South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has insisted he will not approve a poor deal for taxpayers as negotiations continue over the lease required for the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Plans are under way to restore passenger flights from the airport in 2028, with staff already being recruited and work progressing on the terminal, air traffic arrangements and regulatory requirements.
Around £160 million of devolved funding has been earmarked to support the project.
However, Coppard has made clear that the money will not simply be released regardless of the terms agreed with the site’s owner, Peel.
The current lease arrangements have been the subject of negotiations for more than a year.
Coppard: ‘We are not going to sign a bad deal’
A further £57 million loan intended to bring forward spending is also dependent on progress being made on the agreement.
Coppard said: “We are not going to sign a bad deal.”
He stressed that the continuing negotiations had not prevented practical preparations for reopening the airport.
City of Doncaster Council and its arm’s-length company FlyDoncaster have been recruiting staff, including air traffic specialists, while progressing work with the Civil Aviation Authority and preparing the site for future operations.
The South Yorkshire Mayor’s position is that reopening the airport can be a major economic opportunity for Doncaster and the wider region, but public investment must be protected by a sustainable long-term agreement.
Preparations for 2028 continue
The project has become one of the most significant pieces of regional infrastructure policy in South Yorkshire.
Supporters argue that restoring the airport could improve connectivity, attract investment and create jobs across the region.
But the scale of public funding involved means the commercial terms of the reopening have also come under close scrutiny.
Coppard has said additional time should be taken if necessary rather than committing taxpayers to an agreement that does not represent good value.
The approach reflects Labour’s wider devolution argument: regional leaders should have the power to pursue major infrastructure projects, but also be directly accountable for how public money is used.
With preparations continuing towards the proposed 2028 return of passenger services, the immediate challenge is now to secure lease terms that allow the reopening programme to move ahead without weakening the financial safeguards around the investment.
