The Mayor of Doncaster said there is no “feasible” or “practical” suggestions to save Doncaster airport, as it enters its final week before closure.
Despite the many efforts to save the airport, Doncaster airport will be closing from the 26 October, with flights winding down from the 31 October.
Doncaster Mayor, Ros Jones, who has been campaigning to stop the closure, released a statement today highlighting that suggestions to save the airport are not “feasible” in such a short timescale.
She said: “I listened with interest to the debates in UK Parliament yesterday regarding Doncaster Sheffield Airport and what can be done to help save it.
“A number of the suggestions last night were either not feasible or not practical, especially within such a short timescale.
“As I have said before, DSA is a significant asset for not only our city, but the wider Yorkshire and Humber region and the nation given the Ministry of Defence and blue light operations that operate from the airport.
“I have been pushing for Peel to be reasonable and let others who believe the site has a future step in and buy it.”
In a Parliamentary debate, Ms Peacock, MP for Barnsley East, told the Commons, “Doncaster Sheffield Airport is an important regional economic asset with thousands of jobs depending on it.
“Despite Peel Group announcing its closure, local leaders have made every effort to work with the group and to work with the Government to secure the airport’s future.
“The South Yorkshire mayor made Peel Group an offer of public money to keep the airport running. They have also helped to find three potential investors who are seriously interested in keeping the airport operational. But at every turn these efforts have been met with resistance.”
Mayor Jones continues: “I have said before that if there is no collaborative arrangement for the airport’s future due to their unreasonable closure timescale, Doncaster Council will initiate the process for Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and investigate if we can go to the courts for a judicial review of Peels decision. A CPO would not save the airport as it would take roughly two years and would only buy the land.
“We have been made aware that Peel has apparently started to degrade the site by stripping out critical assets to the operation of the airport therefore potentially making it unusable and unsellable. This is totally unacceptable when we have brought potential buyers to their door and conversations are ongoing. So unless Peel confirms today they will not do anything to effectively wind down the site, then I have instructed Doncaster Council officers to go to the courts for an injunction to stop this. I have written to Peel setting this legal action out and that they must pause the airport closure so a sale can be agreed and jobs saved.”
She continued that she wants the sight to remain functioning for general aviation purposes and businesses.
