New hope for Doncaster Sheffield Airport to reopen under council’s rescue plans - after site shut down last year

Doncaster Sheffield Airport could be set to reopen as the local council is on the cusp of agreeing a 100-year lease for the site.

The airport, which occupies the site of former air force base RAF Finningley, closed last November after owners Peel Group said that it was not financially viable and that no tangible proposals were received regarding the ownership of the airport.

The airport is six miles from Doncaster and 19 miles from Sheffield - and before the pandemic was voted the UK’s best airport by Which? magazine three years in a row.

Since its closure, the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, alongside her cabinet at City of Doncaster Council and community activists, have been pushing for ways to reopen the airport.

Yesterday (Wednesday 20 September), at a cabinet meeting it was disclosed the City of Doncaster Council are on the cusp of agreeing on a 100-year lease for the site and that negotiations will begin on Monday (25 September) to find a private sector partner to operate the airport.

A report showed how the airport has the potential to generate around £1.56billion in net economic benefits over the course of three decades. It said the airport could also carry two million passengers after 10 years and support 5,000 direct jobs.

The authority will now negotiate with 15 airport operators, who have come forward with their interest, to select one to work on leasing the site from Peel. It is hoped one can be appointed in March 2024.

The re-opening of the airport will be one element of the council’s South Yorkshire Airport City programme, which aims to create a cluster of economic activity based around the airport, and offer 16,500 new jobs.

Plans include retail, leisure and logistics opportunities to create an estimated 16,500 new jobs.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Jones said: "I am pleased to say that the report suggests we were right to have faith in the potential of the airport.

"Initial discussions with the market have also been positive and suggest there is substantial interest from potential operators.”

However, there are some challenges to the proposals as Peel Group still owns the site and hasn’t agreed to lease it to Doncaster, and the council’s financial assessment shows that a public subsidy would be needed - which could come from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority budget, a government grant or the council’s own borrowing.

Under the plan Peel Group would retain ownership but lease it to the council, and the council would then appoint an operator who would run it on its behalf.

The council aims to have a deal finalised by next year, subject to conditions set out by Peel Group being deemed reasonable.

NationalWorld has contacted Peel Group for comment.