Management charges at James House, in James Street, are set to increase by £14.28-a-week per flat to £38.84-a-week, with service and cleaning fees also set to rise.

Housing benefits will cover the hikes for most tenants, 54, but it will cost more for the three who pay for accommodation themselves.

A City of York Council report stated those leaving temporary accommodation were finding it extremely challenging to afford their new homes, leading to tenancy breaches and arrears.

It added those having to cover the cost of the hikes themselves would still pay less than they would in private rental homes.

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The council plans to use the money raised by increasing the charges to fund a Tenancy Sustainment Coach post first created for a fixed term in January 2025.

They help tenants prepare to move out of temporary accommodation including with bills, claiming benefits, jobs and skills, budgeting and hosting sessions for women.

More support and sessions could be offered by the coach but there is currently not enough money to cover the expansion of the role, according to the council report.

It added it would be possible to fund the role by increasing management charges for tenants from the current £24.56-a-week.

A fall in some utility charges is also expected to offset the increases, according to the council.

James House (Image: Supplied)

Weekly service charges for different sizes of flats have also increased in 2026/7 as follows:

• Studio- £11.93
• One-bedroom- £16.68
• Two-bedroom- £22.31
• Three-bedroom- £26.05
• Large than three bedrooms- £30.77

James House is managed all hours, with the equivalent of around seven full-time staff and a supervisor on-site from 8.30am to 8pm daily and night-time security.

Weekly charges cover utilities and council tax bills.

The council’s report on the move stated the majority of tenants receiving housing benefits so the hikes would not cause them financial hardship.

The report stated: “The ongoing cost of living crisis and reduction in York Financial Assistance Scheme (YFAS) grants means many customers leave temporary accommodation in a position where it is extremely challenging to meet the financial commitments of their new tenancy, and this is contributing to arrears and tenancy breaches.

“Wider factors of the financial crisis are beyond local control, however providing further support through group sessions will help customers to prepare for their tenancy and to access all the support available to help them furnish it.

“Sessions would include all aspects of living as a responsible tenant, as well as broader topics affecting resilience and wellbeing such as substance use, accessing community facilities and services, building peer support, healthy relationships etc.”

Eleven passengers were stranded on a life raft for hours after a Bahamian plane crashed off the east coast of Florida on 12 May.

During what should have been a routine flight between two islands in the Bahamas, the small plane’s navigation systems, radio, and engines all faltered. The aircraft’s emergency transmitter sent out a distress call, alerting the US Coast Guard.

‘You could tell just by looking at them that they were in distress physically, mentally and emotionally,” said Captain Rory Whipple, an Air Force combat rescue officer, during a news conference after the rescue.

All 11 on board were rescued and are in stable condition.

Read more about the rescue here

The murder of Neil McCann remains unsolved more than 50 years after his death.

The fatal stabbing of Neil McCann prompted one of the biggest police investigations Scotland had seen and more than 50 years later the baffling gangland related murder remains unsolved.

In what proved to be a tragic case of mistaken identity the police probe centred round two brothers, both with links to the criminal underworld. However to this day it is not clear which one the hired killers were after.

Law abiding Neil was a former boxer who had moved in with his mum after a marriage split.

The 37-year-old had won a Scottish title as a teenager and had been tipped for a big professional career but now worked as a builder.

He had spent the evening with an old friend in a bar in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh before they both shared a bus home after the pubs closed at 10pm.

Neil had got off in the capital’s Craigmillar district and had intended staying the night with a girlfriend.

However unbeknown to Neil he was being followed by several men in a distinctive Ford Capri. A luxury car in its day and not one normally seen in the housing estate.

Neil had almost reached home when the car pulled up beside him. Two men jumped out and stabbed him several times including blows to the head and body.

The attack in Craigmillar Castle Loan lasted about a minute and Neil who had tried to use his boxing skills to defend himself collapsed on the pavement in a pool of blood.

The car sped away, leaving him bleeding heavily from his wounds. Local people heard his agonised screams and came to his aid but by the time he reached the city’s Royal Infirmary he was dead.

To the police it had all the hallmarks of a gangland hit.

However the former soldier and dad had no history of criminality and no involvement in organised crime. He had no enemies. In other words he was not known to the police.

However the man he had spent the evening with, Charlie McGranaghan, was on the police radar.

Charlie was an old school friend who he met by chance in The International pub in Edinburgh’s Tollcross earlier that day before moving on to the Green Tree in Gorgie Road.

It was the first time they had seen each other in a long time. Customers later told police how they looked similar in appearance, almost like brothers.

In fact they had often been mistaken for each other when they were at school. It meant the murder had suddenly taken a more sinister turn.

Could Neil have been a victim of mistaken identity, were the killers really after his old pal?

The police had previously suspected Charlie of travelling to London and bringing back consignments of heroin at a time when the drug was beginning to take hold in the city.

The men he was dealing with were said to be linked to an up and coming Turkish Cypriot family the Arifs who would go on to become one of the most powerful firms in London.

Like any organised crime group they did not take kindly to people ripping them off.

Is that what had happened? Had McGranaghan short-changed or cheated the Arifs?

Had they sent a hit team up to take him out got the wrong man?

Another theory was that the killers were in fact after his younger brother John McGranaghan who was due to meet a wealthy local businessman in the International to settle a dispute.

Charlie had taken his place for the meeting but the man never showed up.

It’s thought the mystery businessman had approached Glasgow crime boss Arthur Thompson snr to help him find a couple of men who would carry out a hit on John Arthur, who died in 1993, is then said to have put him in touch with several men who had been asking him for work.

In an interview in 2008 John McGranaghan said he was told the day after Neil’s murder – by someone in the know – that he was the intended victim.

He was also told that four hired killers from Glasgow were paid £12,000 (worth £140,000 today) but got the wrong man.

In a second interview in 2012 McGranaghan also revealed that he had recently been quizzed by police who were reinvestigating the case.

McGranaghan said: “They wanted me to formally name the people concerned. “But I’m just not prepared to do that. “The names of two men they think committed the murder and the guy who paid for the hit were put to me but I told them I could add nothing.”

At the time of the original investigation Lothian and Borders Police issued a photofit of a suspect.

But the mystery man was never identified and Neil’s mother Flora died five years later said to be from a broken heart. Local residents came forward with sightings of the smart Capri but little else of value.

At the time police interviewed around 10,000 people with their inquiries taking them across the UK with officers even travelling to a North Sea oil rig to interview one witness.

In 1981 Charlie McGranaghan was murdered in a street stabbing in London unrelated to Neil McCann’s murder. Yesterday Police Scotland said they were still committed to bringing Neil’s killer to justice.

A spokesperson said: “Undetected and unresolved murders are never closed and Police Scotland is fully committed to identifying those people responsible for all such cases.

“We work closely with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and meet regularly to review outstanding unresolved murders from across the country.

“Working collaboratively, the potential for new investigative opportunities is regularly assessed to maximise the ability to deliver justice for grieving families, irrespective of the passage of time.

“As with any unresolved or undetected homicide, we would review any new information provided to police and investigate further if appropriate.”

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The Friday letters page asks why video games often have such late review embargoes, as a reader wonders where Warner Bros. went wrong with The Lord Of The Rings.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Class of its own
Great to see the positive reviews for Forza Horizon 6, although I hardly expected anything else. It’s easily Microsoft’s most consistent and popular series now, well ahead of where Halo and Gears Of War are nowadays.

The more important question for me is where it stands in terms of being the best arcade racer series. It’s a difficult question, because there basically aren’t any anymore, not since they shut down Need For Speed, so you can only compare it with games that are much older, which isn’t quite fair.

Neither is comparing it with old Sega games (although they’re all great) or Ridge Racer. For me the two big classics are Burnout (either 3 or Paradise) and Split/Second: Velocity but they’re old too and not open world, so the only thing you can say is there’s nothing else really like Forza Horizon. Microsoft should probably take that as an important lesson in generation.
Jimbo

Stopping while you’re ahead
I find it strange that Warner Bros. were onto a good thing with The Lord of the Rings with the Shadow Of Mordor games and then just stopped. We know eventually they shut down the developer but that took nearly a decade and in that time it all just got wasted.

Shadow Of Mordor might not have been the most authentic Tolkien game but at least it was good and that’s got to be the most important starting point, surely? I’m glad they didn’t make a MMO but how exactly you’d combine the epic scale of the books and the individual stories, for a proper game, I don’t know.

You can simulate the combat easy enough but not the storytelling, which I feel it’s a miracle the movies were ever able to adapt well and still have them be fun. I think a game would have to have strategy elements but maybe focus on different characters than the main story, which was also what Shadow Of Mordor was doing anyway.
Benjy Dog

Turtle power
Nice review of Forza Horizon 6. The score given that I expected it would get. I’m just hoping it’s different enough from the last game, but the Japan setting has caused me to pre-order it anyway. I’m hoping the cars aren’t just a rehash from the last couple of games, Forza Horizon edition of the same old cars. That’s the only problem I have with the series and the cheesy avatars and annoying voice-acting but they aren’t dealbreakers at all. I’ve been hoping they might throw some Skoda rallying cars into the mix but it’s probably wishful thinking.

I bought that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, Splintered Fate, after you published how cheap it was. I went in for a penny in for a pound with it and bought its DLC as well. It’s a nice little Hades clone, if quite basic in comparison, but the characters are all different enough to keep trying more runs.

I do like the Turtles though, so it’s been fun playing it, although rather buggy. On first downloading it, it wouldn’t start so I had to reload it twice before it did. Then yesterday, I couldn’t choose room upgrades, the game went on the blink, and I had to reset it. Minus that, it’s been a good little game to play on and off especially for the price and I’ll keep going with it.
Nick The Greek

GC: We did consider an 8 for Forza, as it doesn’t really do anything new, but it’s just too much fun.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The sound of Doom
I’m going to be honest, I didn’t even realise Minecraft had any music, and I’ve watched my kid play it a lot, but whatever. Super Mario Bros. definitely deserves to be in a list of the best ever tunes and, while it wouldn’t be the first thing to come to my mind, so does Doom.

As soon as I hear At Doom’s Gate it transports me straight back to the early 90s. I assume it’s probably in the newer games but I don’t remember it, which is a shame. I do like the newer games but there’s been something slightly off about all of them, I feel. I think they’re a bit too open world, as once you get in a fight they’re amazing but the exploration and story and everything is very meh, in my opinion.
Barkley

Next generation remake
So, this new version of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. Anything concrete as to whether it’s going to be a remaster or a remake? Switch 1? Switch 2? Both?

The original N64 version was/is a masterpiece. Best game ever, best year in gaming ever. Just sayin’.
Paul C.
PS: Good review for Forza Horizon 6, though I would have been mightily surprised with a score of anything less than 9. Should get 500+ hours out of this game.

GC: Ocarina Of Time is just a rumour. The suggestion is that it’s a remake and a big title like that is going to be Switch 2 only. Rhythm Paradise Groove in July is almost certainly going to end up as Nintendo’s last game for the Switch 1.

Embargo scheduling
Great Forza Horizon 6 review. It’s one my most anticipated games of the year and I’ll give it a try on my Legion Go via Game Pass before it runs out later in the year. If it’s a bit too demanding for a portable device I’ll wait till the PlayStation 5 version.

However, whilst I appreciate the review I just can’t understand the embargo. The game comes out less than 24 hours after reviews for those who upgraded to the premium edition. In some cases there’s people already playing the game who are able to give their opinions before reviewers.

I’d understand if the game wasn’t very good but judging by both your review and Metacritic it’s a massive success. Why wouldn’t Microsoft want to use positive reviews as a way to promote the game ahead of release? Also, as a racing game it’s not like reviews are giving away any critical plot points of the game.

It’s not just Forza either. I just can’t fathom that when developers and publishers have made what they are fairly certain is a really good game that wouldn’t want reviews to go out a week before release to promote the game and build hype.
matc7884

GC: The standard version of the game isn’t out till Tuesday and Microsoft wouldn’t have anticipated people getting copies before the premium edition. Also, having a review too early can run the risk that people forget about the game by the time it’s actually out, which is certainly a consideration for lower profile titles.

Zero respect
Considering Rockstar got fined for paying below minimum wage only a few weeks ago, I’d say even £40 is too much to be paying for GTA 6.

If a company that is making $1 million a day in revenue can’t be decent enough to pay all its staff a fair and decent wage it deserves the same amount of respect it gives its low paid workers.
Anon

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Like what I like
Really good point in your Mixtape article, about the poor opinion some have of non-games feeding into the Mixtape bashing.

I’ve seen quite a few sarcastic quotation marks put around the word game, when discussing Mixtape. I’ll grab one from the comments section from your article. ‘Suspicious article. I had already forgotten about this ‘game’.’

I think the debate as to whether a non-game, narrative game or visual novel should ever receive a 10 is fine. My opinion is yes, they are as valid as any other game.

What’s happening with Mixtape though is not honest questioning of what deserves a 10/10. Which is a time honoured discussion.

It’s some saying I don’t believe a non-game should ever get a 10 and when one has and reviewed very well it’s very suspicious and must be because of the score being bought or maybe politically motivated.

Maybe it was, but don’t conflate the two. Asking if a non-game deserves a 10 is perfectly fine. Accusing a review of being bought because you think a non-game shouldn’t get a 10 is a serious accusation.

The former conversation is not being shut down, as some have suggested, by the latter receiving serious and needed redress.
Simundo

GC: Non-games are just an easy target, some people are simply angry that someone likes something they don’t, especially if it’s gained critical acclaim.

Inbox also-rans
Anyone wanting to avoid paying £110 for the premium edition of Forza Horizon 6 can pick up a code here for just £72.99. That’s only £13 more than standard edition and the Xbox Store. I couldn’t resist at that price.
Charlie H

If you’re spending the equivalent of Switch 2 on a plush Donkey Kong that doesn’t even look that good then I don’t know what to say, except… can you lend me 400 quid?
Bosley

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MORE: Games Inbox: Are 3D platformers a dead genre?

MORE: Games Inbox: What Sega game deserves a remake the most?

MORE: Games Inbox: What Nintendo Switch 2 games will be announced in June?

A raid was carried out at the shop in April

Thousands of illegal cigarettes and vapes were discovered during a shop raid. Peterborough City Council’s trading standards and licensing teams, alongside Cambridgeshire Police, carried out a raid at a Peterborough shop on April 24.

The name and location of the shop have not been confirmed. During the raid, officers seized 31,020 cigarettes, 418 non-compliant vapes, and 3.05kg of hand rolling tobacco that was “hidden within the premises”, said a council spokesperson.

The spokesperson added: “The teams are currently considering potential legal action in relation to the address concerned and for that reason further information cannot be disclosed at this time.

“Where issues of this nature arise, they are addressed robustly by our Regulatory Services teams, within the full extent of the relevant legislative framework. This case involves officers from both the licensing team and trading standards.”

Do you want more of the latest Cambridgeshire news as it comes in from across the county? Sign up to our dedicated newsletter to make sure you never miss a big story from Cambridge or anywhere else in the county. You can also sign up to our dedicated Traffic and Crime newsletters for the latest updates on the topics you are most interested in .