{"id":948109,"date":"2026-05-09T10:38:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T10:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/948109\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T10:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T10:38:34","slug":"protest-planned-ahead-of-extraordinary-council-meeting-on-future-of-doncaster-sheffield-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/948109\/","title":{"rendered":"Protest planned ahead of extraordinary council meeting on future of Doncaster Sheffield Airport"},"content":{"rendered":"

A rally is scheduled before an extraordinary Doncaster council meeting to revoke a \u00a357m loan to fund the re-opening of Doncaster-Sheffield Airport (DSA).<\/p>\n

Organised by Trade Unions Congress (TUC) and GMB Union, protesters will gather outside Civic Offices in Sir Nigel Gresley Square at 9am on 11 May to show their support for saving DSA.<\/p>\n

Dave Pike, Regional Secretary for TUC in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, said that cancelling the loan would be a \u2018hammer blow\u2019 to South Yorkshire\u2019s economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThey are putting those jobs that are already there at risk, and really importantly, the millions that the taxpayer has already put into the airport to get it open.\u201d<\/p>\n

TUC held a rally 29 April to support re-opening the airport and Mr Pike said that the \u2018overwhelming support\u2019 shows how important DSA is to the community.<\/p>\n

\"\"Doncaster-Sheffield Airport. Photo: Cosmo Southall<\/p>\n

\"\"Rally from 29 April supporting DSA. Photo: Cosmo Southall<\/p>\n

\"\"Dave Pike, Photo: \u00a0James Morrison-Smith<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWe had people at the rally last week from all around the country who\u2019d come specifically because they wanted to support that demonstration.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur local people from around South Yorkshire want to see an airport opening\u2026 to offer the ability to travel internationally, the ability to travel from closer to home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reform UK called the urgent meeting to review the November 2025 loan.<\/p>\n

In the agenda paper, the party claimed the lease agreement between the council and the DSA landowner, the Peel Group, was approved with \u2018materially incomplete information\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Barnsley last week, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said that the party\u2019s Doncaster councillors do want DSA to re-open however, any \u2018future liability\u2019 needs to be considered.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWhat [the councillors] don\u2019t want is masses more debt being put onto a council that is already in deep financial trouble. So what they need to do is find a private sector solution.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re prepared to take risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, approved a \u00a3160m funding package back in September 2025 in support of re-opening the airport.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a Facebook post, Coppard said that the council was aware of the \u2018risks\u2019 involved in reopening DSA, and warned that attempts from Reform councillors to cancel that funding would \u2018kill the project\u2019.<\/p>\n

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority have declined to comment at this stage.<\/p>\n

Last week, DSA welcomed the Boeing 727, which became the first large jet landing since closing in 2022.<\/p>\n

Feature image: Cosmo Southall<\/p>\n


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