Reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport at risk as Reform UK plan to reverse £57m loan
Reform says it 'no longer supports' a decision to approve a £57m loan to get the airport back open
The reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport faces crisis as Reform UK Doncaster revealed it wishes to reverse the approval of a £57million loan previously approved to support its reopening.
Councillor Jason Charity, deputy leader of Reform UK Doncaster, told an extraordinary meeting of the City of Doncaster Council on April 2, 2026, that his party no longer supports the decision made in November 2025.
He told the chamber that Reform UK would be calling another extraordinary meeting of council, in order to reverse the decision.
The City of Doncaster Council constitution states Reform UK would have the power to reverse the approval.
It reads: “A motion or amendment to rescind a decision made at a meeting of Council within the past 6 months cannot be moved unless the notice of motion is signed by the number of Members that would constitute a quorum of the Council or is a recommendation of the Executive or a Committee or Sub-Committee of the Council.”
The constitution deems a quorum of any meeting to be a quarter of the total membership. Including the Mayor of Doncaster, who is not a councillor, there are 56 members of full council.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands 28 councillors from multiple opposition parties had signed a relevant notice of motion to reverse the decision.
If the funding decision is reversed, it could throw the airport reopening into chaos, as officers warned in November that not approving the borrowing would “kill” the reopening project.
Reform UK insisted it is still in support of the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
A spokesperson for the City of Doncaster Council said: “Under the Council’s Constitution, a call for an extraordinary meeting must be considered by the Proper Officer who will seek advice as to whether the content of the requisition is legal and appropriate to hold. That determination will be made in accordance with the Council’s constitutional timeframes.”
In a statement following the meeting, a party spokesperson said Reform UK still supports the reopening of DSA and wants to see it succeed.
But the party feels it approved the borrowing without being properly informed of “significant financial consequences”.
City of Doncaster Council is currently attempting to reopen DSA with around £160m of public funds, not including the borrowing approved in November.
The airport closed in 2022 after the landowners and operators, the Peel Group, deemed it was not commercially viable.