Doncaster Sheffield Airport: 80 businesses urge councillors not to cancel 'pivotal' £57m loan

Doncaster Chamber of Commerce has organised a joint open letter to councillors which has been signed by 80 businesses ahead of an extraordinary council meeting on Monday.

The meeting will see a vote taken on a Reform motion to rescind a previously-agreed £57m borrowing facility for the DSA reopening project. Reform says councillors had “materially-incomplete information” when they agreed the borrowing back in November. Details of the airport lease, including several controversial clauses, came to light in January after the document was leaked to The Yorkshire Post.

Labour claims rescinding the borrowing could “kill” the reopening and plunge the council into a financial crisis.

A further complication is that £160m of devolution funding for the reopening – which will in part go towards repaying the loan – will not be released by Labour’s South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard until some terms of the lease are renegotiated. But lease changes are “on hold”, with a current impasse with Peel over whether taxpayer funding can be excluded from a turnover rent clause.

Reform has indicated it may change its position on the vote should changes to the lease be agreed.

Dan Fell, Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber, said, “This is a pivotal moment for Doncaster and the wider region. The strength of support from the business community reflects just how vital Doncaster Sheffield Airport is to our economic future. This investment is not simply about reopening an airport, it’s about unlocking growth, creating opportunities, and sending a clear signal that South Yorkshire is open for business. Sadly, at this stage, a u-turn would send the opposite signal at a time our economy is crying out for confidence and momentum."

The letter states: “As a business community, we are clear about the importance of this project. The airport’s reopening represents a significant economic opportunity for Doncaster, supporting jobs, investment, and long‑term growth. We recognise and commend the ambition a range of partners have shown in progressing this opportunity. Similarly, we understand and applaud the constructive scrutiny – from many quarters – that this project has been subject to; such challenge makes projects of this ilk stronger and more sustainable. However, now is the time to confidently move forward with delivery.

“Decisions and projects of this scale signal to investors, government and delivery partners whether or not South Yorkshire is confident, coordinated and capable of delivering nationally significant infrastructure. A reversal at this stage would be deeply damaging to investor confidence throughout South Yorkshire, raising serious doubts about our credibility and our ability to secure future opportunities of this nature. Continued uncertainty and delay only serve to erode confidence further, and there are already clear indications that this is having real and immediate consequences for businesses on the ground in Doncaster today.

“The business community now expects a renewed focus on constructive engagement, cross‑party working, and clear communication to ensure stability and confidence going forward. We urge you to work together to make this happen.

“We want to see the airport reopen and succeed, and for Doncaster to remain a credible place to invest and do business.”

Full list of businesses to sign the letter

2Excel - Andy Offer OBE, Director

Aggregates R Us Limited - Mark Robinson, Director

AMP Renewable Energy Ltd - Matthew Parks, Director

Applaud Business Consultancy Ltd - Pippa Mell, Director

Automated Analytics - Mark Taylor, CEO

Bagnalls - Joanne Gualda, Group Marketing Director

Bridge Employment Law Solicitors Ltd - Georgina Thomas, Associate Director

C.H. Middleton Ltd - Deneen Kirkham, Business Development Manager

CFP Group Limited - Paula Flanagan, Director

Clean N Bright, Wayne Spencer, Managing Director

Chellan Highway Safety Services Ltd - Wayne Nelthorpe, Managing Director

Clarks Vehicle Conversions Ltd - Lindsay Atkins, Managing Director

Clear Insurance Management Limited - Andrew Morley, Sales Director Midlands & North

Club Doncaster Foundation – John Davis, CEO

CLYDE Pneumatic Conveying - Richard Sims MSc, Managing Director

Connectus Business Solutions - Roy Shelton, Group Chief Executive Officer

Connected Vehicle Solutions Ltd - Jason Craven, Managing Director

D Hub Systems - Steve Holt, Managing Director

DN Colleges Group - Daniel Fenwick, Principal & Acting CEO

Doncaster Cables - Neil Mallinson, Managing Director

Doncaster Chamber of Commerce - Dan Fell MBE, CEO

Doncaster Chamber of Commerce – Don Neville, Non-Executive Director

Doncaster Chamber of Commerce – Jim Carley, Non-Executive Director

Doncaster Racecourse - Rachel Harwood, Executive Director

EB Now - Ian Cruickshank, Director

Ellgia - David Chamberlain, Marketing & New Business Development Director

Enviroelectronics - Amelia Banful, Head of Business Strategy

Equans Regeneration Ltd - David Mellor, Development Director

Fenwood Estates Ltd - Melissa Kroger, Managing Director

Flourish Enterprises - Steve Gillman, Managing Director

G2M Group - Theresa Spencer, Chief Operating Officer

Goffs UK Ltd - Tim Kent, Managing Director

Green Circle Solutions Ltd - David Humphreys, Director

Hanicks Heating & Spares - Chris Hanson, Managing Director

Harrison College - Gemma Peebles, Principal and Chief Executive Officer

Hawsons Chartered Accountants - Kirstie Wilson, Partner

HEB Group UK Ltd - Karen Staniforth, Group People, Brand & Responsibility Director

Hesley Group - Virginia Perkins, Chief Executive Officer

Highfield Qualifications - Jason Sprenger, Solicitor & Chief Executive

Hird Group - Michael Hird, Group Chair and Founder

House of Play - Shaun Wilson, Director

HSBC UK - Chris Shaw, Area Director South Yorkshire & Humber

HSR Law Solicitors - Andrew Best, Senior Partner & Head of Corporate and Commercial

Hybrid Air Vehicles - Tom Grundy, CEO

IPM Group - Gavin Page, Financial Director

Keepmoat Homes Limited - Dan Crew, Divisional Chair

Kingasia Foods Ltd - So Him Fong, Managing Director

Kingswood Chartered Accountants - Joshua Bearn, Director

Lakeside Village Outlet Shopping - Lyndsey Parry, Centre Manager

Mercure Danum Hotel - Adam Mo, General Manager

Motion Rehab - Sarah Daniel, Director & Consultant Neurological Physiotherapist

Mount Pleasant Hotel - Richard McIlory, Owner

MultiWebMarketing - Paul Smith, Founder & Managing Director

One Call Insurance - Sarah Chadburn Cert CII, Director

Pacy & Wheatley Ltd - Joe Ridgeway, Construction Director

Pass Logistics - Adrian Sullivan, CEO

Pratap Partnership - Nik Pratap, Managing Director

Primark Doncaster - Anne-Marie Marsden, Store Manager

Redline Assured Security – Paul Mason, Co-Founder

R O Arnold Ltd - David Gaylor, Managing Director

RSJ Print Ltd - Spencer Johnston, Director

Signum Facilities - Jill Wood, Managing Director

Spray Cork UK - Lee Fiori, Managing Director

Strata Homes Ltd - Gemma Smith, Chief Executive

The Badger Doncaster Ltd - Paul Stillings, Director

The Crown Hotel, Bawtry - Craig Dowie, Joint Owner

The Topping Pie Company Ltd - Roger Topping, Managing Director

Therapy with Neena – Neena Rainey, Founder

Thales - Graeme Tizard, Portfolio Manager and Operations Lead

Togel Contractors Ltd - Richard List, Director

Treo Recruitment - Neil Jones, Director

TwentyFour IT Services Ltd - Mike Smith, Director

Unipart Rail - David McGorman, Managing Director – Rail & Technology

VAC-EX Ltd - John Patrick Mee, Director

Vallum Projects - Phil Winfield, Principal Project Manager

Verdion - John Clements MSc MRICS, Executive Director – Head of Nordics & UK

Vigo Group - Tariq Shah, CEO

Woodland Global Ltd - Luke Fermor, Fulfilment Trade Manager

Xais PTS - James Wallis, Executive Director

Xeinadin - Kelvin Fitton, Partner