South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) is close to a deal to become the freehold owner of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, bringing the site into public ownership rather than continuing to lease it from landowner Peel.
The announcement was made on Monday. Senior councillors will consider the details next week, though SYMCA officers have warned the project carries "risk to the taxpayer given the sums of public funding involved". The total cost to buy the airport has not yet been revealed.
Campaign founder backs the plan
Mark Chadwick, founder of the group Save Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said he was "enthusiastic" about SYMCA's plan to buy the site. Chadwick has campaigned to reopen the airport since it closed in 2022. His Facebook group, launched in July 2022, has gained nearly 30,000 members.
Chadwick said he hoped the announcement would give investors, airlines and cargo operators "confidence" that the project would get off the ground. He anticipated fewer delays to the airport's reopening now that SYMCA plans to own the site rather than lease it.
"On the airport deal there's been a lot of different political parties trying to get one over on the other one and whenever that's happened it's caused a hiccup," he said. "Sharing the stories and sharing the news and being positive about this airport has helped us get where we are now."
Mixed reactions from residents
Glenda Sowden, 68, from Doncaster, said that although the airport could bring opportunities for young people in the region, she worried that other public budgets may be affected. "I'm getting older, are my services going to be restricted because the funds are being directed elsewhere? There's only a finite amount of money," she said.
Councillor Howard Rimmer, Reform UK group leader at City of Doncaster Council, said his party supported the airport reopening but residents "deserve transparency and accountability". He said: "Supporting the airport does not mean accepting a deal without knowing its price, funding source or risks to local taxpayers."
Others expressed enthusiasm for the prospect of flying from a local airport. Joanne Cardno, 58, from Barnsley, who has worked in travel for 13 years, said: "We need places like this to open. I think everybody's so excited about it, wherever they get the money from. It's better than having to travel to Manchester or Leeds Bradford or East Midlands or further afield."
Stephen and Eileen Hill, both 70, were on one of the last flights from Doncaster Sheffield Airport before it closed in November 2022. They were told by their travel agency that their return flight would have to land elsewhere as the airport was closing. Both said they were eager to fly from their local airport again. "It's only five minutes up the road. So when it's available for booking, we're going," Stephen said.