By Assets stripped from Doncaster Sheffield Airport
Critical assets are being taken from Doncaster Sheffield Airport, ahead of its controversial closure, according to the local mayor.
Doncaster’s Ros Jones said it was “totally unacceptable” and she would consider taking legal action if the allegations were true.
The government was told during a Commons debate on Monday it had just hours to intervene to stop the closure.
Peel said last month operations would wind down from the end of October as the airport was not financially viable.
Labour’s Ros Jones said: “We have been made aware that Peel has apparently started to degrade the site by stripping out critical assets to the operation of the airport therefore potentially making it unusable and unsellable.
“This is totally unacceptable when we have brought potential buyers to their door and conversations are ongoing”.
She said if Peel did not confirm it would not begin to wind down the site, and had instructed council officers to apply for a court injunction.
“I have written to Peel setting this legal action out and that they must pause the airport closure so a sale can be agreed and jobs saved.”
She said she had given the group until 16:00 BST on Tuesday to respond.
She said it was clear to her and council officers the airport was viable if “operated and managed correctly”.
“If that was not the case, why have we found other interested parties who want to take it on and run it as a thriving successful airport?”
On Monday, Labour MPs called on government action, including Stephanie Peacock, Labour MP for Barnsley East, who said the airport was a valuable regional economic asset and “thousands of jobs” depended on it.
“It is now imperative that ministers step up, take action and use their powers to do everything that they can to save Doncaster Sheffield Airport,” she said.
The Conservative MP for Don Valley Nick Fletcher criticised South Yorkshire’s Mayoral Combined Authority, which had been “sadly lacking for over three years”.
Mr Fletcher said: “If the combined authority had done their job properly we would not be sat in this position now.”
