Doncaster Sheffield-3
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: north yorkshire
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Decision over request for a Judicial Review has been withheld til a later date following an appearance in Leeds Administrative Court on Tuesday.
The airport is still open and a Notam issued yesterday suggests daytime operating hours with the airspace becoming class G outside of those hours. Rumours suggest full closure to happen on 3rd December but I suspect if that is true it would be reliant on the court throwing out the DMBC application by then.
Peel have contested the application with the suggestion that the airport could face insolvency and therefore jeopardise any redundancy packages.
The airport is still open and a Notam issued yesterday suggests daytime operating hours with the airspace becoming class G outside of those hours. Rumours suggest full closure to happen on 3rd December but I suspect if that is true it would be reliant on the court throwing out the DMBC application by then.
Peel have contested the application with the suggestion that the airport could face insolvency and therefore jeopardise any redundancy packages.
BBC reporting Judicial Review refused
During the court hearing in November, James Maurici KC, barrister for Doncaster Council, argued that the consultation by Peel Group on the future of the airport had been too short to find a potential buyer. He claimed the outcome of the consultation had been "predetermined" and also highlighted the number of public services the airport hosted, including military, coastguard and police aircraft.
But in response, John Litton KC, representing Doncaster Sheffield Airport Limited, said Peel Group did not have a duty to launch a consultation and that it had extended the consultation period twice to nearly 11 weeks at the request of Doncaster Council. Independent consultants had judged the airport to be unviable and Peel Group had not received full details of the potential buyers Doncaster Council claimed had been found, he added.
But in response, John Litton KC, representing Doncaster Sheffield Airport Limited, said Peel Group did not have a duty to launch a consultation and that it had extended the consultation period twice to nearly 11 weeks at the request of Doncaster Council. Independent consultants had judged the airport to be unviable and Peel Group had not received full details of the potential buyers Doncaster Council claimed had been found, he added.
Following the ruling, Doncaster mayor Ros Jones said "every legal tool" would be used to keep the site open. Ms Jones added that she was disappointed at the decision by Mr Justice Fordham following a hearing last month at Leeds Administrative Court. She said a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) was another approach to keeping the airport open which the council had supported and that would now be attempted.
"We knew that the judicial review in itself would not have saved the airport as it could not have compelled Peel to reverse their decision to close Doncaster's Airport. The only way this will happen is if Peel sell the airport - and the investors we identified are still talking to Peel - or if we are successful in securing a CPO of the airport site and works with the market to secure an operator."
So why did she waste taxpayers money on the Appeal?
"We knew that the judicial review in itself would not have saved the airport as it could not have compelled Peel to reverse their decision to close Doncaster's Airport. The only way this will happen is if Peel sell the airport - and the investors we identified are still talking to Peel - or if we are successful in securing a CPO of the airport site and works with the market to secure an operator."
So why did she waste taxpayers money on the Appeal?
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,573
Received 422 Likes
on
222 Posts
A sad day. I've seen that airfield close twice now.
(TBH, I wasn't quite so sad the first time).
(TBH, I wasn't quite so sad the first time).
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I always thought a JR was likely to fail, but I am rather surprised that it wasn't refused on the grounds of reviewability (ie. the judge considered DSA to be sufficiently carrying out a public function that it wasn't refused on that basis).
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: London Whipsnade Wildlife Park
Posts: 5,038
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Teesside
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Interesting that the judge reckoned there were never any realistic indications of interest :-
Having allowed a period for options to be put forward, and having extended that period – putting down the clear marker that no tangible proposal had come forward from public or private sector partners – the Operator was being told that there was strong market interest in one group believed to be an extremely serious proposition (the letter of 8 September 2022); a highly desirable bidder with extensive aviation experience (the letter of 12 September 2022); and conversations with 10 potential investors including interest from airlines, a global asset management business, a UK-based new venture in the aviation sector, significant local aviation businesses and an international investment bank (the letter of 22 September 2022). But the fact was that there were no “tangible proposals” to consider, not even tangible proposals at an “early stage”.
Having allowed a period for options to be put forward, and having extended that period – putting down the clear marker that no tangible proposal had come forward from public or private sector partners – the Operator was being told that there was strong market interest in one group believed to be an extremely serious proposition (the letter of 8 September 2022); a highly desirable bidder with extensive aviation experience (the letter of 12 September 2022); and conversations with 10 potential investors including interest from airlines, a global asset management business, a UK-based new venture in the aviation sector, significant local aviation businesses and an international investment bank (the letter of 22 September 2022). But the fact was that there were no “tangible proposals” to consider, not even tangible proposals at an “early stage”.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Doncaster
Age: 41
Posts: 556
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Bawtry
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 530
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In this latest deal Peel are now questioning where the money is coming from, for example if there's any Russian money involved. Whether they're using this as a convenient excuse to eventually reject the deal I don't know.
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: North Yorkshire
Age: 35
Posts: 361
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
They sold Teesside for £40m when they could have held out for the reported £250-500m land value (they didn't need a fast buck as some suggest), Doncaster is no different. If there is a genuine buyer, I'm sure they will sell
"In this latest deal Peel are now questioning where the money is coming from, for example if there's any Russian money involved. Whether they're using this as a convenient excuse to eventually reject the deal I don't know."
Standard practise these days - even for tiny businesses. Banks etc HAVE to check on the sources of funds - not before time given events of the past 40 years
Standard practise these days - even for tiny businesses. Banks etc HAVE to check on the sources of funds - not before time given events of the past 40 years
Seems there is genuine interest, and there will no doubt be investigations into the source of the funds (this news is a couple of weeks old now), but more importantly the interested party will want to know what the financial situation is for the airport and whether there is anything they could do differently to encourage growth and improve financial performance. If there isn’t, then it will still be a piece of prime development land that I’m sure Peel will want to hold on to.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: BIRMINGHAM
Age: 61
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nobody clearly is party to the negotiations .but wonder if the offer is for the airport as a going concern or for some other use, It could be as a freight only operation or just the land itself.
Hopefully for all involved the future passenger operation can be saved but i guess we will just have to be patient/
Hopefully for all involved the future passenger operation can be saved but i guess we will just have to be patient/
http://redirect.viglink.com/?key=71f...%3D4%26zTS%3DC
Minutes from the final DSA Consultative Committee meeting on 30th November. No real update on the sale but ‘it could take 2-3 months’ to finalise if this is still ongoing.
Other news is that white crossed have appeared on the runway today.
Minutes from the final DSA Consultative Committee meeting on 30th November. No real update on the sale but ‘it could take 2-3 months’ to finalise if this is still ongoing.
Other news is that white crossed have appeared on the runway today.