16 May 2023
Doncaster Sheffield Airport may be closed but efforts are being made to safeguard it for a possible reopening in the future.
Measures to make planning permission mandatory before any building work could happen are being considered by City of Doncaster council with the support of local MPs.
The planning tool – known as an Article 4 Direction – could be made with immediate effect if approved and help to preserve the airport and its operational ability, said the council.
The direction would ensure that any proposals to demolish buildings in the defined area are subject to a planning application and assessment via a full planning process. These buildings include the control tower, fire station, hangars, cargo and transit sheds, the runway and the terminal building.
Meanwhile, the City of Doncaster Council is looking at various ways to secure the airport’s future. On 5 May, Mayor Ros Jones said that a Compulsory Purchase Order is possible “if all other avenues are exhausted”.
The programme to reopen DSA has been called ‘South Yorkshire Airport City’, said a council statement.
“It aims to see the airport reopen and grow a cluster of businesses and commercial activity that complements traditional aerospace functions.
“The wider airport city development could incorporate employment, Research & Development, retail and leisure opportunities, with excellent transport links, supporting new inward investment into Doncaster and South Yorkshire with the airport at its heart.”
