CONCERNS over a former Saddleworth hotel being used to house ‘asylum seekers or illegal immigrants’ have been eased.
But the Clough Manor site in Denshaw is acting as temporary accommodation for Oldham Council.
That means anyone statutorily homeless is being put up there, with minibuses transporting people to and from the town centre.
People living in the area raised concerns Clough Manor, once a wedding venue with 24 bedrooms that was on the market for £1.5 million, was being used to house ‘illegal immigrants’.
However, Saddleworth North Councillors Luke Lancaster and Pam Byrne have been assured by Oldham Council that none, nor offenders or single men have been allocated accommodation.
Instead, the authority’s housing team told them placements are people presenting need for temporary accommodation within the borough.
Those are reviewed on a weekly basis, but the intention is for any stay to be no longer than six weeks.
That limit is not always met, however, as it relies on the availability of permanent social housing elsewhere.
And those who do not have access to a vehicle are bussed to Oldham town centre so children can go to school and parents can purchase basic goods.
Other concerns, including the burying of waste by a previous contractor, which saw them dispensed with and the mess removed, an obstruction of a nearby footpath, the felling of trees and flooding of a neighbouring field were also addressed.
As were reports from nearby residents of poor conduct from workers on site and activity at unsociable hours.
Assurances were given that staff will be reminded of their responsibilities to good working practices.
After the meeting with representatives of Oldham Council’s planning enforcement and environmental health departments, Cllr Lancaster said: “We are now working towards the resolution of existing concerns in at least the short to medium term.
“When we asked, we were informed that the long-term intention is for the hotel to return to conventional operation, with paying guests.
“I intend to hold those responsible to account on that stated ambition. If the hotel is to operate in its present use for a while longer, the local community should be consulted for your consent.
“Pam and I know that the situation has been very difficult and challenges will likely continue, but we are trying our utmost to proactively respond to resident concerns and progress practical resolutions.”
Clough Manor closed in April 2018 after then owners, businessman Alan Tupman and business partner Zishan Zaman, attempted to revive it.
At ten time, Mr Zaman told Saddleworth Independent: “It didn’t work out.”
Are they coming in on canal boats?
Seems like a perfectly good and productive use of otherwise redundant accommodation to me ?
Only last week a local Homelessness Charity here were asking for support and patting themselves on the back for all the the good work they do.
Surely this must be exactly what they had in mind ?
What a poor article. Maybe you should speak with the residents of the neighbouring cottages and ask them about the owners of this hotel cutting off their water supply, them refusing to let United Utilities on the land to fix it an dalso dumping a large mound directly in front of their windows. Disgusting behaviour but our Council does nothing to stop this area from developing into a lawless, shameless community one would see in a 3rd world country.
I don’t quite understand why imagine think those are issues for which OMBC might somehow be responsible ?
Everyone always tries to blame the council whenever anything goes wrong or for anything they simply don’t like.
Legally I would suspect that the party responsible would be the landowner and that your best hope of redress, (though only as a last resort,) would a civil action ?
Oldham is a town with a population of about a quarter of a million people for which OMBC have many varied and legally binding responsibilities and I’d argue that caring for the homeless and the most vulnerable should properly take priority over getting someone to move a mound of debris on private land.
Also any notion of describing Denshaw as being in any way like a third world is laughable to the point of being inane.