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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 11h

NEW: Mayor Ros Jones and her team have given us the biggest hint yet that DSA's lease issues have been sorted They are setting the stage for some big news in reports to be published by SYMCA next week Surely they aren't doing that if it's bad news, eh? www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politic...

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Mayor Jones' big hint that airport lease renegotiation has succeeded

Doncaster Sheffield Airport is being reopened by the City of Doncaster Council.

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 15h

Councillor William Shaw has quit Reform UK Doncaster to sit as an independent He says being independent allows him to better be 'politically neutral' in a range of extra roles he holds Howard Rimmer, Reform UK leader, says he is 'extremely disappointed'

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Reform UK councillor quits party to sit as independent

“Being independent gives a better feeling of being politically neutral now and going forward.”

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 16h

BREAK: Doncaster Council’s farming and nature recovery champion, Councillor William Shaw, has quit Reform UK Shaw will remain a councillor for Conisbrough ward, but will sit as an independent More to come

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

'Everyone holds their breath' Residents of a new build estate in Doncaster are concerned about safety on a main road roundabout used to enter and exit the development Doncaster Council hopes for 'new safety measures' by April 2027

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Concerns over roundabout which makes everyone 'hold their breath' when driving

“Everybody holds their breath coming into the estate.”

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

There is no mechanism to remove a councillor from office, except for convictions, so Glynn is free to continue in his post So what do you do when you can't remove individuals who bring public office into disrepute repeatedly, and the punishments don't work? Toothless really

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

This time, both he and Carl Miller were told they must write to apologise to Coun Curran They both said in the meeting they will not do that Earlier this year, Glynn was barred from Hatfield Council buildings except for pre-arranged meetings - he hasn't kept to that either ...

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

But as followers will know, Mick Glynn has appeared before disciplinary hearings four times since 2019 - three of them in the last two years The investigation found he has never fulfilled the sanctions set on him Moreso, there is nothing anyone can do to make him do them

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Both Miller and Glynn were sanctioned by the hearing I wrote a report about it below And yes, I have been speaking with Coun Curran about this story and the allegations, she provided a comment of her own

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Mick Glynn sanctioned again alongside pal over 'defamatory' claim

Michael Glynn has appeared before the disciplinary sub-committee once already in 2026.

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Coun Miller's defence of his defamatory claim was that he had seen Coun Curran in possession of a water bottle with a 'clear liquid' in it He said he didn't know what the liquid was, but I think we can maybe guess that the clear liquid in the water bottle was perhaps water ...

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Both of them, in a seemingly coordinated effort, alleged, without evidence, that Coun Curran would regularly attend meetings drunk It is entirely untrue, with Coun Curran telling the most recent hearing that she has never attended any meetings whilst drunk ...

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Mick Glynn was in another disciplinary hearing earlier this year, after he threatened to hit Councillor Linda Curran with his gavel (he was Hatfield mayor at the time) In that hearing, Carl Miller spoke in Mick Glynn's defence ...

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

This is Carl Miller again, sat alongside the notorious Mick Glynn, also of Hatfield Town Council (google him) The pair were sanctioned together after they made unsubstantiated and defamatory claims about a female colleague ...

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Carl Miller was reprimanded over two different complaints in that hearing The quoted thread was one of them, this thread is the other

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

It lays bare the language Carl Miller used and contains correspondence between him and investigators in which he attempts to portray the post as 'satire and sarcasm' In the hearing, he even argued he didn't use a racial slur at all ...

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Editorially, we made the decision not to repeat the words Carl Miller used in his post I would recommend to anyone that you read the investigators report though (link later in thread) ...

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

This is Carl Miller Carl is a town councillor in Hatfield. He has just been reprimanded by Doncaster Council over an anti-immigrant rant he shared on Facebook, in which he used racial slurs to 'rename' the town ...

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Can always count on the Doncaster Tory leader for a soundbite 'So, so wrong' is how Coun Steve Cox described new planning rules being implemented across the country at the end of this month

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

‘So, so wrong’ says councillor amid concern over new planning rules

“It’s sad to see this.”

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Doncaster will become the 'most dementia friendly city' in the country, according to a new vision set out before cabinet today The number of people living with dementia in the city will rise nearly 25% by 2035

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Number of local people living with Dementia to rise nearly 25% in nine years

“I was diagnosed when I was 40 and it took them five years to diagnose me.”

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Reform UK have jumped on this quickly today Leader, Coun Howard Rimmer, calls it a 'sad indictment' of 'decades of Labour administration' "These figures are shocking and should be a wake-up call for Doncaster," he says

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

New study determines Doncaster is one of the top five cities for the rate of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) 17% of local young people are NEET, according to Centre for Cities - which is 4,725 young people

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

There are nearly 5,000 NEETs in Doncaster - among the highest in the UK

Analysis of 2021 Census data suggests over a third of NEETs are in England’s nine largest cities

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

🏫 A Doncaster school has been ordered to become an academy after budget deficits The Levett School, a specialist pupil referral unit, will join an established multi-academy trust in January 2027

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Education Secretary orders school to be made into an academy after budget deficits

School bosses felt academisation was needed to improve its finances.

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Academy order was issued by the Secretary of State for Education in July 2026 School will join Nexus Multi-Academy Trust on Jan 1, 2027

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The Levett School in Doncaster will become an academy from January 2027, council papers show The school had said there was 'no way' it can set a balanced budget whilst it remained under the local council - after a £160k deficit in 2025/26 and a projected £480k deficit this year

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I find this kind of stuff to be such cheap politics Yorkshire Labour told me a while ago that this isn't an official account, but it seems pretty official when its followed by the Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Back to work after a week in Copenhagen Probably should have done some special edition ‘Copenhagen Coffee Diaries’ - it was spectacular

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Mayor Ros Jones has told councillors not to speculate over DSA based on 'third parties or media' after a senior Reform UK councillor said they were not receiving updates on the project www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politic...

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Reform councillor grills Mayor over lack of DSA updates

“I would encourage you not to speculate based on third parties or the media.”

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🚂 A 14-year campaign for a new railway station in Askern will have to continue into the 2030s, as Mayor Jones says upgrades to the 'bottleneck' that is Doncaster Station must come first ⬇️⬇️⬇️

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Doncaster Station 'bottleneck' is a priority over new village station, Mayor says

“Doncaster station is a bottleneck and in need of considerable investment including additional platforms.”

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🔥 Firefighters will start on site at DSA next month, the Mayor of Doncaster has said She says there will be 50 fire personnel at the airport by 2027 working from the recently refurbished fire station

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Airport firefighters will start on site next month, Mayor says

Female bathrooms have been installed at the airport fire station for the first time.

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

NEW: More than a dozen firefighters will be starting on site at DSA in October The on-site fire station has also been fully refurbished, Mayor Ros Jones said in yesterday's meeting No word on lease renegotiation, but she said she knows people are 'frustrated'

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Also, 3,000 contacts to the Homes Options Service every month, which takes on requests for housing, managing landlords etc.

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Rising house prices mean housebuyers here get 50% less for their money than a decade ago, also says otherwise

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Doncaster Council are currently debating a motion about HMOs Reform UK leader, Cllr Howard Rimmer, has just said: "There is no housing crisis in Doncaster." 200 new homelessness assessments per month (as of 2025) says otherwise

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

These memes of that Rory Stewart stare on newsnight are cracking me up 😂

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

As you can also see, delved into the world of Flourish to give you all a little interactivity Slide the images to see the befores and afters and plans vs results

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Doncaster's new city centre masterplan is supposed to build on it's 2016 plan I went to see what the big projects were, and to assess whether they'd be suitably delivered Take a look ⬇️

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

10 years after 2016 city centre 'masterplan' - how much has been delivered?

The local authority dreamt up improvements for Doncaster Station, a new cinema complex and cultural centre - but did they succeed?

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Doncaster's redevelopment of the Waterfront will continue beyond just 'Waterfront East' The council has introduced us to two new schemes on the banks of the River Don - Waterfront West and Minster Canalside See images and read here:

doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Council shares vision for further Waterfront development in ‘masterplan’

Waterfront East has long been at the forefront of city centre regeneration plans.

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Then they've posted an image of the building having been demolished, but it's again been played down as 'aspirational' and not final No one is saying knocking it down is the wrong thing to do, but business owners are stuck in limbo as the council tip-toes around their futures...

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Still business owners and residents in Waterdale await Doncaster Council giving them the decency of communication I reported in July how the council has been hinting at demolition of the site, but not saying anyting to the people whose homes and livelihoods are there ...

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The thing that gets me about this is that the council keeps playing down demolition. Looking at 'options' and all that Yet they've never, ever put out anything that suggesting there is any option not including demolition But business owners and residents there remain in limbo😶

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Have put a number of Qs into the council on this. Will share stories when I have those responses

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Plenty more in there about the retail core of the city centre (images mainly suggest just sprucing it up with modern benches and planters) Plus some nice words about the future of the Market area Public drop in at the Corn Exchange 3.30pm onwards on September 24th

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Lastly, 'Minster Canalside' Looks like a cool idea! I've asked the council what the difference between this and 'Waterfront West' is geographically. Will share when I know

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Harry Harrison @hharrisonjourno.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

If anyone remembers that huge, exciting development space called Waterfront East - the one the council should be shouting fron the rooftops about but doesn't mention anymore because it's pre-occupied by DSA... Well, let us introduce Waterfront West!

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