Doncaster Sheffield Airport: MP plans to reignite talks with government

Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher has vowed to arrange meetings with the government in the new year to discuss ways to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

The airport shut down in November after owners Peel Group claimed that its operation was no longer financially viable.

The former Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP was criticised by local leaders after refusing to take action over the airport, stating that it was a matter between Doncaster Council and Peel Group.

The government also rejected calls to use the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to keep the airport open due to emergency services that are deployed from there.

However, Liz Truss has since resigned as Prime Minister bringing in a new cabinet under Rishi Sunak.

Nick Fletcher MP said in a Facebook post:

“I will arrange to meet with Baroness Vere (the Aviation Minister) and with Mark Harper (Secretary of State of Transport) to see if they have heard anything re the potential investors as I have heard nothing locally.

“I have as you know written to the UAE Ambassador, however I do believe meeting with him may be more beneficial. I will therefore enquire if this is possible.

“I will be speaking with Doncaster Council re their objectives for 2023 and the reopening of DSA.

“I will be seeking how to press forward with a Public Inquiry. I have not initiated one before so this may take some time. As I always say I am on it.

“I will also be writing to Oliver Coppard regarding his vision for DSA as unfortunately in his latest piece for the Yorkshire Post setting out his transport plan’s for our region he fails to mention DSA at all.

“It’s reported in the Yorkshire Post here:

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/…/westminster-needs-to…

“I’m incredibly disappointed to not see any mention whatsoever of DSA at all. Buses are important I agree. We know he loves trams too. However our Airport is key to the regional economy and it gets no mention at all.

“We need to get our Airport reopened. The fact that Oliver Coppard doesn’t even mention it causes me serious concern indeed.

“I shall be reminding him of his responsibilities.

“Moving on, if anyone who has lost their job at DSA and is struggling for any reason please do email my office and I will always help where I can.”

Fletcher has been vocal in his criticism of South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) regarding their role in the airport.

In October, he wrote a letter to the two elected mayors operating in Doncaster telling them to “hand back” their powers to centralised government “if they do not know what to do with them.”

With the airport fully closed and a judicial review of its closure rejected by the courts, Doncaster Council is now pursuing a Compulsory Purchase Order of the site to take it into the hands of local authorities.