To Oppose Doncaster Plan – Conisbrough U. D. C. Reply – “Queer People”

May 1946

South Yorkshire Times, May 11, 1946

To Oppose Doncaster Plan
Conisbrough U. D. C. Reply To Borough Council Comments

Conisbrough Urban Council on Wednesday unanimously confirmed a recommendation of the general purposes committee that the council be not represented at the any future management meeting convened by the Doncaster scheme for the inclusion of Conisbrough in Doncaster. The recommendation, which had been proposed by councillor. G. Cheshire and J. T. E. Collins, was the unanimous view of the committee.

County Invitation.

The committee minutes reported that a letter had been submitted from the Clerk to the West Riding County Council inviting representatives of the Council and also others affected in the Doncaster area to attend the conference with the West Riding Boundaries Committee to be held at Wakefield at 11 a.m., on Monday, May 20. A letter was also submitted to the committee from the Town Clerk of Doncaster to the effect that the Town Council had adopted Scheme 1 shown in the minutes of the conference held at Doncaster on February 12 last.

Moving confirmation of the committee minutes, Councillor. D. Sheldon, G. E., Chairman, declared that Doncaster were not only trying to ride the high horse, they were telling them where they got off, and they were trying to tell Conisbrough where they would go. The majority of the minutes that had come from Doncaster and which their representatives had received were marked “secret and confidential.”

Doncaster has certainly sent along some papers which gave then the rateable value, but as to the exact matter which they had required with all the changes if they took Conisbrough the information had been very slight.

It had been reported that morning that Doncaster said they were taking some queer places over. Perhaps they might find Conisbrough was more queer then they fought.

The Urban Council had decided that they would not be represented at any further meetings with Doncaster, but they were going to be represented at the County Council Conference at the end of the month in order to see what the county council were advising in this matter. Conisbrough was not going to be stampeded into something about which they knew nothing. Conisbrough was going to stand on its dignity just as much as Doncaster. He might represent some “queer people,” but perhaps those “queer people” were better than some of the people in Doncaster. Doncaster might be a Borough, but that did not cut any ice at Conisbrough.

Coun. G. Oldfield seconded the confirmation of the minutes.

No services from Doncaster

Coun. Cheshire declared that there was nothing queer about Conisbrough, its representatives or its ratepayers, the council had always tried to give service to their people. Doncaster had also had the audacity to say that they supplied services Conisbrough, and that one of them was water. He wanted to refute that quite definitely. Doncaster Corporation supplied no service to Conisbrough.

He added that the Urban Council had a right to consider what the attitude of the County Council was going to be; he was convinced that the County would have a what to say with regard to amalgamation, Doncaster were taking the view that it was a foregone conclusion. Coun. H. Gomersall stated that the information provided was the scantiest he had ever received when the question was a project as big as this. Doncaster was not satisfied because Conisbrough was not so easy a payday for Conisbrough would be. Conisbrough was on the outer ring, and generally speaking there was no identical purpose between Conisbrough and Doncaster.

The chairman welcomed back, after illness, Dr John MacArthur, the Medical Officer of Health, and Coun. R. H. Shepard associated himself with the discussion.

There was a discussion on a recommendation of the finance committee that charges of 2s. per session be made for dancing at the Baths Hall on Whit Saturday, and Coun. Shephard declared that in view of the fact that it was the day the charge should be 1s. They were not doing the right and proper thing by charging two shillings.

Coun. Cheshire, as chairman of the Bath committee, pointed out that if charges of 1s were made the crowds would be so large that people not be able to enjoy the dance

Coun. D. Hollins appealed for consideration for people who could not afford the 2s. and the other 2s. for his girl friend or friend.

Coun. T. Davy said a third of the people would come from outside the district, and he, therefore supported the 2s. charge.

Only three people voted for an amendment by Couns. Shepard and Hollins that the charges should be 1s.

The Chairman reported that the Council were to press for a five-minute transport service on the Conanby route. Committee chairman appointed were: Finance Committee, Coun. Gomersall; General Purposes Committee, Coun. Sheldon; Horticultural, Allotments and Pleasure Grounds Committee, Councillor. A. Welling; Bath Committee, Coun. Cheshire; Fire Brigade Committee.