News - Pit head baths set to be demolished (Kiveton

THE fight to keep Kiveton pit head baths has been lost after councillors approved its demolition.


The historic landmark on Colliery Road was paid for and built by miners in 1938, so they could shower before going home after work.

The Grade II listed building has been at the centre of controversy in recent years and since the pit closed in 1994, the building has fallen into serious disrepair.

At a planning meeting last week Rotherham Council’s planning commiittee considered an application by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) for the building demolition.

Councillors heard that there is considerable recurring cost to the tax payer in keeping the structure safe and that a viable alternative for the building has not been found.

They agreed to grant permission for the building to be demolished, subject to approval from the Secretary of State.

In 1999 Yorkshire Forward, the defunct development agency, applied for the de-listing of the Grade II building so that it could demolished to allow for open casting at the site, but permission was refused.

Several years later Kiveton Park and Wales Community Development Trust, working in partnership with Yorkshire Forward, took forward the development of the project to turn the baths into a multi-use community centre, but they never developed.

Then in 2005 the Guardian reported news of a £4 million revamp including business workspaces and a mining heritage centre - but again it never materialised.

In 2009, permission was granted for 18 apartments, an office and cafe, but the development was never pursued.

The report which went before the planning committee said that owing to the unsuccessful attempts to secure a future for the building there is no viable future use for it in the medium term.

A HCA spokesman said the pit head baths were transferred to them in August 2011, as part of the closure of Yorkshire Forward.

He said: “The HCA has continued the work of Yorkshire Forward to find a suitable long term use for the building and adjoining land, however we were unable to identify a viable alternative use for the building and there is no potential purchaser, but there is considerable recurring cost to the tax payer in keeping the structure safe.”

“Following discussions, both English Heritage and Rotherham Council agreed that the building could be demolished, subject to approval by the planning committee. The application for demolition was considered by the committee on 30th August and approved subject to confirmation by the Secretary of State.”

“All of the valuable fittings and contents of the baths will be catalogued and stored until a suitable alternative permanent location can be found and the HCA is in active discussions with local organisations about this.”

From: http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/business/pit-head-baths-set-to-be-demolished-1-4917452

News - Call for Ollerton Colliery memorial at Tesco store

Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling for a memorial at a supermarket built on the site of a former Nottinghamshire colliery.

Former miner Carl Pickering and his wife Maureen are calling for a tribute to miners who worked and died at Ollerton Colliery, which shut in 1994.

They want a memorial put up at the entrance of the Tesco store, which was built on part of the former pit.

Tesco said it was working with the town council to find space for the tribute.

'Very dangerous'

Mr Pickering, who worked at the colliery for 20 years from 1973, said it was important for future generations in the town to remember the colliery.

"It was very hard work, very dangerous work at times," he said.

"It's trying to remember where the village comes from. Things do progress but if you forget where you've come from how are you going to think about where you're going to?

"Whatever form it takes, if it's a memorial to those who died and worked there I'd be quite happy," he said.

A Tesco spokesperson said: "We are committed to working with Ollerton Town Council to find a space for a miners' memorial at our New Ollerton store and recognise how important this is for residents who live in the local community.

"We have plans to build an extension to the store and want to make sure that the memorial's position will not impact on any new road layout that would be required by the county council."

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-16758535

News - Ollerton residents push for pit memorial

PLANS by Ollerton councillors to submit a planning application to build a new miners’ memorial on the site of the town’s former colliery have been welcomed by residents.

Ollerton Colliery closed in 1994 and the land is now owned by supermarket giants Tesco, but talks between the council and store bosses over the location of a proposed new memorial have stalled recently.

At a meeting of Ollerton and Boughton Town Council, members voted to submit a planning application to have a memorial built on what was knows as Pit End Lane.

The move has also been welcomed by Ollerton residents, including Maureen Pickering whose husband and father-in-law both worked down the mine for many years.

“Without the colliery, there would be no Ollerton, the public wants a visible memorial that people can see and is not hidden away,” she said.

“People feel let down by the situation. It is a lost bit of history and a lost community if something is not built to remember all those people who worked there.”

Maureen says that it is important for the next generation of young people to know the history of their home town.

“We need something to show young people who may not have heard of Ollerton Pit and visual references are always more potent,” she added.

“Tesco takes a lot from this community but gives nothing back, that piece of land does not mean anything to them but it means a lot to local people.”

Boughton resident Elizabeth Tilstone gathered more than 375 signatures and raised nearly £600 in a bid to get the memorial built.

“Every other pit village has a tribute to their miners but Ollerton has nothing, we spoke to some kids who didn’t realise we had a pit but some remembered their grandfathers working there,” she said.

During the council’s monthly meeting, members said that submitting a planning application would force some movement from Tesco on the issue.

Tesco’s regional corporate affairs manager Jonathan Simpson said that the store is in talks about the memorial and is happy to discuss the plan with residents. He added: “If this is land that does not cause any problems in terms of access we will be very happy for a memorial to go there.”

From: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/ollerton_residents_push_for_pit_memorial_1_3851217?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

News - Determined to honour miners (Ollerton)

Calls have been made for plans to erect a miners’ memorial in Ollerton to move forward.

A site for the memorial, at the old mine entrance near the Tesco roundabout off Forest Road, has been identified.

However, the land is owned by Tesco and talks over siting the memorial there have stalled.

Residents attended a meeting of Ollerton and Boughton Town Council to voice their disappointment that the project was being delayed.

The Mayor of Ollerton, Mrs Abbie Truswell, said: “Members of the public are very disappointed that this seems to have been lost track of.

“Although the mine is no longer there, the community spirit is and we still want something to recognise the miners.

“Tesco doesn’t seem to realise how strongly people feel about it.”

The council agreed to submit a planning application for the memorial to Newark and Sherwood District Council to try to force some movement on the issue.

The chairman of the memorial committee, Mrs Irene Miller, said the roundabout site was the ideal location for a memorial and that a resolution was needed.

“Hopefully we can try and get over this because it has gone on too long,” she said.

“We have been in negotiations with Tesco and hopefully we can get it resolved.”

She said the possibility of renting the land from the supermarket for a peppercorn rate had been looked at, but talks seemed to have hit a dead end.

“The mine closed in 1994 so it really is time we had something there,” she said.

“We have dragged our heels over this for long enough. That road was what we called Pit End Lane and opened out on to the colliery site.

“The consensus of everybody in Ollerton is that it would be the ideal place for a memorial. Two elderly miners have given donations towards it and we want it to be done so they can see it.

“Some local contractors have offered their services for free as well so it needs to be done.”

A design for the memorial, featuring the names of miners who died working at the colliery, has been drawn up. It features a mining wheel with a red brick backdrop.

Tesco corporate affairs manager Mr Jonathan Simpson said: “We are certainly in talks about this and are happy to meet with representatives of the group to discuss it with them.

“If this is land that does not cause any problems in terms of access we will be very happy for a memorial to go there.”

Mr Simpson said there were a number of groups across Nottinghamshire in discussion with him about memorials, and that he would be happy to talk personally to representatives of the Ollerton group if they contacted Tesco.

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Determined-to-honour-miners