Reform to call for early election after shock move to buy Doncaster Sheffield Airport

The party, which won an overall majority on the City of Doncaster Council last May, was reacting to reports that South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is close to signing a deal to buy the airport from the Peel Group.

Reform leader Howard Rimmer said despite being by far the largest party on the council, they “are never included in anything, and news is always from the media, not chamber”. He said: “I will call for an early Doncaster election. Maybe then things will be done more quickly. The airport is a business and should be run as one. Not say the next meeting for SYMCA is two weeks away.

"Reform arrived 18 months ago and they are still dillydallying. God help us when and if it opens.”

The proposal to purchase the airport site is a significant change of direction from the plan to lease the site and follows a year of private talks with landowner Peel to agree a new lease.

Jane Fox, Conservative Finningley ward councillor said South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard is "now doing what he could have done, but didn't do" four years ago.

In 2022 former Conservative MP Nick Fletcher urged Mr Coppard to buy the airport, but Mr Coppard said he didn't have "formal powers over airports, airlines or aviation". Coun Fox said: "We've got Oliver Coppard spending all our (Doncaster) Gainshare funding to buy it, it's going to cost hundreds of millions. We will have no projects for 30 years, which was our argument in the first place.

"We think the private sector should be taking the risk, not the public sector."

Fellow councillor Steve Cox had a briefing on Thursday before the news broke, but said there was a "not a bit of clarity": "All we have asked for is updates for the residents we represent. Ultimately it’s the residents of Doncaster who are paying for it. They need to understand what's happening.”