Top business stories from York and North Yorkshire

If you lost your appetite for news at any point, here's a quick snapshot of what you might've missed from across York and North Yorkshire.

B-day arrived with the Chancellor announcing his budget plans for 2020 - including the long-awaited £77m windfall for the York Central development, potentially paving the way for thousands of homes and jobs for the city. 

There were lots of other measures outlined to help businesses during these testing times - too many to contain in one story but you'll find them (and reaction) in our live blog from the day.

News that business rates would be scrapped, temporarily, for small businesses brought some relief - but some are already suffering the pain of fewer customers, with York business owner David Binelli appealing for locals to 'use us or lose us', warning "Coronavirus will be the one to finish us off!"

Numerous events have been cancelled, with others likely to follow. Such cancellations have hit hoteliers in the city as well as event spaces.

Among the cancellations was the York & North Yorkshire Chamber annual dinner, arguably one of the biggest in the city's business calendar, with Britain's most famous vicar, Reverend Richard Coles, due to be the keynote speaker. Due to be held next week at the National Railway Museum, it has now been postponed to an, as yet unconfirmed, date in September.

Reverend Richard Coles

When times are tough perhaps it's a perfect moment to reflect on how businesses operate - business wellbeing coach Ros Jones wants to launch a new networking group and "a kinder way to do business".

On another upbeat note, a new £1million pilot scheme is being launched which could see employees from regional and national industries studying for PhDs in York, to boost research and innovation while The Cookery School, in The Grand, York, announced plans to create an academy as it celebrated its first birthday.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday.