I think rather than the City Council "writing blank cheques" it was more down to interested Sheffield businessmen as to whether there could be a revival. I recall there was interest from Mr Cook of steelmaking fame for instance.
Talking of commuter and scheduled services has to be a red herring, when the future might be with business and executive fixed and rotary wing operation.
Even with circa 3950 ft of runway most of Europe would be within range of modern piston/turbine twins of the 6-8 seat size surely.
My original question still stands though: Have the developers as yet taken any steps that would render reactivation of the airfield impossible?
As an aside, the poster above I suspect didn't really get a flavour of the modern Sheffield, not from the leafy suberb of Dore anyway. I havn't worked there since the 1980's, but friends tell me that you take your car into central Sheffield at your peril, "you will be lost for days" they say....
EGCA