Doncaster signs off additional airport cash

The local authority has approved borrowing of up to £57m to fund upfront reopening costs at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, meaning the project can progress.

Funding to fully reopen the airport has already been secured from a mix of funds including £160m funding from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, SY Local Growth Fund and City of Doncaster Council.

However, while the backing already in place from SYMCA would provide £6m a year on a rolling basis, the upfront costs will require a larger slug, CDC had said ahead of the meeting.

There had been some ructions ahead of the meeting, with an investment consortium urging that private funding should be sought, and others backing the council’s plan.

CDC stressed that “these are not additional costs but a mechanism for providing the cash to support the reopening and funded by the resources that are part of the overall financial package approved by SYMCA in September”.

Mayor Ros Jones welcomed the decision: “I would like to thank councillors who supported this critically important decision because without this funding support we would not be able to fully reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Had we not secured this cross party support the programme would have had to stop, that was the enormity of the decision taken by Full Council.

“This decision now underlines the council’s commitment and determination to see our airport fully reopen and is a significant moment in our reopening journey. I would like to thank councillors for their support. Thank you on behalf of Doncaster residents and businesses who want to see our airport open again.”

As part of the local authority’s constitution, new additions to the capital programme and borrowing requirements require full council approval. In the end, it wasn’t close, with councillors voting in favour of the borrowing proposal by 42 votes to nine.

“Fully reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport is set to be the largest single investment in Doncaster for more than a generation, with unrivalled economy opportunities for our residents and businesses,” added Mayor Jones.

“I know that the airport can be a huge success for Doncaster, South Yorkshire and the north.”

An officer report set out financial details including that the borrowing would peak by 2032-33 before reducing and will not impact on the wider CDC budget.

The council added that more than 8,700 people have so far responded to an ongoing survey with 93% supporting the reopening.