Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Wednesday 04 October 1899
Conisborough’s Struggle for Self-Government.
Another Scheme to Be Submitted
A very important meeting of the Council was held on Monday night at which it was decided to submit to the West Riding Council another scheme for urban powers.
It will be remembered that some time ago an application was made for urban powers, and an order constituting the townships of Conisborough and Denaby and part of the township of Cadeby an urban district.
On appeal, however, the Local Government Board declined to confirm the order, and now it has been decided to make an amended application.
Mr C Holmes presiding at the meeting on Monday night.
Mr W Brocklesby (secretary of the Conisborough Urban Powers Committee) moved:
“This Parish Council of Conisborough hereby approves and authorises an application to the West riding County council for an order constituting certain parts of the parishes of Conisborough, Denaby and Cadeby into an urban district, and that the proposed district be divided into wards, as shown on a six-inch ordnance map now laid before the council.”
He said the facts were pretty well known to them but still he did not think resolution of that importance should introduced without some remarks justifying its adoption. He thought also it was due to the friends who had loyally supported them during the last two years in connection with their application for urban powers often been said they reticent in their movements since the order of the County Council was thrown out, and was afraid some their friends bad lost little patience, but he could assure them no time had been lost.
They might have adopted a different course at the time they received the information from the Local Government Board that they had disallowed the order the County Council It would have been an easy matter have had a large public meeting—for the warmth of feeling displayed that time would have ensured them having enthusiastic meeting—protesting against the action the Local Government Board, and might also have gone further than that and had the matter mentioned in Parliament, but they thought it would be better for them to take the defeat in light spirit, and look carefully at the objections of the Local Government Board to their proposals.
When they came to look at it calmly they were thoroughly disappointed at the result the appeal against them—disappointed because they believed the order to be just and equitable, and they never had any doubt regarding the justness of the order, consequently they were very disappointed.
But when they came to look at the objections given by the Local Government Board, they discovered that there was some reason for the course that authority had taken. When they remembered the fact that they sought to include in their area some 6,567 acres it necessarily followed that a large proportion of that area would be rural in its character, and they knew that urban powers were not necessary for the government rural areas.
They felt convinced that they would successful in making this new application because the objection of the Local Government Board could very easily removed. They also believed that the Local Government Board had stated all its objections it had to the order—at any rate, it would manifestly unfair them, and they would be trifling with them very seriously, if they gave them specific reasons for throwing out the order, and at the same time had other objections up their sleeves (Hear, hear.)
They did not believe that of the Local Government Board. They believed they had only one objection the order made by the County Council, and that was the inclusion of the rural part of their own parish and the parish of Denaby. They had resolved to remove that objection, and a fresh application, and they had resolved on a boundary which will include the parts the two parish strictly urban in their character. They had tried to leave out as far possible all the rural parts. In regard to Denaby they felt no difficulty in determining that the boundary suggested by the Parish Council when they applied for urban powers, and which received the support of the Denaby Colliery Company, should be their boundary (Hear, hear.)
With respect to Cadeby they would be on safe grounds if they took the boundary suggested by the County Council after the inquiry. The greatest difficulty they had experienced was in respect to their own boundary, for they would have to leave out as much as possible all that was rural and take in that which was urban. They had decided that far as the Conisborough parish was concerned, at the boundary reached by the Cadeby boundary that side the river, and almost in a direct line they came straight to Doncaster Road, crossing the road some 150 yards beyond Don View. Then they followed Drake Head Lane for a short distance, and included the field in which the Doncaster Rural Council were going build the fever hospital. Then they came for a considerable distance across the top of the hill, and they landed some little distance below the lane, which leads to Clifton, and then across the fields straight in a direct line to Kearsley Brook, and they took one field on the south side of Sheffield Road to Hill Top.
In the boundaries already mentioned they had an area of 1,700 acres. The last application included 6,587 acres, so it would be seen that the area proposed this time was considerably smaller than the area proposed on the last occasion.
They had in the area 2,040 houses, and about 10,200 population. At the last inquiry they had 10,034 population, and 1,955 houses, and so they would see that although they had relinquished Clifton and the outlying district of Conisborough parish, and excluded the larger portions of Old Denaby, they had as a matter fact a larger number of houses and a larger population than they had at the last inquiry. That showed how the place had grown since the last application.
The ratable value for Poor Law purposes in connection with the area now proposed would reach £57,000; last time it was six £1979 the area they proposed to divide into Wards.
In this matter they did not adopt the same course as they did last time. They took that portion of the area in Denaby Parish and added it to a portion of new Conisborough, and the boundary would be in Rossington Street. That would be the West Ward and in it there were 532 houses and a rateable value of £19,574.
From the Wesleyan Chapel to the Denaby Main Hotel, taking in the glass works and Mr Kilner’s property, will be described as the North Ward, which will contain 532 houses and £18,500 rateable value.
The Central Ward would include the property from some Gomersall Street to Church Street and Burcroft, and in that Ward there will be 548 houses and a rateable value from £9000-£10,000.
The remainder of the area from the South Ward and contain 493 houses and from £8000-£9000 rateable value.
There would be three representative to each Ward. He thought he had said enough to show that the scheme had been carefully considered and been worked out at great cost of time and industry. They claimed Cadeby as they always had done, believing that it belonged to them. The expected opposition, as they had met with it before, but they believe their claim was a just one, and the more it was looked into the stronger it became. (Hear, hear.) They had outgrown their motherly care.
A voice: grandmotherly: (laughter) – exercised towards him by the Doncaster District Council, and they were prepared not only to think but to act for themselves. Hear, hear.)
Mr Roebuck seconded the resolution which was supported by the chairman, Mr Robinson and other members and carried unanimously
A resolution was also carried instructing the engagement of a solicitor and surveyor if necessary in connection with the application.