Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Negotiations to potentially lease site for over 100 years set to begin on Monday

Negotiations will begin on Monday (Sep 25) to select an investor who aim to create a leasehold agreement with owners Peel Group to run the site for over 100 years. Doncaster Sheffield Airport was closed last year after Peel stated that the site was no longer financially viable for the company to run.

Today’s ruling will mean that one of over 15 interested parties will be able to enter into negotiations to lease the site. The lease will be one element of the council’s South Yorkshire Airport City programme, which aims to create a cluster of economic activity based around the airport.

Plans include retail, leisure and logistics opportunities based around the site to create an estimated 16,500 new jobs. A Financial Viability Assessment (FVA) indicated that the reopened airport could see 2 million passengers pass through annual by year 10.

During today’s extraordinary meeting of cabinet, Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones said: “I am pleased to say that the report suggests we were right to have faith in the potential of the airport. It suggests that the airport can be financially viable and that successfully reopening DSA would deliver major economic benefits and excellent value for money. It also considers that reopening is likely to be the optimal solution when compared to alternative potential uses.

“Initial discussions with the market have also been positive and suggest there is substantial interest from potential operators. In addition, and importantly, discussions with the current landowners have led us to believe that there is a realistic chance of agreeing a lease for the airport which would enable us to expedite the reopening process.”

It was announced earlier this year that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) would be considering removing the site’s controlled airspace which is required for commercial flights.

The mayor revealed today that the CAA has pushed back this decision, allowing more time for negotiations to take place. The council aims to have a deal finalised by March 2024, subject to conditions set out by Peel Group being deemed reasonable.