Government Transport Secretary Mark Harper has told South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard that millions of pounds in funding is available for Doncaster Sheffield Airport if that’s what he chooses to spend it on.
In a letter to the Mayor, Mr Harper said: “The Government is supporting South Yorkshire through Gainshare funding, making £900m available through £30m funding per year over 30 years. This is exactly the funding which the Mayor of Teesside used to support Teesside Airport and is consequently very likely to be suitable for your needs.
“I am sure we can both agree that it is excellent news that there is clear Government grant available that you can choose to use to support Doncaster Sheffield Airport.”
But Mr Harper says he’s frustrated that a letter sent to him in December by the Mayor had found its way into the press before he had been given a chance to reply. He wrote: “It is frustrating to see your letter has found its way to the press and was used as the basis for inaccurate political adverts before I have had an opportunity to reply.
“This will cause some to question whether your priority here is doing what’s best for your area, or scoring political points. Given the significant effort of Members of Parliament in particular in raising the importance of this issue, I am, nonetheless, responding as positively as possible.”
