If you're looking to buy a house this year - this might be some welcoming news.
The Co-operative Bank has revealed the most affordable places to buy a house in the UK and three major Yorkshire cities have made it to the top six.
Both Sheffield and Leeds have average house prices lower than the national average (which is now £264,400 as of December 2023, according to Zoopla), and were thought to be the fifth and sixth best cities for first time buyers.
To find out the best cities for first time buyers, The Co-operative Bank made a list of the 30 most populated cities in the UK. Each city was then scored and ranked according to a range of metrics, including:
Average house price
Average conveyancing costs
Average surveying costs
Average stamp duty costs
Crime safety index score
Traffic index score
Life satisfaction score
This found that both Sheffield and Leeds had a similar crime safety index score of around 43, placing them between Plymouth and Stoke-on-Trent, but when it came to traffic, Leeds was 32 points higher than its South Yorkshire comparison.
House prices differ slightly: £222,570 is the average in Sheffield and £246,026 in Leeds, and both placed a life satisfaction score of 7.3-7.5/10.
Leeds is ranked the sixth best city. / Images: Unsplash
Sheffield is ranked the fifth top place for first time buyers.
London is unsurprisingly the most expensive city for first time buyers in the UK, with the total average spend adding up to a huge £547,560. Bristol is the second-most expensive city (£353,033), followed by Edinburgh (£346,293), Reading (£332,283) and Southend-on-Sea (£327,729).
At the other end of the scale, another Yorkshire city can be found when solely comparing house prices. Kingston upon Hull was found to be the second-most affordable spot, offering a total cost of £140,814 around £5,000 less than, Blackpool with a total average price of £135,995 (including additional costs like conveyancing).
Leeds United fans looking for a crisp pre-match pint, you're in luck.
Why? Because new data has revealed Leeds United as one of the Premier League clubs offering the cheapest pints in their stadium
And it's all down to credit card provider Zable, who analysed the average price of a pint at every Premier League stadium.
You'll be glad to know that Leeds United ranked a very respectable eighth among the Premier League teams with the cheapest pre-match pints, with fans paying an average £5.60 at Elland Road.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
However, supporters can currently get a cheaper drink at pubs around the stadium, where the average pint costs £4.74.
Ipswich Town have the cheapest pint at £3.50, followed by Coventry at £3.60 and Hull City at £3.90.
The top 10 cheapest stadium match day pints:
Ipswich (£3.50)
Coventry (£3.60)
Hull City (£3.90)
Liverpool (£4.80)
Sunderland (£5.00)
Everton (£5.50)
Newcastle United (£5.60)
Leeds United (£5.60)
Bournemouth (£5.60)
Brighton & Hove Albion (£5.80)
Adam McAllister at Zable says: "For many fans, grabbing a pint before kick-off is part and parcel of the matchday experience, but our research shows that where you choose to drink can make a noticeable difference to the price. While stadium pints are often assumed to be more expensive, that's not always the case.
"With the cost of attending football continuing to add up, from tickets and travel to food and drinks, small differences like these can make a real impact on the overall cost of a matchday. Taking a little time to compare prices before heading to the stadium this season could help fans make their money go further, whether they choose to have a pint at the pub or inside the ground."
Leeds Bradford Airport workers to strike over half term, as industrial action escalates in dispute over pay
Clementine Hall
Strikes by almost 130 workers at Leeds Bradford Airport are set to escalate.
If you're planning on catching a flight from Leeds Bradford Airport, then you may want to double check the date.
Last week it was announced that workers were set to strike and bring the airport to complete standstill in a dispute over pay.
Today it has been announced that thestrikes are set to escalate and a second set of strikes have been announced.
The Unite members planning on going on strike are a mixture of air traffic control workers, customer experience staff, security staff and cleaners.
The workers involved in the dispute have recently come out of a four-year pay deal, with some of the departments having fallen behind other airports in equivalent roles.
Pay talks have been happening since December 2025, with the airport's formal offer not going far enough to address the lack of pay parity.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It is wrong that workers at Leeds Bradford Airport are paid far less than those doing the same job at another nearby airport.
"These are essential workers who play a vital role in ensuring the smooth running of the airport and the safety of passengers and deserve fair pay. Unite will always fully back our members taking action at Leeds Bradford Airport.”
The original strikes were due to take place from 03:00 this Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for hourly paid staff and from 06:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for air traffic control workers.
The next round of industrial action will now take place from Monday 23 October to Wednesday 2 November, which coincides with the busy half term period.
Unite regional officer Neil Whitaker said: “We appreciate those travelling to and from Leeds Bradford Airport will be concerned to hear that there are further strike dates, but the situation is completely the fault of the airport’s management. It can end this dispute, but that relies on it coming back to the table with a fair deal for our members.”
Sophie Smith -
27th February 2024 
