South Yorkshire Times, February 2nd, 1934
New County Districts
West Riding Proposals Completed
Important Revisions
Reorganisation Of Doncaster, Hemsworth, Barnsley and Penistone Rural Districts
Fewer and Bigger Urban Authorities
Local Concessions and Disappointments
The special County Review Committee of the West Riding County Council charged with the revisions of district boundaries in the administrative county under the Local Government Act of 1929, has now completed its draft proposals for submission to the Minister of Health, following consultation with the districts concerned and consideration of the various suggestions, proposals and objections of those districts. The original draft proposals were issued last June, following a series of inquiries at which all local interests were represented and heard. In the latest draft there are important adjustments.
The effect of the scheme is to reduce the number of urban districts from 106 to 48, the number of rural districts from 28 to 18 and the number of non-county boroughs from 11 to 10. As compared with the original draft there is an increase of one urban district and one rural district, and a reduction of one non-county borough.
The adjustments in South Yorkshire are detailed below.
Urban Districts
Disappointment For Conisboro’
Gains Cancelled
Barnburgh Pit For Bolton And Thurnscoe
In the original draft it was proposed that the urban districts of Bolton-on-Dearne and Thurnscoe should be amalgamated with a total area of 3,579 acres, a population of 83,843 and an estimated product of a penny rate of £312. The Thurnscoe Urban Council objected to the amalgamation, which, however, stands in the revision, with an important addition, that of 307 acres of the parish of Barnburgh, including Barnburgh Colliery, from the rural district of Doncaster, making a total area of the proposed new urban district of Bolton and Thurnscoe 3,886 acres.
The portion of Barnburgh to be added extends from the eastern boundary of Bolton-on-Dearne along the southern side of the Dearne Valley Railway to Hollowgate, thence along the southern side of Hollowgate and Furlong Road to the existing boundary at Adwick bridge.
Conisborough Amalgamation Abandoned
Great disappointment is in store for the urban district of Conisboro’ to which, under the original proposals were to be added the parishes of Edlington and Conisboro’ Parks, and part of the parish of Warmsworth from the Doncaster rural district.
Under the revised proposals this amalgamation is abandoned and the Conisboro’ urban district is left as it was, with an area of 1,593 acres population of 18,174 and ratable value of £54,342.
The Cudworth urban district remains unaffected by either draft.
Darfield Enlargement
The proposed enlargement of the urban district of Darfield by the addition of the parishes of Great Houghton, Little Houghton from the rural district of Hemsworth and part of the parish of Billingley from the rural district of Barnsley, is confirmed. The area of the enlarged urban district will be 5,199 acres, the estimated population 8,687 and the ratable value £32,182.
Mexboro’ and Swinton
The proposed amalgamation of the urban districts of Mexboro’ and Swinton, with the addition of part of the parish of Adwick-on-Dearne remains as in the original draft.
The new district having an area of £30,000 and the ratable value of 100,000. The latter figures are not exact, the population and ratable value of the portion of Adwick-on-Dearne annexed not having been ascertained.
Wath Scheme Confirmed
The proposal to enlarge the Wath-on-Dearne district by the addition of that part of the parish of Adwick-on-Dearne (including the Manvers Main Colliery) not transferred to the new urban district of Mexboro’ and Swinton, is confirmed. The area of the Wath urban district is enlarged to 2,680 acres, with a population of 13,900 and a ratable value of £48,000.
Wombwell Untouched
No change in the territory of the Wombwell urban district is made in either draft.