work potentially starting later in 2026.

🏚️ Willow House to come down - 36 affordable homes to go up next to the city walls - The long-empty former care home on Long Lane Close near Walmgate has been given demolition approval. City of York Council's plans will see 36 new affordable one and two-bedroom Passivhaus homes built on the site, with planning officers noting the 1970s building has no architectural merit, and its removal will actually improve views of the nearby city walls.

🏨 North Yorkshire hotel to stop housing asylum seekers - A North Yorkshire hotel used to accommodate asylum seekers for several years is set to stop being used for that purpose. The news follows months of debate in the region around the use of hotels for asylum accommodation, including the Home Office stepping back from plans to house single male asylum seekers at Allerton Court Hotel in Northallerton after pushback from North Yorkshire Council last September.

👶 Council sets out "Best Start in Life" ambitions for York's children - City of York Council has published its Best Start in Life strategy, focused on early intervention in children's services, helping families before challenges escalate. The plans set out the council's priorities for improving outcomes for York's youngest residents from birth.

🎓 EDUCATION

💧 York College shut today, water supply issue closes campus - York College and its University Centre are closed for students and staff today, Friday 13 March, following a "water supply issue." All lessons have been cancelled and staff asked to work from home. No timeline for resolution has been given yet.

🌈 COMMUNITY & CULTURE

🏳️‍🌈 York Pride 2026 lands £22k Combined Authority backing - May 30, Knavesmire - Mayor David Skaith and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority are now the lead partner and main sponsor for York Pride 2026, backing the event with £22,000 through the Vibrant and Sustainable High Street Fund. Last year's record attendance of 17,500 is firmly in the crosshairs, the free, family-friendly event takes place on Saturday, 30 May on the Knavesmire.

👁️ Mayor walks Walmgate in the dark for MySight York - Mayor David Skaith visited MySight York on Wednesday, trying on goggles simulating conditions including tunnel vision (Retinitis Pigmentosa), then walking down Walmgate, first guided by a staff member, then alone with a cane. He described the experience as "very overwhelming," adding he quickly realised how vulnerable and isolated sight loss makes people in unfamiliar surroundings. The visit will inform the Combined Authority's transport and employment strategies.

🌱 Great British Spring Clean starts today - litter pickers wanted across York - Keep Britain Tidy's Great British Spring Clean runs from today through to 29 March, and North Yorkshire Council is calling on residents to get involved. Simply pledge to pick one bag of litter from your local streets, park, or beauty spot, the council will loan you hi-vis vests, litter pickers, and bags, and arrange collection of whatever you gather. Two siblings from Denton - Stan, 10, and Mali, 6 - already showed how it's done, filling a full bag in just an hour. Details

🧵 Bugweed York wins national quilt shop competition - York crafting favourite Bugweed York has won the ByAnnie Local Quilt Shop contest, a national competition recognising outstanding independent retailers. Lovely recognition for one of the city's most beloved specialist shops.

🐕 A dog treat cupboard opens just off Bishopthorpe Road - A community dog treat cupboard has popped up just off Bishy Road, stocked for the benefit of passing pooches. Because York always finds new ways to spoil its dogs.

💼 BUSINESS

🚢 Spark is in York until 2030 - "signed, sealed and sorted" - The beloved shipping container food and drink venue on Piccadilly has confirmed its lease with City of York Council is now fully signed off, keeping Spark in the city until at least 2030. It's the venue's fourth extension and by far the longest, Spark called it "some kind of hard-earned acceptance from the powers that be."

🚛 York haulage firm seeks to expand fleet at Whitwell site - A York-based haulage company has submitted a planning application to expand its fleet at a site in Whitwell, a sign of confidence in the local logistics sector.

🚆 PBH Rail York appoints new director for £1.9bn project expansion - York-based rail engineering firm PBH Rail has named Alan Quince as joint director of its systems engineering division, as it delivers a project worth over £1.9 billion. Quince brings 35 years of experience, including three decades at Network Rail. PBH Rail, founded in 2003, now employs 98 staff.

🏢 Abingdon Heath York announces significant new contract - York-based Abingdon Heath has announced a significant new contract win, signalling continued confidence and growth in the city's business sector.

🏥 HEALTH

❤️ York woman working to bring accessible ECG screenings to the city - Faye Singleton is working to provide accessible ECG screenings for people in York, aiming to bring cardiac health checks to those who might not otherwise access them and detect potential heart conditions early. (York Press)

👮 YOUR VOICE

🎤 Quiz your police chiefs live - Thursday 19 March, 2pm - Deputy Mayor Jo Coles is hosting a live public online meeting next Thursday at 2pm, focused on prevention and early intervention in policing. It will include police performance data and a public Q&A — submit your questions in advance at northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/YourVoice. Live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook.

📅 WHAT'S ON

🏊 Swimathon at Yearsley Pool - this weekend, 40th anniversary - Yearsley Pool is hosting Swimathon 2026 from 20–22 March, and this year marks the event's 40th anniversary. The UK's biggest annual pool-based fundraising swim supports Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie - distances from 500m to 5km, for individuals or teams. Last year 63 challenges were completed at Yearsley alone, and 89 participants are already signed up for this year. Jump in at swimathon.org.

🚂 NYMR brings back footplate experiences for 2026 - book now - The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has reopened bookings for its Footplate Experiences. Ride in the cab of a working steam or diesel locomotive between Pickering and Grosmont, steam trips from £475, diesel from £300, Driver Experiences from £650. New this year: the iconic 1903 NER Autocar is now available for driver experiences. Book early at nymr.co.uk/footplate.

🎭 WIN: Four tickets to Bluey's Big Play at the Grand Opera House - closes 18 March - Bluey, Bingo, Mum and Dad are coming to the Grand Opera House York from 19–22 March in the Olivier Award-nominated Bluey's Big Play. YorkMix is giving away a family pass of four tickets, enter via YorkMix before Wednesday 18 March at midnight. Tickets also at atgtickets.com.