Notes from Newport Town Council Minutes
These are not full transcripts of the Minutes. They are my own notes.
1939-40 (November 1939 - November 1940) Source: Newport-on-Tay Council Minutes, B79-1-39
| 10 November 1939. No elections - temporary cessation (Local Elections and Register of Electors (Temporary Provisions) Act 1939). |
| Council: Ward 1: Frank Howard Fairweather, elected 1936; Charles M Hunter, elected 1937, Junior Bailie; Arthur S Cram, elected 1938, Senior Bailie. Ward 2: John Thomson Young, elected 1937; Kenneth C Hayens, elected 1937; George Peattie, elected 1938. Ward 3: William Ramsay, elected 1936; George Rain Little, elected 1937, Provost; John Wilkie, elected 1938. |
| 14 ARP wardens available during the day in the burgh. |
| Gift of a motor car ambulance from Mrs Daniel Lawson - at the disposal of the ARP organisation. |
| William Wighton, hairdresser, 14 High Street - extension of hours. |
| Setting up of auxiliary fire stations: use of J T Young's premises. |
| Dump at Northfield is full. Rented another across the road from the present site. |
| Price of gas: 5/- per 1000 cu. ft. (slot meters 5/3d.) Discount of 2.5% if paid within 28 days. |
| Fire services: 1 x 5000 gallon dam at Wormit. Council want another 5000 gallon dam at West Newport - agreed to, either east or west Newport. |
| December 1939 / January 1940. Death of Bailie Hunter. Councillor Hayens becomes Junior Bailie. |
| Mortuary: the building chosen by the county was in use and couldn't be made available at a moment's notice. |
| Gas works: considerable renewals would be required as a lot of the plant had been in use for 40 years. |
| Seacraig (Newport) Garage Co Ltd supply a new refuse wagon - Karrier Bantam Refuse Collector - £405 less £20 for the old vehicle. |
| Mortuary: the Boys Brigade hall - not suitable. |
| ARP executive committee: Dr Hayens, co-ordinating officer; A S Lowson, group warden; S P Nicol, communications officer; W Willocks, W V Kelly, J B Salmond, R R Don, Dr Taylor, J L Allison. |
| Mortuary: in the garage of J T Young's. |
| Collection of household bones by the schoolchildren, and waste paper by the Boy Scouts. |
| Death of John L Allison, ARP secretary. |
| Use of King Street premises (owned by Council) as ARP wardens' post. |
| Co-opted Thomas Ferguson, 2 Linden Avenue, as Councillor. |
| Miss Millar gives part of her garden ground to improve the corner at Shepherds Road / Newburgh Road. |
| Garden ground at King Street: Mr Lawson allowed to cultivate the garden ground at his house on the usual conditions. |
| Evacuation: Newport not wanting any more. Public not willing to take any more in. 1940 arrangements allowed for a further 700 children being assigned to Newport - not acceptable. Asked for a reduction and also 'a better type of evacuee ... be sent to Newport than was sent in September last so that the conditions which the householders in Newport were then asked to endure should not recur'. |
| 'Halt, major road ahead' signs at Kilnburn / Cupar Road and Victoria Street / Cupar Road junctions - Ministry of Transport approval required. |
| David M Doig appointed ARP secretary. |
| Allotments: more needed. Albert Crescent / Youngsdale might be suitable but in its present state it would be very difficult to bring it into cultivation. If ground available, invite applications for allotments. |
| Tay Ferries: reduction in sailings, especially at lunchtimes. |
| Halt signs at Victoria Street: not allowed. Cut down ivy / bushes in Miss Campbell's garden. |
| Peace-time fire brigade: Guardbridge paper mill were now to provide this, until Tayport could take over. ?Would Tayport be able to do this? Disband the present Newport fire brigade except foreman Craig. |
| Mr Nelson Stewart is architect of Woodhaven housing, recently completed. |
| ARP: ? incendiary bomb demonstration at the shed in King Street? |
| 2 x 5000 gallon dams received - to be erected. A third is requested. A large trailer pump received - need transport for it. |
| Burgh workmen: if an air raid occurs, would need to do road & sewer repairs. |
| Evacuees: lists of householders gone over, allowances for age, 600 / 650 would appear to be the number which could be taken, much fewer than the Dept. of Health had assigned. Accommodation might be available but they wouldn't be received willingly and compulsion would be required. Secretary of State issued 1000 circulars to householders in the burgh asking if they were willing to take evacuees. Only 26 were returned, of which 18 were willing to receive evacuees and 4 already had them. Billeting officers had refused to use their compulsory powers. ?What steps were to be taken? |
| Clearing house for evacuees: Rolleston, Cupar Road could be requisitioned. Dr W C Leng offered to pay rent & rates, but Dept. should pay. |
| Allotments to go ahead (J A Kyd is proprietor). |
| Metal 5000 gallon dams: one to be put in the space at west of entrance to Dr W C Leng's house at West Newport; one at east side of Hillpark Road between Crosshill and Birkhill. |
| Approved a hostel at Rolleston, Cupar Road as an evacuation clearing house, with matron and staff - Miss Tait, 1 Laurelbank, Dundee. |
| Gas: Miss Grant, Fairview uses her house solely as a boarding house. ?Any extra discount? Yes - 20% discount allowed (over 100,000 cu. ft. of gas used there). |
| ? Split up and number the houses in Newburgh Road - it goes from Tay Ferries Pier to the Wormit boundary - very difficult for strangers to find an address. |
| Lack of water pressure in East Newport - not enough for fire fighting. |
| Transfer of bank accounts to Clydesdale from the Union Bank of Scotland - rotation after 3 years. |
| WVS committee to assist Council with Rolleston: Mrs Hayens, Woodlea, Westfield Terrace; Miss Graham, Linden Avenue; Miss J Miln, Cliftonbank. |
| May 1940. More evacuation - no billeting officer for West Newport - Council might have to provide temporary shelter for children. |
| Boy Scouts cease paper collection. |
| Mr John Scott to be billeting officer for West Newport. If there are more evacuees, a communal kitchen might be required at Wormit. |
| ? Tone down the colour of Queen Street and Woodhaven Avenue housing schemes? |
| ? Air raid shelters: up to 5% of population - county were responsible. |
| Modified evacuation plans. |
| Air raid sirens: one is insufficient - Wormit & West Newport didn't hear it. |
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