Prescott to delay decision on Yorkshire airport plans

Deputy prime minister John Prescott has today (Thursday) asked for more information before he makes a decision on proposals for a new airport in South Yorkshire.

Prior to a decision on the RAF base at Finningley, near Doncaster, Prescott has asked to see more details of a housing development which forms part of the plans.

He wants to know if the plans meet a real need for homes in the area and whether the buildings will be of a high enough standard.

Peel Airports, the developer of the site, has been given several weeks to reply and claim the airport would create 7,300 jobs over the next decade.

The results of a public inquiry into the proposals were given to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in March 2002.

Prescott is now unlikely to make his final recommendation until the end of March.