Let us off rates - airport bosses

The request has been rejected by Doncaster Council - but now the airport company is appealing the decision and a special all-party committee will hold an extraordinary meeting next month to resolve the issue.

Doncaster Sheffield AIrport Ltd - the company that operates Robin Hood - asked for a rate-free period of five years to be backdated to April 2005, when it became liable to pay business rates and shortly after the first flight took off.

The reason airport bosses gave for asking for the concession was "financial hardship" but no further details have been revealed.

Doncaster councillor Martin Williams said: "This is just unbelievable. I was very surprised when I heard the news. Hundreds and thousands of people travel through the airport, you'd expect it to be making money hand over fist.

"Asking for their business rates to be removed is a bit cheeky - what if a little cornershop newsagent's tried that? They wouldn't have a hope."

A spokesman for Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield said: "We are surprised that, directly or indirectly, Doncaster Council has allowed details of the application to exist in the public domain ahead of the due process unfolding.

"Not wishing to prejudice the process that Doncaster Council has put in place, it is not our intention to rehearse the details of the application in the Press. Following completion of the application we would look to comment further, as appropriate at that time."

The council will give its final answer after a committee of five councillors has heard the company's appeal.

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