Fight continues against confirmed Saddleworth School move to Diggle

CAMPAIGNING LOCALS have vowed their fight will continue against a new secondary school in Diggle despite the move being approved by Oldham Council.

The council’s cabinet formally noted the Education Funding Agency’s (EFA) 82-page Feasibility Study for the new £19million school along with comments received from parents and the public.

And they approved the EFA’s preferred site at the former pallet works on Huddersfield Road in Diggle as the location for the replacement Saddleworth School for 1,500 pupils.

But Save Diggle Action Group (SDAG), which has mustered a petition with almost 3,000 signatures against the move, say their battle will go on.

Keith Lucas, an SDAG committee member, said in a statement: “The decision of OMBC’s cabinet that their choice of site for the school is the ‘back-land’ at Diggle is not the end of the story.

“OMBC will first have to secure planning permission for the highways works they will need to undertake – for which they seem to have no clear plans as yet.

“There are significant legal, environmental, ecological, transportation and infrastructure issues which OMBC has not yet even considered.

“We will be holding OMBC and the contractor Interserve to account at every twist and turn of the planning process.

“We’ve been told again and again that ‘this is the end of SDAG’ or ‘it’s all a done deal – but we have never been distracted by these claims. Our fight goes on.”

Mark Brooks, chair of Diggle Community Association, added: “A decision has now been made without any meaningful consultation with the very people it will detrimentally affect.

“I find it incredulous such a decision could be made without even the basics of a travel plan or infrastructure change being shared with the community.”

A technical group, headed by Saddleworth School headmaster Matthew Milburn, is working with the contractor and architect on the planning application for the new school.

Mr Milburn said they are in desperate need of the new facility to replace the dilapidating one currently in use.

He said: “The existing school building is simply past it’s sell-by date.”

“We are spending a fortune on trying to keep the school up to the mark but it’s a losing battle. There are so many problems and we are simply just propping the buildings up.”

He said designs for the new school will include shared areas for specific lessons across all ages, specialist technical rooms and excellent canteen and sports facilities.

Brian Lord, Chair of the School’s Governors, added: ‘I have no problem with local residents fighting to keep their area as it always has been but sadly this can never be the case.

“It was never going to be cheaper to build on the Uppermill site and the traffic and pedestrian problems complained of already exist in Uppermill, probably more so because of the higher volume of traffic.

“I only hope, now a final decision has been made, that people get behind us to produce a scheme which will provide an outstanding school for all Saddleworth’s children for many years to come.”