A major thorn in the side of the project to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has been the lease agreement with previous operator and landowner Peel Group. The public was rightly concerned about the agreement being skewed heavily in favour of Peel.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard also said that £160m worth of devolution funding earmarked for the project would only be released if the current lease agreement between City of Doncaster Council (CDC) and Peel was renegotiated.

The controversial ‘turnover rent' clause would have allowed Peel to receive 20 per cent of annual airport income above annual base rent payments.

That thorn has now been removed with South Yorkshire’s Mayor and leaders set to approve a landmark deal to bring Doncaster Sheffield Airport and the adjacent Innovation Quarter employment land site into public ownership.

Behind the scenes at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. PIC: James Hardisty

placeholder image — Behind the scenes at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. PIC: James Hardisty

However, the question is at what cost? There is no denying that DSA has the potential to transform South Yorkshire. The economic benefits it could bring stretch beyond passenger flights to and from the airport. But given taxpayer money is now on the line, it would be wrong to blindly welcome any agreement without full disclosure of the finances involved. Another question that also needs to be answered is why an option that previously seemed off the table is now close to being realised.

The fact that the change is not due to affect the target of restarting passenger flights by spring 2028 will be welcomed by those who have long fought for the reopening of DSA. There is no denying that a major obstacle will be removed if this agreement is rubber stamped. But there are still many questions around the reopening. Not least how DSA is going to turn a profit when the airport was previously unable to do so under the ownership of Peel?