My View, Margaret Herbert: Mansion House would do for weddings

People will be asking what the alternatives are.

Surely the answer to this has to be to return the Register Office to the Mansion House.

I recall that years ago it was based there.

It is town centre, a beautiful setting for photos and they do excellent catering for receptions.

The Friends of the Mansion House are trying very hard to get the building back into public use and this would be one way of doing this.

It is ideal for public transport and the town centre.

The old problem of parking comes to mind.

Surely it is time the Council sorted this out.

There must be a way of removing those marble slabs outside the building and of lifting parking restrictions on Priory Place when there are events in the Mansion House and possibly marking out the bottom end of Printing Office Street properly with parking spaces to be reserved on days again when there are events in the Mansion House.

I looked at the back entrance in Printing Office Street to the old Telephone Exchange area, which does not seem to be in use anymore.

Surely someone from the Council could contact the Land Registry to see who actually owns this land and if there is a possibility of acquiring it for parking?

With regard to the Waterdale area being an alternative, well, I’m sorry, but I don’t think it is the right atmosphere for weddings and registrations.

Fine as the building may be, I am sure everyone will agree with me, that it is just not the right setting for wedding photos.

And I think there is very limited public transport to this area.

With regard to disabled access to the Mansion House, there is access from Priory Place and there is a lift in the Mansion House for the disabled.

Obviously there has been heavy running costs for Elmfield House and the Registry Office buildings and staffing wages.

To use the Mansion House would cut costs down to one building.

And it would also increase revenue with wedding receptions, christening parties and possibly funeral wakes being held there, which could be suggested to people when making registrations and therefore bringing in more revenue for the building.

I would ask the Council to take a very serious look at all this.

I do not feel, like many other people in Doncaster do, that the Civic Offices would be the right alternative for Elmfield House Registry Office.