Following the launch of a Masterplan and a subsequent ten-week public consultation, Doncaster Sheffield airport says the early results show overwhelming support for building an on-site East Coast Mainline train station.
The airport says more than 90 per cent of respondents expressed support for the plan, which was designed to deliver greater connectivity to the hub. In addition, more than 97 per cent supported expansion of the terminal building and 96 per cent were in favour of developments that would create up to 13,000 new jobs.
The Masterplan details future developments at the airport and the projected growth over the next two decades, which forecasts 4.7 million passengers and 70,000 tonnes of cargo per year.
Doncaster Sheffield says the plan will deliver an estimated £3.7 billion to the local economy by 2037, including £900 million in construction investment and £159 million to the region’s tourism economy.
Furthermore, the airport has also detailed its Vision Plan, which estimates that with a train station on site, passenger numbers could more than double to 11.8 million by 2050.
The airport estimates that if it receives approval, a train station could be operational as early as 2024.
The final Masterplan will be released at the end of the year.
Robert Hough, chairman of Peel Airports Group, said: “We are humbled by the level of engagement we have seen in this public consultation for our draft Masterplan. It is more than a plan for the airport; given the economic prize it is a plan for the economic future of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire which clearly people are keen to take an active role in shaping, to which we are most grateful.
“With 90 per cent of respondents expressing their strong support for our plans, it is exactly the clear and positive signal that you could wish for, as we pursue more routes, cargo, new housing, highly skilled jobs, tourism, inward investment and rail connectivity. With the right support we can deliver all of this here at DSA.”
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