Sanitary Conversions

Big Scheme For Conisboro’ And Denaby

Ministry Of Health Inquiry

Mr. J. C. Dawes, an Inspector of the Ministry of Health, conducted an inquiry, at the Conisborough Council Offices, on Wednesday, regarding the Conisborough Urban Council’s application for a loan of £15,000 for the purpose of sanitary conversions at Denaby Main and Conisborough.

The Council’s case was outlined by the Clerk, Mr. H. M. Marshall, and the Surveyor, Mr. H. Thirlwall. The Medical Officer, Dr. McArthur, urged the necessity of the proposals in view of the prevalence of infectious disease. There was no doubt, he said, as to the injurious effects of the insanitary condition of the present arrangements.

Mr. W. Holmes, Chief Sanitary Inspector to the West Riding County Council, supported the application. The scheme proposes the conversion and reconstruction of 1,247 middens at Denaby Main and 690 at Conisborough, at a total cost of £33,774 4s. 4d., of which sum £11,705 is to be borne by the Local Authority; £15,000 to be borrowed from the Ministry, and the remainder to be contributed by the owners of the affected property.

Mr. Marshall gave some interesting figures. The area of the Urban District is 1,588 acres, and the estimated population, 15,400. The annual assessable value for the purposes of the application is £64,721 11s. 3d., and the amount of the outstanding loans on December 31, 1923, was £29,596 6s. The margin for borrowing power for the purposes of the application is £29,453, and the Council asked for the maximum period of repayment. The present rate raises £850 13s. 5d. At the present time there are 68 houses in the course of erection, and altogether 3,092 in the township.

The proposals contain two distinct schemes, one for Conisborough and one for Denaby Main. It is proposed to remove the rows of middens at Denaby Main, and to provide new water closets and outhouses, to be built near the house wall. The Council had come to a unanimous agreement that this improvement should take place. The estimate for the work was £13 for each conversion, and where the cost exceeded this amount, the owner would bear the balance. The Council were anxious that the improvements should be undertaken at once, and in this they were strongly supported by the County Council. It had been arranged for the work to be spread over a number of years; they could have met the cost out of revenue, but a loan would enable them to carry on the two schemes simultaneously, the whole of the conversions to be completed in two years. The County Council had urged them to undertake the work with all possible speed.

Mr. Marshall outlined the history of the parish, with particular reference to the relations of the Colliery Company to the former Parish Council. The houses at Denaby Main, mostly built and owned by the Denaby and Cadeby Colliery Company, were erected under bye-laws made years ago. The people were provided with streets, water, and lighting. There were requests on every hand to improve matters, and the public were very anxious for better sanitary conditions. The Doncaster Rural District Council had no authority over the water supply, and had attempted improvements, they would have been trespassers. The Colliery Company had a separate reservoir for Denaby Main. Since the first demands for the conversions at Denaby, the Colliery Company had widened and deepened their bore hole and increased the pumping power, and there was now more than sufficient water for all sanitary purposes.

The Inspector said he was satisfied that the scheme was reasonable. It was a very unusual thing for a Council to come to a unanimous decision on such a question. The Inspector satisfied himself that the capacity of the sewage disposal works was sufficient to cope with the proposed conditions, and that the owners would bear the cost of any repair of drain pipes under the reconstruction.

Mr. Holmes, on behalf of the County Council, said how pleased the County Council were that the newly formed Urban District had so soon decided to get rid of this old system. The County Council had been pressing for such action for many years.