It comes after the US president sent repeated warnings to his Ukrainian counterpart ahead of the “easy” talks, telling reporters: “Ukraine better come to the table, fast. That’s all I’m telling you. We are in a position we want them to come.”
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Trump has baselessly blamed Ukraine for holding up peace negotiations since returning to office and trying to push a hurried ceasefire deal through.
He is determined to end the Ukraine war – which started almost four years ago with Russia’s land grab invasion – even if it means rewarding the aggressor.
But, it is Vladimir Putin who continues to stick to his maximalist gains and demands Ukraine gives up even more of its sovereign territory.
Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine but it wants complete ownership over the Donbas region, around 10% of which is still in Ukrainian control.
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Zelenskyy told Axios that US mediators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner told him Russia actually does want to end the war.
The White House wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donbas so it can become a “demilitarised free economic zone” instead as part of a peace deal.
But the Ukrainian president said he told Trump’s representatives that they should not try to force him to sell a vision of peace which his own population would see as an “unsuccessful story”.
Zelenskyy also said it was “not fair” that Trump is urging Ukraine, not Russia, to concede.
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“I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision,” he said, suggesting that it might be easier for Trump to pressure Ukraine than its much more powerful and aggressive neighbour.
But Zelenskyy pointed out that giving up any more land would be unforgivable.
He said: “Emotionally, people will never forgive this. Never. They will not forgive… me, they will not forgive [the US].”
He added that Ukrainians “can’t understand why” they would be asked to give up more territory, saying: “This is part of our country, all these citizens, the flag, the land.”
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Zelenskyy also made a point of thanking Trump for his efforts with peace – almost exactly a year after the president claimed Zelenskyy never said thank you.
He also said Witkoff and Kushner do not apply the same kind of pressure in private as Trump does in public.
Zelenskyy also suggested meeting Putin for a face-to-face in Geneva to find a breakthrough with the talks.
The Ukrainian president has previously theorised that Trump is keen to resolve the war before the US midterm elections in November to boost his standing among American voters.
Work is set to start this year while Magor and Undy is set to be the first completed
A long-awaited transformation of Wales’ rail network is set to begin as ministers prepare to green-light a multi-million-pound programme of new stations across the country.
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Construction on new railway stations across Newport is scheduled to commence this year with Magor and Undy expected to be the first to reach completion.
Whilst the UK Government confirmed work on those five stations will begin this year the anticipation is that construction of just two will commence by 2029.
The announcement will also secure funding for a Cardiff Parkway Station at St Mellons, with a seventh station to be constructed in north Wales serving the Deeside industrial park, with the government claiming 12,000 jobs throughout Wales will be generated.
Almost half a billion pounds was pledged for the stations in June’s spending review. The Prime Minister said: “This government is turning the page on historic dither and delay with seven new stations, thousands of jobs, and a generational commitment to build a rail network fit for Wales’ future.
“This isn’t tinkering nor sticking plasters. This is investment for the long term – and change communities will feel. This is putting Wales on the front foot and getting Britain building again.” For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here
A Wales Office statement confirmed that construction will start on stations at Llanwern, Newport West and Somerton alongside Magor and Undy and Cardiff East later this year. Magor and Undy is anticipated to be the first of these stations to reach completion.
The announcement will be viewed as welcome news for First Minister Eluned Morgan who has urged Mr Starmer to commit funding to rail infrastructure as polling indicates Labour may face difficulties in May’s Senedd election, potentially ending the party’s 26-year control of the Welsh Government.
Ms Morgan said: “We are now in an unprecedented position to deliver the next chapter of transformation for rail services in Wales. We have secured long-term commitments to key projects and a renewed ambition for our rail network.”
She added: “Today marks another important milestone for rail as Transport for Wales publishes an exciting and essential pipeline for future investment. This includes projects the length and breadth of our nation.
“We warmly welcome the UK Government’s support for these plans and for their commitment to putting right the injustice of Welsh rail underfunding left by the previous government.”
The new stations flanking Newport had been proposed by the Burns Commission in 2019 to tackle M4 congestion following the abandonment of earlier relief road proposals, and are designed to facilitate easier commuting into Newport and Cardiff.
The proposal Mr Starmer is expected to formally back on Wednesday is the strategy developed by Transport for Wales, which oversees local rail services and public transport strategy.
The UK Government is also pledging funding to enhance the line speed of the relief lines running parallel to the main lines between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel Junction, which will establish two additional high-speed lines and offer greater flexibility for freight and passenger operations.
A comprehensive business case is expected to be submitted this spring, with work coordinated alongside the proposed new stations and services.
Campaigners, who initially put forward proposals for a walkway station designed to serve commuters within walking distance in 2013, had urged for Magor and Undy to be prioritised when funding was announced, as a station could be delivered without requiring an upgrade to the line.
The demand to prioritise Magor and Undy has received cross-party support from Monmouthshire County Council. Cardiff Parkway is projected to serve approximately 800,000 passengers annually which is expected to generate around 6,000 jobs.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens added: “This investment in seven new stations and other upgrades will boost capacity across our network and transform the experience of thousands of passengers.
“It is part of the generational investment we are making to improve Welsh rail which will better connect people with the well-paid jobs we are creating across the country and drive economic growth.”
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Manchester City have seen empty seats at the Etihad in the last few weeks, and what happens next matters to supporters.
12:13, 18 Feb 2026
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It wasn’t just Pep Guardiola who suffered from post-Christmas Blues. As his Manchester City team walked into an injury crisis that saw their Premier League title challenge falter, supporters have been hit by the most congested spell of home games for a decade with nine matches at the Etihad in the first two months of 2026.
We are not at the level of anger that has turned into official protests over the last few years. Last year’s walkouts during games helped to visually highlight the discontent of fans and helped to secure a season ticket price freeze and cheaper matchday tickets from the club as a result.
That should at least get the club some credit, especially at a time when other clubs are asking more and more. Not only did Arsenal announce a 3.9 per cent increase in season tickets at the Emirates for the 2026/27 season, they are also adding even more tiers to their matchday pricing that could see a single game cost £168; the most expensive at City this season costs £60.
Nevertheless, relocating 500 fans in the North Stand to make way for a new hospitality area has seen protests at the Etihad and even where there isn’t anger among City fans for an increasing number there is – just as dangerous – apathy setting in: the feeling that, as it gets more difficult to watch their team, it simply isn’t worth bothering with anymore – either at all or as much as they used to.
Helped no doubt by the fact that they have seen Guardiola’s side win the lot in recent years, some fans have had enough and in a recent survey of around 3,000 by 1894, a fan group focused on matchday atmosphere, over 200 said they were considering giving up their season ticket for next year.
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Adam had been a season ticket holder for close to 40 years and joined the original City Matters committee when the official fan representative groups were introduced across the Premier League. It only served to accelerate his exit from matchdays and after giving up his season ticket in 2021, he has pretty much stopped going to any games.
“I just find the atmospheres are pretty lame these days at most games. But you know, but also VAR’s a big thing, the petty officiating and just general modern football really on the pitch. But also, I got to 40 years old thinking I’d never seen my team play at Wembley and now I wouldn’t even contemplate going back to Wembley. I’ve been however many times I went, but there’s no way I would pay that sort of £300 day out anymore for that experience,” he told the Manchester Evening News.
“There is the life journey element there as well I think after 2023. I was lucky enough to go to all of those, all of these trophies in 2023 [when City won the Treble] and the analogy I used after that was it’s like if you’re a mountain climber and you just did Everest, do you wake up the next day and want to go and climb a hill?That was a natural breaking point as well, I guess, for me.
“I have a big group of friends in the South Stand. They have season tickets and they come from far and wide. So there’s literally always tickets available out of that group. Even after I stopped my season ticket, I would still go to most matches. But now I don’t even take advantage of these free tickets that are always going, I just don’t go at all anymore.”
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Fatigue is natural, and even with the price freezes or reductions going to multiple games quickly becomes expensive – especially when the team is as successful as City is; Salford at home was the 21st game at the Etihad this season, more than Manchester United will have at Old Trafford in the entire campaign. The club have sold more than 99 per cent of tickets for Premier League games but must still ask themselves why other games are less attractive.
A League Cup semi-final when City are already 2-0 and you may be thinking about another trip to Wembley for the final, a Champions League dead rubber where the team’s defeat to Bodo/Glimt could force another home game for the play-off, and FA Cup ties against lower league opposition are all examples where fans may simply prioritise saving their cash. Even measures such as the loss of free parking around the ground in the last two years has been enough for some to drop a cup scheme, or decide it isn’t worth the price of a ticket and a 30-minute walk in the rain.
The same goes for the £35 that it costs for matchday membership, allowing fans to buy tickets. For casual fans wanting to attend a few games a season or if existing members want to introduce somebody new, that fee can become a hefty percentage add-on to a ticket or two.
There have also been tweaks to season tickets this season that were brought in to alleviate one major concern but have proven hugely unpopular for another reason. The first is a new minimum attendance policy whereby season ticket holders must attend 10 games personally to guarantee that they keep their ticket.
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It has never been said that not attending 10 will definitely mean somebody loses their ticket for next season – the club showed with Flexi Gold tickets (another debate entirely) that they can adapt when they introduce something – and there was a promise that the club would be accommodating for a change that is ostensibly to get rid of people who buy a season ticket and either never go or just go to the big games. How accommodating they will be though, with many thousands of tickets held by those who live in another city or country and are at the mercy of broadcast companies rearranging kick-off times, remains to be seen.
That quota has followed on from Flexi Gold to further ask the question of what a season ticket fundamentally is and what an owner should be able to do with it, but attendance has also been challenged by a clampdown on transferring tickets. Where fans used to be able to send their ticket to any other season ticket holder, now it is only a select few pre-designated members that each one can choose.
Prominent City fans who appear on official club channels have been publicly critical of this, with Big Steve making the changes a major factor in empty seats when he spoke recently: “There’s been a massive change in the ticket policy at Manchester City. If you’ve got a season ticket now and you want to give it to your mate or you want to give it to your son or your pal to take his lad, it’s literally impossible to do that.
“You used to be able to transfer your ticket to a season ticket holder, now you can’t. You’ve got to be on your registered list of people you can transfer to, and how do you know who’s available for what game? You can’t transfer it to a season ticket holder and they’re just making it difficult.
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“The other night I was in corporate and I had three tickets spare. I literally couldn’t transfer them to anyone to give them away, so the seats are going empty. They want me to sell the ticket back to the club but then the ticket ends up on Viagogo and all of a sudden your group of mates are sat there and three guys turn up who have paid a load to get there. City have got it all wrong and this is not going to be the end of it.”
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The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.
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Both minimum attendance quotas and the tightening of ticket transfer were brought in by the club with the intention of boosting the atmosphere and clamping down on safety fears – the number one concern highlighted by fans in the 1894 survey last year. Limiting the unknown people who could get a ticket or flog it on seems a good idea, but the reality has in fact been reducing the number of City fans who feel like they can go to matches or introduce their friends or family to games.
Fans having to use burner phones that just have tickets on to be able to pass around physically because they can no longer electronically send on their ticket is an awfully long way to have travelled from five to ten years ago when the former CEO was talking of how easy he wanted to make it to build as big and wide a fanbase as possible and get 60,000 bums on seats ever week.
And while fans may feel safer, the resentment towards third party ticket sellers will only grow while the club has nine official websites that it uses and others are still able to buy up chunks of tickets for basically every game. City say that there is no guarantee that the unofficial sites actually have the tickets they claim to, but unless or until it becomes more transparent, fans will be suspicious.
When loyal fans such as Sean Riley are being knocked back in their efforts to represent the fanbase on the City Matters panel, a club that is getting more and more support globally still has plenty to do to stop its local core from getting fed up. The next few months have to be spent wisely because they could make an impact for years – especially with the expanded North Stand representing the final major expansion of the stadium.
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If the last two months have brought these problems to a head, they are likely to retreat beneath the surface again for the rest of the season. The business end of the campaign starts in March, the weather gets warmer, there are more people around, and there are more than enough Blues wanting to fill the stadium to support the team as Guardiola repeatedly calls for.
The club have already been in dialogue with City Matters about more tweaks to ticket transfer and will look at how the introduction of attendance requirements has gone. They will also be well down the road with setting prices for next season that will have to be competitive and reasonable, not least with 6,000 extra tickets to sell for every match.
City are swimming against the tide, with more and more supporters of all clubs being put off attending games by changes in the matchday experience including VAR, kick-off times moved at short notice, pricing, and atmosphere. It is not just the Etihad where there have been empty seats.
But at the same time, the club have to make sure they are doing everything possible not to add to those issues for their own supporters. The last few weeks have highlighted that a full house every week is not guaranteed if City do not pay attention to what some of their most loyal fans are saying.
Two police cars were significantly damaged as officers brought the car to a stop to prevent a danger to other motorists on the motorway.
The drama unfolded just before 7.30pm on Monday when an an ANPR camera alerted officers to a possible cloned or stolen vehicle travelling on Bury New Road, Heap Bridge on the border of Bury and Heywood.
As the suspect vehicle pulled into a petrol station, the driver spotted the second police vehicle nearby and attempted to make off.
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During the police pursuit the driver of the suspect vehicle entered the motorway and was followed by two patrol cars.
After a short police chase the driver performed a U‑turn in a bid to get off the motorway.
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “This posed a significant risk to the public going the wrong way on the motorway and required immediate tactical intervention from officers.
“Officers successfully quartered the vehicle twice, ensuring it stayed on the motorway.
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“After a four‑minute pursuit, officers made tactical contact bringing the vehicle to a stop. Two police vehicles were significantly damaged during the incident.
“All three occupants were detained. The driver was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, failing to stop, dangerous driving and driving without insurance. The two passengers sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital.
“The driver has been bailed pending further investigation.”
Labour have revealed plans to lift the cap, which was introduced by the Conservative Party in 2017
Reform has announced plans to reinstate the two-child benefit cap in full – in a move which would leave hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty.
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The announcement comes after Labour revealed plans last year to lift the cap, which was introduced by the Conservative Party in 2017. Under the limit parents were restricted to receiving Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit for just two children, leaving families unable to claim support for a third child.
According to figures from July, around 1.6 million children in larger families have been impacted by the cap. However Robert Jenrick, Reform’s new Treasury spokesman, today said Reform would bring back the controversial cap, the Mirror reports.
The announcement comes weeks after Mr Jenrick accidentally voted in favour of lifting the two child limit alongside Suella Braverman. The Reform members reportedly got “trapped” in the wrong voting lobby by mistake.
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Speaking in London today, Mr Jenrick said: “We want to help working families have more children. But right now, we just cannot afford to do so with welfare. So it has to go.
“And, as Reform’s Shadow Chancellor, I’m ending it. A Reform Government will restore the cap in full. We are the party of alarm clock Britain – a party for workers and not welfare.”
Reform would also put in place in-person assessments for any sickness or disability benefit, and restrict mental health benefits to those with a clinical diagnosis, Mr Jenrick added. He said: “We will stop those with mild anxiety, depression, and similar conditions from claiming disability benefits and instead encourage them into the dignity of work.”
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Mr Jenrick also vowed to restrict benefits to British nationals. He also proposed a crack down on the Motability scheme, which allows people receiving certain benefits to use their allowance towards leasing a new vehicle.
Sir Keir Starmer has called Reform UK’s pledge to reinstate the two-child benefit cap “shameful”.
The Prime Minister said in a post on X: “Shameful. I’m incredibly proud that this Government has scrapped the cruel two-child limit.
“Reform wants to push hundreds of thousands of children into poverty.”
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Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley also criticised the policy shift, saying: “Robert Jenrick has united the right behind a cruel child poverty pact that would see nearly half a million kids pushed into poverty.
“Farage’s party is stuffed full of former failed Tories who are now hell bent on continuing their damaging legacy, with working people and their children set to pay the price.
“Labour chooses the other road – lifting almost half a million kids out of child poverty – and that’s what we’re doing this year.
“It’s the right thing to do for them, their families and our economy. It’s appalling that Reform and the Tories would undo that change and leave a lost generation of kids in every corner of Britain.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “Cutting the cost of living is my number one priority. Thanks to the choices we made at the Budget we are bringing inflation down, with £150 off energy bills, a freeze in rail fares for the first time in 30 years and prescription fees frozen again.
Meta’s CEO is expected to answer tough questions on Wednesday from attorneys representing a now 20-year-old woman identified by the initials KGM, who claims her early use of social media addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. Meta Platforms and Google’s YouTube are the two remaining defendants in the case, which TikTok and Snap have settled.
Zuckerberg has testified in other trials and answered questions from Congress about youth safety on Meta’s platforms, and he apologized to families at that hearing whose lives had been upended by tragedies they believed were because of social media. This trial, though, marks the first time Zuckerberg will answer similar questions in front of a jury. and, again, bereaved parents are expected to be in the limited courtroom seats available to the public.
The case, along with two others, has been selected as a bellwether trial, meaning its outcome could impact how thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies would play out.
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A Meta spokesperson said the company strongly disagrees with the allegations in the lawsuit and said they are “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”
One of Meta’s attorneys, Paul Schmidt, said in his opening statement that the company is not disputing that KGM experienced mental health struggles, but rather that Instagram played a substantial factor in those struggles. He pointed to medical records that showed a turbulent home life, and both he and an attorney representing YouTube argue she turned to their platforms as a coping mechanism or a means of escaping her mental health struggles.
Zuckerberg’s testimony comes a week after that of Adam Mosseri, the head of Meta’s Instagram, who said in the courtroom that he disagrees with the idea that people can be clinically addicted to social media platforms. Mosseri maintained that Instagram works hard to protect young people using the service, and said it’s “not good for the company, over the long run, to make decisions that profit for us but are poor for people’s well-being.”
Much of Mosseri’s questioning from the plaintiff’s lawyer, Mark Lanier, centered on cosmetic filters on Instagram that changed people’s appearance — a topic that Lanier is sure to revisit with Zuckerberg. He is also expected to face questions about Instagram’s algorithm, the infinite nature of Meta’ feeds and other features the plaintiffs argue are designed to get users hooked.
The award show was held at Utilita Arena in Newcastle last October, the first time it took place outside of London since it launched in 1992, and will return to the venue this autumn.
The award ceremony aims to spotlight the best new British and Irish music while also celebrating artistic achievements across genres.
Dr Jo Twist and YolanDa Brown from organisers the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), said: “Last year’s Mercury Prize and its brilliant performances and Fringe gave the region a £1.4m economic and cultural boost and the whole of Newcastle came together to give the event a warm, big Geordie hug.
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“We are delighted to see the Prize return to the Toon and to the North East for what we know will be another memorable occasion for artists and fans.”
An independent judging panel selects a shortlist of 12 albums across genres, championing emerging and established artists alike.
The 2025 ceremony marked the first time the event was held outside London, bringing an estimated 8,000 extra visitors to the region.
This year’s return aims to build on that impact, with organisers planning an expanded public programme.
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Councillor Karen Kilgour, leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “The return of the Mercury Prize to Newcastle for a second consecutive year is a tremendous vote of confidence in our city and our thriving music scene.”
Past winners of the Mercury Prize include Sam Fender, English Teacher, Ezra Collective, Little Simz, Dave, Wolf Alice, and Young Fathers.
Police, paramedics, and an air ambulance were called to the incident near the A171 on Tuesday (February 17), arriving at the scene just after midday.
Cleveland Police closed the road between Guisborough Hall and Lawrence Jackson School for several hours, with the route only fully reopening around 3.45pm.
The force has now confirmed that the 999 crews were called to a medical incident.
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A spokesperson for the Great North Air Ambulance said: “Our critical care team was activated at 12.11pm to an incident on the A171 near Guisborough. They arrived on scene at 12.20pm.”
A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 11.49am on Tuesday 17 February to reports of a road traffic incident on the A171 northbound near Guisborough Hall.
“We dispatched two ambulance crews and a clinical team leader to the scene, and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).”
Emergency services were called to Hastings Street in Hendon, Sunderland, on Tuesday (February 17) after an alleged assault inside a home shortly before 7.15am.
A man in his 50s was found to have sustained serious injuries but despite the best efforts of paramedics, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Northumbria Police has now confirmed that a 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.
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The force said that those involved are believed to be known to each other, and there is no risk to the public.
Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr, of Northumbria Police’s Major Investigation Team, added: “This is clearly a very serious incident, and our thoughts are with the man’s family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.
“We will continue to support them in any way that we can following their tragic loss, and would ask that their privacy is respected as they look to process what has happened.
“An investigation has been launched in order for us to determine the exact circumstances of the man’s death, and our officers remain in the Hendon area while they carry out further enquiries.”
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A spokesperson for North East Ambulance Service added: “We were called just before 7.15am on Tuesday (February 17) to an incident at a private address in the Hendon area of Sunderland.
“We dispatched a paramedic ambulance, doctor, a clinical team leader and specialist paramedic to the scene.”
There is a currently a lane closure in Nunnery Lane while Yorkshire Water complete a repairs on the wastewater network.
The lane is closed from the junction with Drake Street to just after the junction with Victoria Street, which is also closed.
Yorkshire Water say the works are currently expected to be completed by Saturday, March 7, though this can be impacted by multiple factors, including the weather, ground conditions, and unforeseen engineering challenges, and may change.
The company say that immediately following the repair, there will be a road closure in nearby Scarcroft Road in South Bank between the junction with Scarcroft Hill and the junction with The Mount and a signed diversion will be in place. This is to allow Yorkshire Water to continue with a £1.4 million mains replacement scheme that began in spring 2025.
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The project, which will replace 4.3km of mains, will improve the reliability of drinking water supply, reduce leakage, and prevent water main bursts in the area. It forms part of the utility’s £8.3 billion investment into Yorkshire over the next five years, and a £406 million overall investment into replacing 1,000km of mains across the region.
Yorkshire Water say the closure in Scarcroft Road has been delayed to minimise disruption caused by the repair in Nunnery Lane. This closure is expected to be in place for about a month to complete.
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “We’re working as quickly as we can to complete the repair, and the subsequent mains replacement scheme in the area.
“We appreciate that the roadworks will be disruptive, but they are essential for the safety of our colleagues and those living and working in the area, and for the upkeep and improvement in our infrastructure. We’ve taken the decision, alongside the council, to delay our Scarcroft Road work to try to minimise the amount of traffic disruption felt at one time. We’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding in advance.”
