Latest news with #CityofYorkCouncil
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Airbnb blamed as 'whole UK city hollowed out' with locals 'forced to move'
Residents are up in arms as Airbnb takes over in the popular holiday hotspot - and locals are calling for more regulation Residents in a UK city are kicking up a fuss as Airbnb takes over the popular holiday hotspot, with locals demanding tighter regulation. The surge in short-term holiday lets has seen rental costs and house prices skyrocket in areas where second homes are snapped up, pushing up market value due to demand. Some locals claim they've been turfed out of their homes so landlords can rake in higher rents from Airbnb lettings. York is the latest city to feel the pinch, with residents claiming 'whole flats and houses are being snatched away from local people' by Airbnb rentals. Locals have been 'pushed' to relocate outside of the city, blaming soaring rental costs and lack of availability - and they're crying out for action on the issue. Labour Guildhall ward councillors at City of York Council are calling for change and demanding local powers to 'control and limit the number of lets', reports the Express. Councillors and residents are grumbling about 'noise, antisocial behaviour and parking issues' in the historic city, which pulls in roughly 8 million visitors each year. One resident spoke of 'mad amounts' of hen and stag dos in the city centre every weekend, adding that 'drunken antics' had become 'unmanageable by police and city cleaners'. The York Tourism Strategy reveals that the city's appeal to visitors brings in a whopping £1.7 billion to the local economy annually. However, there's a growing sense of unease among locals, with some fearing they'll lose their homes to accommodate tourists. Labour Guildhall ward councillors have launched a petition calling for restrictions on holiday homes, as other popular tourist destinations such as Cornwall, Wales and parts of Devon introduce double council tax, also known as the second homes premium. Over 1000 York residents have already put their names to the petition, expressing their exasperation at the 'overtourism' in their local area. One disgruntled resident wrote on the petition page: "The fact Airbnbs continue without regulation means so many are forced out of living inside York, whether that's because of cost, or availability. "It's for sure a contributing factor to the insane amount of hen/stag/drunkard parties in the centre every weekend making town clearly unmanageable by police, cleaning services, and services in general. "Heavier regulation would mean at least local communities have their say, and hopefully could have these AirBnBs actually give something back to the local community (and its homeless services that it is effecting) rather than just depriving people of housing, with no repercussions." Another added: "I was evicted from my house in South Bank because my landlady wanted to turn it into an Airbnb. "I now live on the other side of town but am still next door to another Airbnb. "Short term lets are hollowing out the city, making housing scarce and by extension, putting rents up. "We need regulation to ensure that the residents and tourists both have their needs met - a person renting out their spare room is very different from someone renting out an entire mid-terrace in South Bank on the Ebor weekend, for instance." Another resident said whilst the 'original idea of Airbnb was good' which involved 'putting people up in a spare room in your own home', the short-let system had spiralled out of control in York. They added: "Whole flats and houses are being taken away from local people. "Let's follow, for example, New York City, which limits holiday rentals to primary residences."
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Funding confirmed for Haxby rail station project
Funding for a new station at Haxby has been confirmed as part of a £10.2bn investment in rail projects across the Department for Transport announced it was backing the scheme, a year after chancellor Rachel Reeves had scrapped the £24m project in a bid to save minister Lilian Greenwood told the BBC the move would return rail services to the town for the first time since 1930."Reopening that station on the York to Scarborough line will support sustainable, accessible transport to the north of York [meaning] 20,000 people who live within one an a half miles will be able to travel to places like York and Leeds by rail," she said. Asked how much the government was committing to the scheme and when work would start she said: "I don't know the specifics for Haxby, because I've got 50 road and rail schemes on our books today, but I'm sure we will be able to provide more detail in the months ahead."The good news today is that new station at Haxby is going ahead."A planning application for the station, including a fully accessible footbridge with lifts and steps connecting the two platforms, bike shelters, a 154-space car park, taxi rank and a bus stop, was submitted in Douglas, Leader of City of York Council said: "We've been working hard to secure the funding for Haxby Station that will allow this important project to get started."We've been working with Network Rail and a range of other partners, the council itself has committed £4m to the project to help make the ambition of the new station a reality."However, Tony Fisher, Liberal Democrat councillor for Strensall, said while he welcomed the announcement he would "believe the new station when I see it.""I've been campaigning on this since 1985 and have heard it all before," he said."The scheme is shovel ready but they keep withdrawing the funding. Every extra delay costs the project more money." In addition to the money for Haxby, Greenwood said the government was also committed to funding the dualling of the A1237 York Outer Ring to the Department for Transport the work will be carried out between the A19 at Rawcliffe and the A1036 Malton Rd at the Hopgrove junction with the said there needed to be a "discussion" between the council and the government over how much of the £24bn set said for road upgrades it would get."The department funds the majority of the scheme but there is a contribution from the local authority and we will be working with them on the final details," she to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
City of York Council 'rules out' congestion charge
Congestion charges have been ruled out as a method of cutting city centre traffic in York, transport leaders Ravilious, City of York council's executive member for transport, said the measure was not among those being considered, though said "everything else is part of the toolbox".Speaking at Active City York 2025, Ravilious said other schemes being considered include the creation of a "Sustainable Transport Corridor" from York Station to Tower she said it was important to "get the framing right" after the recent backlash to increased parking charges in the city. Ravilious spoke to attendees at the event alongside Public Health Director Peter Roderick about the council's efforts to promote walking, cycling and public transport council's Local Transport Strategy, which is guiding the work, aims to cut car use in York by a fifth by 2030, according to the Local Democracy Reporting told the event plans to achieve the goal include the creation of a Sustainable Transport Corridor, to give buses priority along a route from York Station to Tower Street via the Ouse Bridge, over all but essential private car said the authority had also tried to use hikes in parking charges at council-run car parks to try and discourage car she acknowledged the reaction from residents, traders and opposition councillors highlighted the importance of taking people with them when enacting transport changes. "We raised parking charges to reduce congestion by making a family bus ticket cheaper than the first two hours," she said."But we didn't get the framing right and it's not gone down well, it's very difficult because it came as part of our budget so we couldn't do it with the positives."It's been very difficult and painful, it's been a lesson for us to have the carrot alongside the stick."We've ruled out a congestion charge for York, but everything else is part of the toolbox, parking is an important tool and we all have to address it." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Chief medical officer makes case for active travel at York conference
England's chief medical officer has said the case needs to be made for the health benefits of active travel, even though it "isn't always politically easy".Prof Sir Chris Whitty told the Active City York conference the smallest changes to help people walk or cycle could transform people's health for the he said the weight of science and data needed to be thrown behind active travel as the issue had become increasingly Chris called on authorities to encourage people to make an early start, saying: "If people don't have the opportunity to get into the habit when they're children it will be very difficult to do so after." Speaking at the conference hosted by City of York Council at the Barbican, Sir Chris said active travel could have the biggest impact on people in ill said people's perceptions about active travel including concerns over safety needed to be overcome."It's critical to think about the short distances and to build between the spaces that people care about," he said."That can be transformational, it's really important for people's physical and mental health." The two-day conference saw active travel professionals gather alongside politicians for speeches and panel them was Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood, who said the government was moving on from divisive to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said support of measures to boost cycling and walking had been framed as a war on said: "When we ensure that travel is more accessible we see healthier and more cohesive communities."It's about fundamentally reimagining how cities and towns work and who they serve."He said mayors and council leaders had a "critical role" in delivering on local said the government was looking very carefully at how to tackle pavement parking, and said decisions on 20mph speed limits should be made comments came as regional mayors including York and North Yorkshire's David Skaith backed a commitment to create a nationwide walking, wheeling and cycling focusing on school runs will be prioritised as part of the wider project which aims to create more than 3,500 miles of safer routes across the Boardman, Active Travel England's national commissioner, said the body's £616m in government funding for the next four years would bring transport freedom and improve safety, including for children.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- BBC News
York park and ride times to start earlier and finish later
Bus services to and from York's park and ride sites are set to start earlier and finish later, it has been Monday to Saturday, the first bus will leave the park and ride at 05:30 and the last bus back from the city centre will depart at 22: Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said the new timetable, which is due to begin on 20 July, would benefit everyone from shift workers to visitors enjoying the city's extension is being funded by York's Bus Service Improvement Plan, supported by the Department for Transport. 'City has really changed' Currently, the first buses leave the sites at 07:00 from Monday to Saturday and return at about 20: mayor said he had been waiting for the hours to be extended for "so long"."We all see that York has really changed, we have a lot more offerings on an evening. "Speaking to so many customers and visitors to our city, who are having to leave concerts and restaurants early, having these extended hours will allow them to enjoy the city all year round," he added. Councillor Kate Ravilious, from City of York Council, added: "The six park and ride sites cover every corner of York and with up to three children traveling free with a paying adult, offers an excellent alternative to driving in to York. "They also make an invaluable contribution to reducing congestion across our city." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
