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We don't like Mondays: shoppers spurn city centre early in the week There's a rather unfortunate (and offensive) acronym for people who only come into their offices on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - an increasingly common phenomenon post-pandemic with hybrid working now the norm. But what does that mean for town and city centres on the other days of the week? In Leeds, workers and shoppers are becoming a far rarer sight in the city centre on Mondays, as Local Democracy Reporter David Spereall reports.  Footfall in Leeds city centre is down 26% on Mondays compared with pre-pandemic levels. Shutterstock image
Data provided by the city council suggested daytime footfall is down 26% at the start of week, compared with pre-pandemic levels. And one local councillor said he feared Leeds becoming a "three-day city" if the trend continued and Tuesdays suffered a knock-on effect. Daytime footfall in the city centre across the whole working week is down by 18% from 2019, but events and Christmas shopping season did bring revellers out in droves in November and December. Evening footfall on weekends is also up slightly compared to three years ago.
Conservative councillor Paul Wadsworth suggested the Labour-run authority consider introducing cheaper parking charges on quiet days to address the problem. Eve Roodhouse, the council's chief officer for culture and economy, said: "We have to accept that the general trend in the economy is people are going to work more flexibly and we won't necessarily see that return on Mondays in the same way."
Revealed: North hit hardest by winter deaths spike  In the four weeks to 30 December, deaths in the North were up by 20.6% compared to the pre-pandemic average
Just a few days ago the Royal College of Emergency Medicine put a shocking twist on our NHS crisis as it claimed that somewhere between 300 and 500 people are dying each week as a result of delays and problems with urgent and emergency care. And given the country's entrenched health inequalities it's perhaps no surprise that these deaths are not being spread out equally. Analysis by Harriet Clugston of NationalWorld of official figures reveals that significantly more excess deaths are currently being recorded in the North and Midlands compared with the South, with pressure on the NHS "likely" to be a factor. In the four weeks to 30 December, deaths in the North were up by 20.6% compared to the pre-pandemic average, Harriet reports, while in the South they were up by 14.7%. The North West was particularly badly hit, with deaths up 22.3% compared to before the pandemic. Labour shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy described the disparity as "unconscionable". And Chris Thomas of the IPPR think-tank told the website that due to existing regional health inequalities – and the greater strain on services that poorer health can cause – Northern health systems can feel the strain particularly acutely at times of unprecedented demand. "We saw that during the Covid-19 pandemic where the places that were most likely to experience high levels of infection or high levels of mortality or where the system was particularly under strain in terms of healthcare tended to be places where health inequalities were higher, which was often places like the North East, the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber," he said.
The teams battling to stop tree tragedy happening again  Ella Henderson, who died after being hit by a tree which collapsed as she played with friends in the playground at Gosforth Park First School in Newcastle
At a meeting last night, Newcastle's lord mayor issued an apology for the "unimaginable" tragedy that saw six-year-old Ella Henderson killed by a falling tree at a city school. The council was earlier fined £280,000 after admitting failings that led to Ella's heartbreaking death, such as failing to fully identify the dangerous state of the tree or properly inform the school of its poor state. But the challenge other Northern authorities face in looking after their trees was recognised this week at a meeting of Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire, where it was revealed that six deaths a year nationally come from falling trees, writes Local Democracy Reporter Abigail Marlow. Joe Robertson, the council's Woodland Development Manager, said his team of just 15 is responsible for around 190,000 trees. Struggles in recruiting and retaining staff are proving problematic for the department which currently has an "eye-watering" vacancy rate of 28%. Due to this, contractors are being called upon to carry out work but this is a lengthy process. As a result of these difficulties, the team's ability to respond to emergencies and carry out jobs has been negatively impacted, with inspectors working at "above average levels" to get through routine inspections. Mr Robertson told the meeting the risk of injury from falling trees is "broadly acceptable" when compared with other areas like road traffic accidents. But there is a duty for the council to do "everything reasonably practical" to minimise that risk.
'Powerful role models from across the North' honoured at awards ceremony  An image from the 2022 Northern Power Women Awards
An 80-year-old cancer researcher, an ex-offender who provides support to women returning home from custodial sentences and a tech founder using artificial intelligence to further equality in the workplace. These women and more are among the 89 shortlisted 'superstars' up for honours at The Northern Power Women Awards, described as the largest celebration of gender equality in Europe. The winners will be announced on Monday March 20 at the Manchester Central Complex. Find out more and see the full shortlist here. Organisers say representation can be seen from every walk of life, leaders, influencers, even those at the start of their career, and that everyone on the shortlist will get a place on a 12-week mentoring programme. Alison Kay, Managing Partner for Client Service at EY, UK and Ireland, the event's sponsor, said the event "recognises so many powerful role models from across the North." And Simone Roche, founder and CEO of Northern Power Women, said: "Each of these individuals and organisations highlight just how varied the definition of success can be, as well as demonstrating that each of us has the power to make real change."
 City of Chester MP Samantha Dixon pictured in the Commons last month
Speaking of influential women, Samantha Dixon now has a national platform to bang the drum for her home city of Chester after being elected as its MP in December. And the Labour former council leader won widespread praise for her maiden speech this week in which she gave the Commons a whistlestop tour of the Roman city's history and its cultural and sporting attractions. Read the whole thing here. She told MPs: "I want the very best for my city, and I promise that this Chester woman will be a determined and dedicated public servant for those who voted for me and for those who did not." Tory MP Harriet Baldwin praised the "assured" speech and said: "She painted a beautiful picture of her city, and I am sure that that was the first of many excellent contributions that she will make to our debates."
Report into dead crabs catastrophe expected this month  Mass crustaceans deaths on Teesside's beaches
Ministers said this morning they expect to receive a report into marine die-offs near Teesside this month, after being pressed to address the situation as soon as possible. Thousands of dead and dying crustaceans washed ashore along parts of the North East coast between October and December 2021. An official government report blamed a naturally occurring algal bloom but devastated fishing crews say the incident could have been caused by industrial pollutant pyridine. In the Commons this morning Tory Ministers faced calls to pause dredging at freeport sites while an investigation into the mass die-off of crabs takes place. Shadow environment minister Alex Sobel asked for confirmation that the panel for a new 'independent' report into the deaths had now been set up and would be reporting this month. And Environment minister Mark Spencer replied: "The report will be given to the Secretary of State. I expect that report to come this month as in January. We want to get those facts as soon as possible. We want to respond to the facts as they are presented." 
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Northern Stories  Plans to transform Bury Market form part of a wider regeneration effort in the town
- New images show how Bury Market - famously visited by a confused Rishi Sunak in 2021 - is set to be transformed after a £20m facelift. Residents and market shoppers are being invited to view the plans and have their say on the proposals for the market and the new flexi-hall. The multi-million pound development will form a central part of wider plans to regenerate the town centre, including a new Bury Interchange and redeveloped Mill Gate centre. The plans for Bury Market include a new over-sailing canopy to cover the existing outdoor market and make it more attractive and visible.
- Former rugby league star Rob Burrow said Leeds is the "place where my dreams came true" as he became an honorary freeman of the city alongside his friend and teammate Kevin Sinfield. Burrow and Sinfield were granted the honour for their outstanding sporting achievements and work to support those with motor neurone disease (MND) at a ceremony in Leeds last night. Burrow, who was diagnosed with MND in 2019, thanked his family, who were with him for the event, saying they "give me reason never to give in". And he praised Sinfield, "who has gone above and beyond for his mate".
- Anti-social behaviour and violence on evening buses serving the Barnoldswick, Colne, West Craven and Skipton areas have been raised by Lancashire councillors, with calls for urgent talks and action between transport firms, the police and other authorities. There have been worries about the future of M5 and Pendle Wizz bus services, which connect towns and villages, and that the Transdev bus company could stop evening buses because of the problems, Pendle Council's West Craven Area Committee has heard. The concerns were raised at a recent meeting, where Lib Dem councillor David Whipp said: "There were some horrendous cases of groups attacking buses and attacking people getting on buses."
- Saltburn has lost its coveted Blue Flag beach status – the gold standard among beaches – due to a decline in bathing water quality. The beach was the only one between Whitby, in North Yorkshire, and Roker, on the outskirts of Sunderland, to boast the internationally recognised certification which was awarded to 80 beaches in England last year. While this year's results won't be announced until May, Keep Britain Tidy, which manages the certification process in the UK on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education, confirmed it is not eligible to apply this year.
- Wet wipes incorrectly flushed down toilets remain the most common cause of sewer blockages in Yorkshire Water's network, the company said. Wet wipes were linked to 11,946 of the 25,976 blockages (46%) the water firm had to clear from its sewer network last year, making up a proportion similar to 2021. The company warns that many wet wipes contain plastic and, unlike toilet paper, do not break down in sewers, so they can become snagged and stick together to block sewage flowing through the pipes.
- A digital Tyne and Wear Metro pass that gives access to cheaper tickets remains off limits for iPhone users. Amid plans for a massive hike in Metro fares due to come into force in April, transport bosses are still in talks to try and get the system's Pop card to work with Apple phones. Journeys using Pop Pay As You Go, which is also available to order as a physical smartcard, are already cheaper than buying equivalent paper tickets – but the impending price lift will make them even more so, with a day's travel costing £1.35 less. While Metro operator Nexus is desperate for more passengers to sign up for a Pop card, there remains frustration that its mobile version still cannot be downloaded onto iPhones.
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