Residents demand apology over miners’ welfare name change

Great Houghton Parish Council says the change, which added the name of late councillor Dorothy Higginbottom to the address, was made in error.

Councillor Dorothy Higginbottom MBE served on Barnsley Council for more than 16 years, and almost 55 years on Great Houghton Parish Council, before her death in 2022.

Eleven residents attended what was scheduled to be a parish council meeting yesterday (July 17), but with a number of resignations, holidays and illnesses, only the retiring clerk, new clerk and leader councillor Dorothy Coates attended, so the meeting could not go ahead.

There are currently five council vacancies, and six parish councillors remaining.

Residents asked Coun Coates – Coun Higginbottom’s daughter – if the parish council would apologise, after the Miners’ Welfare Hall had its address changed on the Post Office website to the ‘Dorothy Higginbottom Miners Welfare Hall’.

This caused upset among residents, some of whom felt that the name should remain as it was, in memory of the miners who paid for it to be built for the community.

Following an extraordinary meeting of the parish council in June held behind closed doors, the council announced on Facebook that the name would not be changed, and would remain the Miners’ Welfare Hall.

Martin Fensome, retiring clerk to the parish council, said yesterday that Royal Mail had changed the address online, after he made an enquiry.

“Royal Mail did it, without informing us,” he told residents.

“I was asked to make enquiries, if it was possible to change the name, and what the process would be.

“The next thing I got, which I only got after the meetings…said they’d done it.

“That’s the answer. I didn’t know, Dorothy didn’t know. If we’d have known, we’d have said.

“I haven’t spoken to anybody, I’ve sent three emails.

“I’ve asked for an explanation. I haven’t got it. They’ve changed it back. There’s nothing underhand.”

The meeting got heated, and several residents left after Coun Coates said that she wanted to ‘draw a line under it’.

“I can say I’m sorry that Royal Mail did that, I’m not privy to any of that. Martin made an enquiry – after that, I can’t explain any more,” she told residents.

“What I can tell you is there was no instruction to change it, only to make enquiries.”

Royal Mail has been contacted for comment.