Timeline set for Doncaster Sheffield Airport

As the deadline for tenders approaches, Doncaster Cabinet will be asked to approve delegated powers to appoint an airport operator by the end of the year.

Wednesday’s cabinet meeting of Doncaster City Council will be asked to set out a process whereby the director of corporate resources, in consultation with Mayor Ros Jones, will award preferred bidder status to one party, with a final contract to be negotiated and concluded later . year.

The council is currently involved in a procurement process to identify an operator with the ability and experience to take the necessary steps to reopen the airport, return it to profit and take forward the South Yorkshire Airport City programme, a key element of the region. economic growth plan.

A 125-year lease was agreed with landlord Peel in March after more than a year of negotiations. Peel closed the airport in November 2022 and proposed the idea of ​​an aviation-free future for the site before planning restrictions were introduced.

Coupled with the procurement exercise is the requirement for the Civil Aviation Authority to restore airspace after the airport is closed.

Bids are due to be returned today, 17 June 2024, after which there will be an intensive period of evaluation and clarification to identify which submitted proposal provides the best deal for Doncaster and the potential operator best able to meet the challenge of to reopen. airport.

The report also highlights that a planning restriction – an Article 4 Direction – which has prevented the removal or dismantling of any property on the airport site should be removed now that the council owns the tenant. There are other due diligence requirements that must be met by law.

Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones said: “This is another step forward in our journey to reopen the airport.

“The procurement process is complex and detailed, once we have completed the selection stage we will move on to award an operator as preferred bidder, this will allow Doncaster City Council and the operator to work together to conclude a reopening contract. airport. This is all part of our carefully managed plan and the necessary processes involved.”

The future of DSA and the wider Gateway East is under consideration in the South Yorkshire Infrastructure Inquiry, which has been carried out for the Mayor’s Combined Authority over the past 18 months.

Chaired by independent chair Martin McKervey, chairman and co-founder of Sheffield Property Association, the report will look at the protection and promotion of key infrastructure for regional economies.