Date set for critical meeting which could prevent Doncaster-Sheffield Airport reopening

The date is set for a critical extraordinary meeting of the City of Doncaster Council, after Reform UK Doncaster requested a meeting to reconsider the approval of a £57million loan supporting the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).

If criticism from senior Labour figures in the region is to be believed, the meeting could spell the end of the reopening project, depending on what decision councillors make.

An extraordinary meeting of full council has been scheduled for April 30, 2026, after a requisition, reportedly backed by more than 28 of the 56 council members, was submitted.

The request asked for a November 2025 decision to approve a £57m loan to assist with the reopening of the airport, to come back to council to be reconsidered.

In a reconvened extraordinary meeting on April 2, 2026, Reform UK Doncaster deputy leader, Councillor Jason Charity, expressed his party intended to rescind the approval.

He said the party felt councillors did not have all the information they should have had before making the decision.

The announcement resulted in a week of political back-and-forths between Labour and Reform UK, including letters from the four Labour Doncaster MPs to Reform UK leader, Cllr Craig Ward, and a suggestion from Oliver Coppard, the Labour Mayor of South Yorkshire, that reversing the decision would “kill” the reopening project.

However, Reform UK have stuck to their guns amid the pressure and there is currently no sign of the party backing down.

On face value, Doncaster Council’s constitution would suggest Reform UK do have the power to reverse the decision, however, sources tell the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the authority is taking legal advice over the potential decision.

In May 2025, Labour’s Ros Jones narrowly won the race to be elected Mayor of Doncaster, an incredibly powerful position under the authority’s unusual directly elected mayor system.

Jones’ campaigned heavily on the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, suggesting any other candidate would put the project at risk.

It is considered that Labour’s ability to frame the mayoral election as a vote on the airport reopening was a key reason that Jones won the race, despite Reform UK storming to a majority in the council chamber.