Mayor defends Doncaster Sheffield Airport timeline
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard used the combined authority’s AGM to update members on the progress being made on the project, despite delaying the decision about gainshare funding until September.
Once made, the decision, which was expected by this summer, will allow for DSA to progress with other plans, such as airspace, airline and freight providers, and employment of staff.
The aim is still to reopen the airport in time for summer next year.
Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “I must emphasise the importance of the gainshare decision in early September and swift release of gainshare funding alongside the £30m from government that the Prime Minister announced in April.
“We are at a critical point, where we need this certainty of funding in order to continue our plans to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.”
Speaking at the annual general meeting this week, Mayor Coppard said: “Back in February, we agreed as a Board to commission additional assurance work to support our consideration of the South Yorkshire City Airport investment proposal. That work is now well underway.
“We’ve brought in a leading international aviation consultancy to take a fresh look at the traffic forecasts and financial modelling developed in 2023.
“Doncaster Council is working closely with our advisors, as you would expect, to ensure those forecasts are up to date and grounded in the latest data – so that when we make our final decision, we do so with the best possible information in front of us, available to all of us around this table.
“Alongside that, we’ve engaged a top-tier development agency [Peel Land] to help us shape a masterplan for the wider Gateway East development.
“It isn’t just about reopening an airport – it’s about unlocking the potential of that whole site as a hub for advanced technology and innovation as a means to creating thousands of jobs and opportunities.
“The work is helping us understand the scale of that opportunity and the investment needed to unlock it.
“We’re also looking closely at the wider picture: how people will get to and from the airport, the underlying headlease for the land, and the skills and employment opportunities it could create.
“An equalities impact assessment is part of that work too – because we absolutely want to ensure the project delivers for everyone in South Yorkshire.
“We’re on track, and I can confirm that we expect to be in a position to make an investment decision in early September…
“I recognise people are frustrated by that timeline. I get that. But we have to get it right – it’s £150m of taxpayers’ money… We have to make sure we get it right the first time.”
Doncaster South Yorkshire International Airport !!! Robin Hood and Sheffield belong in another county and another city please get rid of that name.
By Anthony Millard.