Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Mayor calls on councillors to back 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' in crunch vote
Cross-party councillors have been urged to back the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
The call has been made by Doncaster mayor Ros Jones in today’s Yorkshire Post ahead of a crunch full council vote on Thursday which will determine whether the scheme - which has been described by auditors as “high risk” - can go ahead.
Councillors are being asked to vote in favour of approving an additional £57 million worth of borrowing for the DSA scheme, which is currently expected to cost taxpayers a total of £193m.
Doncaster Council intends to spend all of its devolution funding up until 2050 on the airport reopening project and in September local council leaders sitting on the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) board agreed to the release of £160m of such funding.
To pay for upfront costs, the council intends to borrow £57m which will eventually be repaid as the SYMCA funding comes in.
Total estimated interest payments of £39.4m until 2049 have been included in the budget for the project.
Writing in today’s Yorkshire Post, Mayor Jones said a new council survey has recorded 92 per cent support for the idea of reopening DSA.
She said: “You would struggle to find any other major infrastructure project that enjoys such widespread public support.
“People understand how it can act as a catalyst and a point of pride for the City of Doncaster.
“We cannot pretend that these types of projects are not complex or without risk. Any infrastructure scheme with so many moving parts will involve navigating various challenges in a controlled and measured manner.
“And while decisions might seem black and white when presented without context, the council’s team – alongside our trusted private sector partners and expert advisors – are carefully navigating regulatory hurdles, financial equations and a number of as-yet-unknowns.”
She added: “In the coming days, full council will meet to discuss the final details required to take the project forward.
“Taking the positive decision to back our airport is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will secure wide-ranging benefits for residents and business of Doncaster, South Yorkshire and beyond.”