A review commissioned by South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has recommended new legislation allowing public authorities to purchase major privately-owned infrastructure threatened with closure, in a move prompted by the 2022 closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The South Yorkshire Strategic Infrastructure Inquiry, chaired by Martin McKervey, concluded that where the loss of a major asset would cause "damaging, harmful and detrimental" economic impact, the government should be able to intervene, since such closures can badly harm local communities and economies.

The report proposes granting local authorities, regional governments or national bodies the power to temporarily halt a closure or sale to allow an impact assessment, alongside a statutory right to buy the asset at market value through a simplified compulsory purchase order if the owner refuses to sell voluntarily. Doncaster Sheffield Airport shut in 2022 after owner Peel Group said it was no longer economically viable; the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has since approved £160m to help reopen it, with costs projected to reach £193m. The inquiry, which also examined water and energy infrastructure, additionally called for a national Regional Aviation Strategy to help local authorities pool resources and support vulnerable regional airports.