SOUTH YORKSHIRE INFRASTRUCTURE INQUIRY - TERMS OF REFERENCE

South Yorkshire’s Mayor has called for this inquiry to learn lessons from policy environment that enabled the abrupt closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

The lines of inquiry will be:

• To review the existing legislative, regulatory, policy and legal framework that enables private owners of regional assets (such as those defined in Local Plans and regional strategies) to close or otherwise dispose of those assets without reference to: stakeholders’ views; the implications for wider strategic and economic objectives; or the potential impact on communities.
• To propose reforms to empower local, regional and national leaders to prevent or mitigate the abrupt closure of such regional assets.

The Inquiry will be led by an independent Chair, supported by a secretariat provided at arm’s length by the SYMCA.

Members of the public will be invited to provide written submissions to the Inquiry, and the Inquiry is expected to hold evidence sessions.

The Inquiry will run from Autumn 2023. The output will be a report to the Mayor of South Yorkshire, who will then determine the regional response.

The Inquiry should conduct its work in such a manner as to avoid any activity that may prejudice ongoing legal and commercial negotiations around the Doncaster Sheffield Airport site itself. A Reference Group of local government officers will be formed to liaise with the inquiry chair to ensure that this is the case.

The Inquiry’s focus should be on general lessons we can learn from past episodes and current policy, regulation or laws to guide future reforms. It should consider the case for reforms that would increase the influence of democratically elected representatives, including council Leaders and Mayors.

Any variation to this Terms of Reference will be subject to agreement of the Mayor and Leaders.