Most read stories of 2025 | Place Yorkshire
From airport ambition and city-centre regeneration to major housing and infrastructure decisions, 2025 was a year dominated by big moments across Yorkshire’s property and development landscape.
As the year comes to a close, we’ve rounded up the stories that attracted the most attention from Place Yorkshire readers.
The top 10 list is heavily dominated by South Yorkshire stories – with Doncaster Sheffield Airport clearly at the top of people’s agenda. Rather than skewer the data and move the order of stories around, I decided to stay with the adage of ‘the data doesn’t lie’ and keep the top 10 list true to as it is.
To ensure the other regions weren’t excluded, I then drilled further into the data to compile the top five stories from East, West, and North Yorkshire.
So, without further ado, here are your lists of the top stories from across Yorkshire this year – with South Yorkshire firmly in the spotlight.
1. FlyDoncaster to manage South Yorkshire Airport City
The appointment of FlyDoncaster to manage South Yorkshire Airport City proved to be the most-read Yorkshire story of the year, reflecting the intense interest in the future of the airport site.
2. International flights hint for Doncaster Sheffield Airport
Speculation around the return of international flights to Doncaster Sheffield Airport captured widespread attention as momentum continued to build around the site.
3. CEG goes into administration
It’s never nice to hear of companies hitting bad times, but news of CEG entering administration was one of the year’s biggest commercial property stories.
4. Sheffield releases shortlist of Green Belt land for development
Sheffield City Council’s release of a Green Belt shortlist sparked strong readership as debates around housing delivery and land use intensified.
5. Archaeological findings lead to redesign of Sheffield’s Castlegate
Unexpected archaeological discoveries reshaping plans for Castlegate proved popular, highlighting the city’s challenge of balancing heritage with regeneration.
6. Funding row breaks out over Doncaster Sheffield Airport
Disagreement over funding arrangements at DSA became one of the most closely followed political and infrastructure stories of the year.
7. Plans in for 260 Rotherham homes
A sizeable residential proposal in Rotherham drew significant attention as development pressure across South Yorkshire continued.
8. Transport plans set out for DSA and Gateway East
Detailed transport proposals linked to DSA and Gateway East underlined the scale of ambition for the wider airport zone.
9. Sheffield superlabs set for approval
Plans for major laboratory facilities in Sheffield highlighted the city’s growing life sciences and innovation credentials.
10. Doncaster Waterfront plans unveiled
The unveiling of regeneration plans for Doncaster Waterfront rounded out the top 10, signalling fresh momentum along the town’s waterside.
Top five most read stories – West Yorkshire
1. Leeds South Bank makes government’s new towns shortlist
Leeds South Bank’s inclusion on the government’s new towns shortlist was one of the standout planning stories of the year.
2. Leeds serves up approval for Dishoom
The arrival of Dishoom in Leeds generated huge interest, blending leisure, heritage buildings and city-centre regeneration.
3. Construction begins on £152m Kirkstall Road venture
Work starting on the major Kirkstall Road scheme marked a key milestone for Leeds’ development pipeline.
4. Leeds United pushes on with Elland Road plans
Progress on Elland Road expansion plans ensured this story resonated far beyond the property sector.
5. Khalbros and Torsion to advance £1bn neighbourhood in Leeds
Ambitious plans for a £1bn mixed-use neighbourhood reinforced Leeds’ position as one of the UK’s strongest development markets.
Top five most read stories – East Yorkshire
1. And finally… Hullywod
A lighter-hearted story with strong local appeal proved irresistible to readers.
2. Hull publishes city centre vision
Hull City Council’s long-term vision for the city centre attracted significant attention from developers and stakeholders.
3. Asda selects Hull for second George concept store
Asda’s decision to expand its George concept in Hull was one of the region’s most-read retail stories.
4. Double green light for East Yorkshire mega developments
Major approvals linked to Goole Freeport and Metsä underlined East Yorkshire’s growing industrial significance.
5. Bridlington Links hotel plans head to committee
Hospitality development on the Yorkshire coast rounded out the East Yorkshire top five.
Top five most read stories – North Yorkshire
1. Transpennine gets back on track
Updates on Transpennine rail improvements topped the North Yorkshire list, reflecting continued interest in connectivity.
2. Vistry wins through with Harrogate residential
Vistry’s progress in Harrogate was closely followed amid strong housing demand.
3. ID Logistics moves into Sherburn
Logistics expansion in Sherburn highlighted North Yorkshire’s growing industrial appeal.
4. VIDEO | Scarborough’s North Bay open for business
Visual coverage of Scarborough’s revitalised North Bay proved particularly popular.
5. Maltkiln approved
Approval of the Maltkiln new settlement marked a significant planning milestone for the county.
