Sheffield Green Party member Joel Gilbert writes on the closure of Doncaster-Sheffield-Airport, the impact for people in the short term, and the long term opportunity for the region
Around 800 people are facing job losses due to the imminent closure of Doncaster-Sheffield Airport. This prospect is particularly worrying for some, coming at a time when many households are already experiencing a cost-of-living crisis. We hope at least some of those affected are able to benefit from Manchester Airports Group’s offer to interview all staff directly employed by the airport
However, the proposed closure of DSA does provide an opportunity to redirect public funds earmarked for the airport towards more environmentally and socially sustainable infrastructure projects. This might include restoring and improving South Yorkshire’s decimated bus services, extending Supertram, and further investing in clean technologies. This will not only give the region a much better chance of achieving it’s ‘zero carbon’ target by 2040, but also in providing meaningful and well-paid jobs for years to come.
