School leader who fought Doncaster toxic waste plans dies aged 80

Liz Jeffress, the former chairman of the governors at Kirk Sandall Junior School, died ‘peacefully at Doncaster Royal Infirmary’ on January 7, surrounded by family and loved ones, said her family.

Mrs Jeffress was well known for campaigning against a toxic waste incinerator that had been planned for an industrial site in Kirk Sandall, fighting the controversial proposals in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

She was the face of the Kirk Sandall Action Group for the campaign to stop proposals by Leigh Environmental to build a toxic waste incinerator on a site in their village. Around 100,000 people signed the Action Group's petition against the scheme, that was rejected after a public inquiry. The campaign was even acknowledged in Parliament.

She went on to be elected as the area’s Doncaster councillor, serving the area on the Labour benches in the late 90s and early 2000s. She was also a member of Kirk Sandall Parish Council.

Mrs Jeffress was also one of the campaigners who worked to introduce the Kirk Sandall Glass Park, a leisure area on former industrial land.

The current Doncaster councillor for Kirk Sandall, David Nevett, paid tribute to her.

He said: “The introduction of the Glass Park was a massive campaign, and Liz was heavily involved in changing what had been a glass tip to a recreation area. It was great that she was able to help bring it to fruition.

“She was also important to the campaign against the toxic waste incinerator at what is now the Polypipe building – and that was a successful campaign.

“Liz was a passionate campaigner when she got the bit between her teeth, and when she got started there was nothing that was going to stop her.

“She was the ultimate campaigner, making sure that plans that were detrimental to her area were stopped, and if she thought something was going to be of benefit to the area, making it happen.

“Liz was always there for the community.”