Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 03 June 1932
Bold “Greater Wombwell” Scheme
Affinities and Aversions
County Conference on Dearne Valley Reorganisation
Four more schemes of boundary adjustment in South Yorkshire areas were considered at a further conference of local authorities in the County Hall, Wakefield, on Monday. The areas concerned were the urban districts of Wombwell, Garfield, Worsborough, and Hoyland, the parishes of Great and Little Houghton in the Hemsworth rural district, the parish of Billingley in the Barnsley rural district, and the parish of Tankersley, and the parishes of Brampton Bierlow and Wentworth in the Rotherham rural area.
Our sketch map shows new areas proposed by the four schemes, with the following amendments which have been made since the authorities’ original schemes were tabled: the boundary of Scheme No. Two should be extended to include Great Houghton and the boundary of Scheme No. 3 should be contracted to leave out the portions of the Worsborough urban district formerly claimed, and should at that point run along the boundary of the parish of Tankersley.
Wombwell’s Scheme
Preferential Rating Proposals
Gas and Trams
Scheme No. 1. put forward by the Wombwell U.D.C., was for the amalgamation of their own and the Darfield urban districts, taking in the two Houghton parishes, Billingley, and part of Brampton Bierlow, This scheme was opposed by all the authorities concerned.
Mr. P. M. WALKER, Clerk to the Wombwell U.D.C., said the scheme was first considered by his Council 15 years ago. They approached Darfield and the Brampton Parish Council, but the proposals were unfavourably received. The scheme as it now stood was first submitted’ in 1926 which was evidence that Wombwell considered the matter urgent long before the passing of the Local Government Act of Ira Ile believed the matter would have had the County Council’s attention before, but for the intervention of the Royal Commission on Local Government and the resultant Act.
The chief factor which decided the scheme was the large community of interest between the districts they proposed to amalgamate. Another factor was that Barnsley had eyes on Wombwell and maybe Darfield, as those two districts were inseparable. Individual members of the Wombwell Council had been approached by individual members of the Barnsley Corporation, but so far amalgamation suggestions had not been favourably received.
The Town Hall.
Administration at Wombwell was most efficient in every way. They had a stuff of fully qualified officers, the whole of the offices under one roof at the Town Hall, which made a highly convenient centre, and the accommodation was sufficient to deal with the extended area proposed. The centre was easy of access from all parts of the enlarged district. It was the meeting place of the Dearne Valley Water Board, of which Wombwell, Darfield. Great Houghton, and Billingley were members; it was the centre for the administration of old age pensions, labour exchange and unemployment insurance, public assistance, tire brigade, baths, and other district services. Transport facilities were excellent. For housing Wombwell had no room for further development except on the south-west, in the direction of Jump, which they considered an impossible proposition. It was therefore in the interests of Wombwell, its neighbours, and the County Council (from a rating point of view) that the district should be extended in other directions. Wombwell had provided most of the houses for workmen employed in the collieries of the area, both inside and outside their district: but while the rating benefit from the coal workings went to parishes outside the present urban area, Wombwell got only the benefit of the rating of the surface plant and offices. As evidence that Wombwell concerned not with personal ambition, but with the benefit of the whole district, they were prepared to make concessions to the out-districts should their scheme be approved. They did not feel that those districts not served by the Dearne District Light Railway should have to bear any losses which might be incurred by that undertaking, and proposed to offer, preferential rating to those districts in That respect. Then, Billingley had no street lighting , and they were prepared to give that parish preferential treatment in respect of the street lighting charges. In the event of amalgamation, too, they would reduce the charges for gas which they supplied to Great and Little Houghton, at present 5d. per 1000 cubic feet higher than in Wombwell, and make the charge the same as in Wombwell.
District Services.
Further community of interest occurred over isolation hospital accommodation. Wombwell had taken up the county scheme and had now decided to sever their connection with Barnsley, and became constituents of the Brierley Hospital Committee, which already served the Houghton parishes.
The Wombwell Baths were largely used by people from all parts of the proposed extended area, they had a public ambulance; and in their market were stall-holders who resided at Darfield, Billingley and Brampton. Fire brigade and ambulance charges, like those for gas, could be made the same for the out districts as for Wombwell in the event of the adoption of the scheme.
A census showed that 9,675 passengers per week passed by ‘bus between the Wombwell and Darfield districts, and 5,095 per week travelled between Wombwell and the part of Brampton claimed.
The Chairman (Sir James Hinchcliffe): In view of the disparity in rates between, say, Billingley and Wombwell, have you any other proposals apart from those you have mentioned?
Mr. Walker: No. With the amount of 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. rating liability on the Light Railway, and the reduced gas charges mentioned, we felt we were treating the new district fairly. The Chairman also asked if, in the event of the scheme’s adoption, Wombwell were prepared to relinquish their Library powers to the County Council, and Mr. Walker replied that they had now come to an amicable arrangement with the County Council which was working perfectly satisfactorily.
Housing Claim.
Mr. F. Collindridge a member and former chairman of the Wombwell U.D.C., said his Council, which comprised colliery and works manage is, miners, and trade union officials, were unanimous in urging that scheme. They felt the advantages would be not only to Wombwell but to the whole of the proposed extended district. In passing, he mentioned that the recent unhappy experience with the floods gave a further community of interest to the area.
They had three collieries in the district, and one partly in the district, and Wombwell were first to provide houses for the workers at those collieries. Those men were often drawn together for meetings at Wombwell to discuss their common affairs in what was known as the “Wombwell panel” of their trade union organisation. He suggested that the visit of inspection which the County Review Committee were to make to the area be made on a market day, when the Committee would have visual evidence of the community of interest which had already been stressed.
The Light Railway, so often the bone of contention, had, he reminded them, contributed the value of some thousands of pounds to the district by the provision of a bridge which removed a dangerous level crossing and much inconvenience and delay. The Light Railway meant a considerable amount of increased ratable value to Brampton. They had tried to put forward a scheme which would be equitable and advantageous to all.