Exclusive:Doncaster-Sheffield Airport: Chancellor Rachel Reeves visits region to discuss airport reopening plans and local growth

The Chancellor met with business leaders and South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard in Doncastertoday to discuss regional growth.

Doncaster Council’s plans to reopen DSA were a key part of these discussions, The Yorkshire Post understands.

Ms Reeves said: “As Chancellor, I'm going further and faster to kickstart economic growth in every corner of the country.

“South Yorkshire and Doncaster has a proud industrial heritage and a dynamic business community, and I’m committed to removing the barriers to growth, taking on the blockers and axing red tape to make sure businesses can thrive.

“By working with local businesses, creating good jobs, and backing innovation, we can build a stronger economy that delivers for working people in Doncaster and across South Yorkshire.”

However, since Ms Reeves first lent her support to the scheme it has emerged that the anticipated public cost has increased from £105m to £145m.

Doncaster Council has established a council-owned company called Fly Doncaster with a plan of reopening the airport next spring and announced this week that operational and management services will be provided by Munich Airport International.

It had previously been revealed that the council intended to loan £105m to Fly Doncaster towards the costs of reopening, using its share of South Yorkshire devolution funding up to 2050 which is overseen by Mr Coppard. The low rate of the loans mean the money had been calculated as having an effective grant value of almost £90m.

But a new report going to a meeting of the council’s cabinet next week now states £145m is required to reopen the airport.

Mr Coppard is now set to scrutinise this using independent auditors, before making a decision in the summer.

However, he told The Yorkshire Post that he was “confident” that the plan would end up being a good deal for the public sector, businesses and local communities.

“It’s got to be a good deal for taxpayers’ and all of those criteria have to be satisfied,” he said.

“I am confident that we can get to that place and do it relatively swiftly.

“We were with the Chancellor who was talking with us and the business community in Doncaster about what that opportunity looks like.

“The Government backing us will help, but frankly we just have to make sure that we’re doing this transparently, openly, showing people what that opportunity looks like.

“But also, what some of the risks look like, because it is a risk, when you’re investing in those sorts of growth opportunities.”

Speaking about the event, Dan Fell, chief executive officer of Doncaster Chamber, told sister title the Doncaster Free Press: “We were delighted to receive the Chancellor in Doncaster this morning and grateful that she took the time to so candidly and productively engage with our business community.

“As always, we tried to be clear-eyed about the challenges that our city and our businesses are facing, and realistic in our discussion about the various economic factors at play here.

"Having said that, I hope that we were also able to impress upon the Chancellor the sheer scale of our ambition for our region, especially when it comes to the future of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

“The private sector will, of course, be pulling its own weight in order to fulfil these ambitions and is equally committed to supporting Government’s central growth mission. However, I am confident that we will be able to achieve even more if Government responds constructively to the issues and opportunities discussed today.”