City of Doncaster Council is working to secure five airlines and increase freight capacity as part of efforts to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The council has set up Fly Doncaster, a wholly owned subsidiary, and partnered with Munich Airport International to oversee operations.

At its peak in 2019, the airport handled 23,000 tonnes of freight. The council aims to increase this to 100,000 tonnes. Discussions have been ongoing over the past year to target a minimum of four to five airlines.

The council finalised a 125-year lease with landowner Peel Group in 2023 and plans to operate the airport with stricter fiscal control. Reopening is expected to create over 5,000 direct jobs and 6,500 indirect jobs, contributing an estimated £6.6 billion to the economy.

Mayor Ros Jones confirmed an international operator is in place to manage the airport. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged government support for the reopening.

Yorkshire Decorators Centre is relocating after losing £50,000 in turnover due to Sheffield’s clean air zone (CAZ). Based on Gibraltar Street for 22 years, the business says trade customers are avoiding the area to avoid daily charges of £10 for vans and up to £50 for larger vehicles.

Managing Director Tony Gallagher cited declining foot traffic, parking difficulties, and ongoing roadworks as additional challenges. Despite offering free delivery and crediting the zone fee, the company determined relocation was the only viable option.

The business plans to move to Darnall, outside the CAZ, to retain customers and rebuild operations.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (BMBC) is reviewing a proposal to transfer six Family Hub nurseries to private operators, citing an annual taxpayer subsidy of over £480,000. The council argues that private providers could expand services, including offering at least 30 hours of childcare and year-round availability, which the public model cannot sustain.

The nurseries under review are located in Thurnscoe, Worsbrough, Athersley, Grimethorpe, Penistone, and Wombwell. BMBC’s cabinet member for core services, Councillor Robert Frost, stated that the priority is maintaining high-quality early years education while better aligning services with family needs.

The GMB Union opposes the move, launching a campaign and an online petition against privatization. The council’s final decision will be discussed at a special budget meeting on February 27.

Small firms are tightening their belts on jobs, with potential changes that will expand the grounds for unfair dismissal and higher sick pay costs at the top of their list of worries, research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows. New data shows that in the last quarter of 2024, 33 per cent of small employers said they expect to reduce staff, up from 17 per cent in the previous quarter. Fewer businesses are also looking to hire – with only 10 per cent of small employers planning to take on more staff, down 14 per cent from the previous quarter. Meanwhile, 56 per cent expect to keep their workforce the same. Elsewhere, 51 per cent of small employers say labour costs are one of the greatest barriers to growing their business. The upcoming Employment Rights Bill is also causing dread among the small business community, and in response to a separate FSB survey last year, 75 per cent of small employers highlighted fears relating to unfair dismissal changes, while 74 per cent raised concerns about changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). In fact, two thirds (67%) of small employers say the proposals in the Employment Rights Bill would make them curb hiring and one third (32%) plan to reduce the number of employees they have before the measures are introduced. Tina McKenzie, FSB’s Policy Chair, said: “The figures speak for themselves – plans to allow employees to sue their employers on their first day on the job will wreak havoc on our already fragile economy, while changes to Statutory Sick Pay will make employers think twice about their hiring plans. “Of course, existing protections against unfair dismissal for protected characteristics from day one are essential and should remain. But extending these rights to any and all cases from day one risks opening the door to frivolous claims. “Ministers should recognise the risk to jobs and resist any approach that comes across as out of touch with business reality, instead of brushing off their concerns. “The Prime Minister should ditch these reckless changes to unfair dismissal and reinstate the one-year qualification period that worked under the last Labour Government. It’s a zero-cost fix that would show he understands what it takes to create and sustain jobs. “If taking on staff becomes a legal minefield, businesses will simply stop. That means more people on benefits, a ballooning welfare bill, and a devastating hit to living standards. Those who will be shut out of work because of this Bill deserve better from the Government.”

Thousands of people, business and education leaders have expressed their support for West Yorkshire’s plans for a region-wide Mass Transit network. It comes as West Yorkshire Combined Authority releases a consultation report showing more than two thirds of people surveyed across the region are supportive of plans to create a tram system initially covering Bradford and Leeds. Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin added that support from the University of Bradford and the White Rose, shows West Yorkshire is ready and waiting for Mass Transit. The feedback will help the Combined Authority select its preferred scheme later this year, before consulting on a detailed version of the preferred route in early 2026. This feedback is important to ensure the final plans meet the needs of the communities and businesses near the routes, and it will help add more details to the development plans for Phase One. The route options consultation for phase one of the West Yorkshire Mass Transit scheme took place during summer and autumn 2024, and saw 4,845 individuals and organisations have their say on plans for the region’s biggest proposed infrastructure project in decades. A report now shows more than two thirds of people surveyed in West Yorkshire supported the plans for a line between Leeds and Bradford, while more than three quarters supporting a line from St James’s Hospital to the White Rose. Respondents said improving connections with residential areas, reducing traffic congestion and providing quick journey times were the most important outcomes for a mass transit network in the region. The consultation presented a number of possible route options for each section of the early Mass Transit network, labelled phase one. In addition to thousands of members of the public, the plans also received support from regional leaders in the worlds of commerce and education. University of Bradford Vice-Chancellor Professor Shirley Congdon said: “We wholeheartedly support plans for a clean, quick, reliable mass transit system, particularly one that connects Leeds and Bradford. “Such a scheme will benefit students, workers, businesses and residents. It will help reduce carbon emissions and congestions, it will kickstart growth and entrepreneurialism and ultimately boost local, regional and national economies.” Steve Foster, Landsec’s Centre Director for White Rose and Trinity Leeds shopping centres, said: “Leeds has always been a city of industry and innovation and deserves a modern transport network to match its ambition. Today is an important step forward for improving connections between north and south Leeds, as well as the rest of West Yorkshire. “Investment in modern, sustainable transport infrastructure will not only boost economic growth, especially if it links the city centre to the wider region and hubs like White Rose, but also extends access to opportunity for people across the region.” Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “The public has emphatically told us: ‘we want mass transit!’ “This is our region’s biggest infrastructure project in decades and will help us deliver on the growth mission to put more money in people’s pockets. “It is time to deliver a tram for the people of West Yorkshire and get spades in the ground by 2028.” The report comes hot on the heels of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s recent growth speech, during which she spoke of government’s commitment to support the West Yorkshire Mass Transit scheme. While no decisions on routes have yet been taken, the route between St James’s Hospital and Leeds city centre supported most by respondents (L1) would run via the First Direct Arena, Leeds Beckett University, Millennium Square, East Parade and Infirmary Street, before heading past City Square and Leeds Rail Station towards Victoria Bridge. This was closely followed by the L2 line, running via East Parade and Park Row. The consultees most supported south Leeds route (L6) would run via Holbeck, Elland Road Stadium and Beeston Ring Road before finishing at the White Rose. This was followed by L7, which would run via Gelderd Road, Lowfield Road, Elland Road Stadium and Old Lane. A similar level of support was given to all three Bradford Line options, including line B1 (running from Leeds city centre via Armley, Stanningley, Thornbury and Laisterdyke before arriving in Bradford city centre), B2 (via Laisterdyke and Wortley), and B3 (via Laisterdyke and Armley). While routes are yet to be selected, the findings from the consultation will be considered alongside several other factors including the findings on environmental surveys, further engagement with stakeholders and feasibility analysis to inform the preferred scheme decision later this year. A further consultation on a detailed version of the proposed route will take place in early 2026.