Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopening costs council £29million

Summarised from 2 outlets · 7 reports · Updated 29 Oct, 16:35 · Archive

Doncaster Council has spent nearly £29million on reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport since March 2024.

The City of Doncaster Council has spent almost £29million on reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport since March 2024, with costs incurred between March 2024 and the end of September 2026. Mayor Ros Jones said the spending had been funded through grants received via the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and previously approved council resources. The costs of renegotiating the lease with the airport operator are included within the legal and advisory totals.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard is in the process of acquiring the airport freehold for an undisclosed fee. The council had £30million available for the reopening project, meaning it came close to exhausting its budget before the SYMCA purchase agreement was reached. The Huddersfield Examiner reports that councillors were warned in June 2026 that the project risked running out of funds by September without intervention.

Sheffield's council leader has described the reopening as an 'excellent opportunity', thanking those responsible for 'keeping the flame alive'. The airport closed in 2022 but efforts to restore flights have been ongoing.

How it is being reported

• The £29m council bill for trying to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport as new deal agreedAirport closed in 2022 but efforts have been ongoing to get flights operating againHuddersfield Examiner · 29 Oct, 04:00
• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: John Healey announces £1.5bn borrowing facility for mayors to help with reopeningSouth Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard is in the process of buying the Doncaster Sheffield Airport freehold for an undisclosed fee.Yorkshire Post · 28 Oct, 18:19
• What Sheffield council leader thinks of Mayor’s plans to buy airportSheffield’s council leader has called the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) an “excellent opportunity” while thanking those responsible for “keeping the flame alive.”Yorkshire Post · 28 Oct, 16:39
• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Council has spent £29million on DSA reopening since March 2024The City of Doncaster Council spent nearly £29million on the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport so far, the Mayor of Doncaster has revealed.Yorkshire Post · 28 Oct, 13:38
• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Richard Tice welcomes airport purchase approval and slams ‘bad leasehold deal’Reform UK’s Richard Tice MP has said his party welcomes the decision from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to purchase the freehold of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.Yorkshire Post · 28 Oct, 13:03
• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Conservatives call reopening plan 'massive gamble'The Conservatives have described Oliver Coppard’s multi-million pound decision to buy Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s land as a “massive gamble”.Yorkshire Post · 28 Oct, 06:00
• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Oliver Coppard's purchase plan approved but sale negotiations 'not concluded'Negotiations for the purchase of Doncaster Sheffield Airport with landowner Peel remain ongoing, Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard has said as efforts to bring the site into public ownership took a key step forward.Yorkshire Post · 27 Oct, 17:03

In this story: Doncaster Council · South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority · Ros Jones · Oliver Coppard · Doncaster Sheffield Airport

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