Conisborough Parish Council – Water Supply – Footpaths – Urban Powers.

December 1897

Mexborough and Swinton Times December 10, 1897

Conisborough Parish Council

The Water Supply.
Application For Urban District Powers.

The monthly meeting of the above Council was held on Monday night, Mr. Holmes in, the chair. There were also present Messrs. Butcher, Hirst, Mosby, Norwood, Ogley, Roebuck, Robinson, Ravenscroft, Singleton, and Smithson. Mr. Hawksworth (clerk) was also in attendance. There were also several ratepayers present, including Mr. S. Whitfield.

The Station Footbridge.

The Chairman stated that the Clerk had communicated with Cadeby, and they had expressed willingness to join Conisborough in a deputation. The clerk had written to Mr. Fourdrinier on the point, and had been referred to Mr. W. Pollitt, the general manager at Manchester.- The Clerk would write, if they could secure their object by going to Mancheater, it would be worth the ,journey.-

Mr. Norwood : I have no doubt Mr. Pollitt is in this neighbourhood sometimes, and we might be able to meet him somewhere near.

Repairing Roads.

The Chairman stated respecting the road by Mr. Trout’s that the deputation had to inspect, he turned up, but was alone for a quarter of an hour, and left. He understood that others had turned up at a different point.

Mr Norwood stated that Mr Butcher and himself had inspected the road, and they thought a little might be done to put it in order although it was not much used. It was a pleasure walk.

Mr.Robinson : Put it, in order, and then it will be used.

Mr. Mosby : It wants a style or two, nobody knows how to get in at Mr.Trout’s end.

Mr. Singleton : The proper way in is, by the steps.

Mr. Butcher said it required repairing, and be moved that it be done, and that Messrs., Smithson, Norwood, and Hirst be appointed to see that the work was done.

Carried.

Cost of Road Maintenance.

The Clerk read a letter from the Doncaster Rural District Council, in which they declined to give the information asked for re the cost of maintaining roads in Conisborough, Denaby, and Cadeby.

Road Repairs.

The Clerk read a letter from the Doncaster Rural District Council Sanitary and Highways Committee stating that they had instructed their Surveyor to put ashes or sand on the roads and footpaths when necessary. They had written Lord Yarborough’s agent with reference to the fencing of the roadside near the cliff. The committee had also recommended that several footpaths be kerbed, etc., and the recommendation had been approved by the Council. The surveyor had also been instructed to make an estimate of the cost of fencing to the quarry near Doncaster road. The inspector had been requested to obtain an estimate for covering the Holy-well spring; Pop Lane was in the hands of the surveyor for repairs.

Guardians.

The Clerk reported that he had written to the County Council requesting that Conisborough be more largely represented on the Board of Guardians, and he had received a reply from Mr Dixon stated that the matter would be laid before the committee dealing with such matters.

Footpath at Northcliff

A letter was read from Mr Cundy permitting the Council to lay ashes on the footpath from Conisbrough to limekilns by Denaby.

Mr Holmes thought from the correspondence from the Rural District Council that they were receiving pretty fair attention, if the Council only carried out the work.

Mr Norwood: You seem grateful for small mercies. I am not satisfied at all. There not doing ¼ of what they ought to do. As for that footpath from Mount Pleasant to Don View, two thirds of these will be paid by the County Council.

Kilner’s Crossing

Mr Robertson asked if the Clerk and her respecting the footbridge near Kilner’s crossing.

Mr Hawksworth replied that he had not written, as he understood that the matter was absorbed in the subsequent question of the Station Bridge.

It was decided that the cleric write to Manchester thereupon.

Water

A letter was received from the Sanitary Committee of the Doncaster Rural Council enclosing a copy of a report and recommendations for the supply of Conisbrough with water, and requesting to be favoured the Parish Council’s observations thereon.

The report was then read out in detail to the meeting. The recommendations of the committee were:

  1. That an agreement be entered into with the Denaby and Cadeby Main Colliery Co Ltd for a supply of water from their Bore Hole to the reservoir at Garden Lane, Conisbrough at 6d per 1000 gallons for 21 years, if the water is satisfactory and if the supply should from any causes prove satisfactory, then the parish shall have the right to terminate the agreement at any time before the expiration of the time named.
  2. That the local government Board be asked to sanction the borrowing of £4000 for the cost of the Conisbrough Water Supply, repayable in 30 years.
  3. That the offer of the trustees of the late Mr Andrew Montagu to sell 1 acre of land in the field adjoining garden Lane, Conisbrough for the sum of £200 be accepted, subject to the sanction of the Local Government Board.
  4. That the sum of £1 per annum be paid to the trustee for way leave.
  5. That the offer of the Denaby Colliery Company pays up £10 a year for the use of a reservoir at Conisbrough to supply their property be accepted.

Mr Holmes said they were face-to-face with a serious state of things. They had practically a water famine and water would have to be obtained from somewhere, and what they had to say would no doubt have weight with the parties want to decide the matter.

He should like to hear an expression of opinion whether they should accept the recommendations, or recommend any of the scheme. They had thought it might help them to come to some understanding in the matter, if they have samples of water from the different sources of supply, and the bottles on the table contains sample from each  of the sources – viz Holywell Spring, Town’s Well, Doncaster Supply and the Cadeby Bore Hole.

Mr Butcher: These four bottles are differently numbered. How many persons in his room know which supply these refer to?

The Chairman: Hands up those who do not know.

All the members showed hands.

The Clerk: There is not a man living knows, but myself.

Mr Butcher said that was trying to get out. He should like to have these waters analyse. In a conversation with Mr S Whitfield, the latter substantiated the words of Mr Norwood that the analyst had given the Doncaster the best name. Well, when they tasted it, Mr Whitfield was surprised; the water was clear and bright, and look well, but it tasted bad. Down in Conisbroough they did not like it. It might be good at the Bore Hole, but down in Conisborough they did not like it. He understood that some time ago Mr Chambers said it was the mains which were amiss and they were going to be altered. I am not see the alteration. I think the Denaby Company would put the best mains down.

Mr Norwood: they did put down second and mains; some taken up from near Birmingham.

Mr Butcher: if we select one of these four samples of water, can we have it supplied to the residents of Conisbrough?

The Chairman: That is not the point. The samples are to see if any one member of the Council can pick out the Bore Hole water from any bitterness or any smell about it.

Mr Singleton asked if the £10 exempted the Denaby company from the water?

A discussion arose thereupon, the result of which was that the loan and interest of the scheme will be repayable from the rates levied on the people deriving the benefit of the water; the Act, however, fixed a maximum rate and any deficiencies not made by the rate was chargeable on the whole of the parish.

Mr Robertson said it would pay the Denaby Company better to pay £10 a year than have a reservoir of their own; it had been their scheme ever since they sunk the shaft.

Mr Holmes did not agree with what Mr Robinson said about Mr James, thought it might be the best way to pass a resolution that they could not accept the recommendation of the committee, recommend that they have the Doncaster water – (hear, hear) – although the cost was heavier.

Glasses of the water containing the bottles were handed to members of the Council, and he wrote in slips of paper which they considered to be the worst specimen.

The voting was:

  1. no votes
  2. one wrote
  3. three votes
  4. six votes

The Chairman did not vote as he could not detect any difference.

The Clerk then handed the chairman a nolo contained the names of the sources of the water with their numbers as follows:

  1. Doncaster
  2. Holywell Spring
  3. Town’s Well
  4. Bore Hole

the Chairman said he was very glad they had had the test. It was very satisfactory that the Council had seen and tested the water. It had convinced him, though he could not be detected himself.

Mr Smithson thereupon moved that they reject the recommendation that the Board Hole water be utilised.

Mr Robinson seconded, and the resolution was carried, Messrs Mosby and Norwood voting against.

Mr Smithson then moved that the Council open negotiations with the Doncaster Corporation for the supply of water at the lowest rate.

Mr Ravenscroft seconded – Carried

Urban Powers

The Chairman reminded the meeting that all the preliminaries for applying for Urban Powers had been attended to. The advertisement appeared in the newspapers the requisite number of times, and notices during person and the places of worship.

They had, therefore, fulfil all the conditions at only one for them to make application.

He thought the Clerk ought to be instructed to formally apply to the County Council.

Mr Norwood and very great pleasure in proposing that seeing the parish meeting and unanimously passed a resolution in favour of Urban Powers, we ask the County Council to hold an enquiry as early as possible view to constituting the Parish Council and Urban District Council.

Mr Smithson seconded and the resolution was unanimously passed