Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Oliver Coppard appoints aviation consultant to assess financial case

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) board said independent advice was needed as the scheme carries an "inherent and significant financial risk to the public sector", leading to the final decision being delayed until summer.

A SYMCA spokesperson told The Yorkshire Post that an appointment has now been made.

They said: “SYMCA has appointed an aviation consultant to support the next phase of assurance work ahead of the final decision on funding. With that support now in place, a number of commissions focused on updated aviation traffic forecasts and other advisory pieces are now in procurement processes whilst other commissions are being developed internally.”

SYMCA has not revealed the identity of the aviation consultant involved.

More details are expected to be revealed in the lead up to a decision being taken by the SYMCA board.

Since the delay to the final investment decision, the Government has backed the spending of an additional £30m in future devolution funding towards the project.

Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones, who was re-relected on Friday morning, has said that cash will reduce the amount of money the council requires and save millions on interest payments.

The council plans to run the airport through a council-owned company called Fly Doncaster and has hired Munich Airport International to operate the site.

The Yorkshire Post recently reported that Freedom of Information requests for three separate financial reports connected to the airport project have all been refused.

The Yorkshire Post submitted applications to SYMCA for the release of both the business plan for the airport project and a ‘risk report’ conducted by the organisation.

Both requests have been rejected, as was a further request to City of Doncaster Council for its submission to the Government’s Subsidy Advice Unit.