Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Conservatives call reopening plan 'massive gamble'

The plan to reopen the airport in Finningley took a step closer last week, as the South Yorkshire Mayor revealed he had agreed a deal to buy the land from owner Peel.

Previously, Fly Doncaster, the arms-length council body set up to run DSA, had been due to use the airstrip through a lease agreement, which had a number of controversial clauses.

Mr Coppard’s deal removes significant barriers to the airport reopening, although a timeline for commercial airlines could be delayed.

In a report to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, officials warned there was “significant inherent commercial risk”.

SYMCA approved the purchase at a board meeting last night, although Mr Coppard said negotiations with Peel continue.

However, the Conservative Shadow Local Government Secretary Katie Lam told Sky News: “It seems very difficult to imagine that this purchase, we're talking hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer money, is going to end up being a good choice for the people of South Yorkshire.

“I mean, they think it will take at least a decade to make a profit at all and … it wasn't making a profit before. That's why it was closed in the first place.

“It's not impossible to imagine a scenario where it might be a good idea, but it's pretty difficult to imagine a scenario where it's a good idea at this kind of price.”

Commenting on the internal report, Ms Lam added: “It's a massive gamble. You know, we're talking hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer money.

“Exactly as the mayor's own officials say, the risk of that is huge. This is an entity that wasn't making a profit before, that the private sector couldn't make profit-making.

“It's not totally impossible to imagine that a combined authority buying an airport could be made to work. But in this scenario, this kind of cost, for this price. The risk is huge.”