Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Extra £210m of potential spending revealed - including major M18 changes
A further £210m of infrastructure spending may be required to deliver the full benefits of the project to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport and develop land around it.
Mayor Oliver Coppard and South Yorkshire's four council leaders are next week set to approve the spending of up to £160m of devolution funding on reopening DSA in addition to £16m already spent by the mayor's office on the project to date.
DSA is intended to be the centrepiece of a broader strategic development project called South Yorkshire Airport City, with nearby logistics park Gateway East becoming a 'world-leading' home to sustainable aviation and advanced manufacturing businesses.
Board papers recommending the decision goes ahead also state that £50m of work may be needed to redesign Junction 3 of the M18, along with between £90m to £160m of infrastructure work on Gateway East.
The report states there will be a "potential need for public intervention" to pay for those costs.
It said: "Further work would be required on these issues to develop business cases and understand the balance of funding required between the private sector, and local, regional, and national Government."
In relation to plans for Gateway East, the report states new infrastructure, in particular power, will be critical.
It said: “The cost of infrastructure works are forecast to be significant (£90m-£160m) and whilst the public sector would not be expected to bear the full cost of these it is likely that some intervention would be required.”
It added extra long-term investment will also be needed to turn the Gateway East vision into a reality.
“In light of land values in the region the vast majority of large sites require viability funding in the form of infrastructure provision and subsidy. Any development of sectoral clusters will require up-front funding and patient capital."
The report also revealed Mr Coppard’s office is engaging with the Department for Transport and National Highways on resolving existing congestion issues on the nearby M18.
An associated report on access to the DSA site says an immediate upgrade of Junction 3 of the M18 is a priority and says a potential £50m scheme has already been designed. It says it is hoped construction could begin in 2030 on work to reconfigure the junction and reduce congestion.
It states: “The long term regeneration and economic success of the Gateway East development, including the reopening of DSA, depends on high quality, resilient access to the national road network. At the heart of this connectivity is Junction 3 of the M18, which serves as the principal access point to the site via the Great Yorkshire Way.
"The junction plays a pivotal role not only for airport access, but also for the wider commercial, logistics, and employment uses emerging across the Gateway East masterplan area.
"Addressing the capacity challenges at Junction 3 is about more than resolving a single planning hurdle. It is a foundational intervention that will underpin the delivery of thousands of jobs, millions of pounds of investment, and one of the UK’s most exciting regeneration and infrastructure led growth programmes.
"With DSA reopening, and Gateway East set to become a centre for innovation, logistics, and aviation-based industry, the performance of the local and strategic highway network will be vital.”
Mr Coppard said earlier this week that funding for the DSA reopening work should be viewed as an “investment in the future of South Yorkshire” rather than a cost to the taxpayer.