THE green light has been given to plans to build more than 70 homes on land around Saddleworth’s new high school in Diggle despite ‘heartfelt’ objections from residents.
A majority of councillors on Oldham Council’s planning committee voted to allow a
77-home estate to be built on land to the east of Huddersfield Road.
The site was formerly partly occupied by WH Shaws Pallet Works, which ceased trading in 2006 and has since been demolished, and includes fields used ‘occasionally’ for pasturing horses.
The housing development will neighbour the new Saddleworth School site, which is due to relocate from Uppermill in March.
There were 79 public objections to the homes plans lodged by WRT Limited, raising concerns about the effect on local ecology, ‘inadequate’ access and parking provision, as well as over-development of the village.
Speaking at the planning meeting, objector Liz Murray said: “Granting this scheme would mean in the space of only two planning applications the council has facilitated the loss of the setting of Grade Two listed heritage asset in contravention of its own historic environment policy to preserve or enhance any such setting.”
Saddleworth Parish Council had recommended refusal of the application citing poor vehicle access, and infrastructure concerns over the number of school places needed.
Cllr Pam Byrne, ward councillor for Saddleworth North and a parish councillor, told the meeting: “If you have seen and read the large number of objections, eloquent and heartfelt, you will realise what an important decision is to be made.”
She raised residents’ objections to the proposals including the traffic impact, impact on listed buildings nearby, lack of capacity in primary schools and loss of green space.
Cllr Luke Lancaster, who also represents Saddleworth North, had moved the application be rejected over ‘poor vehicular access’ to the site which he argued ‘compromises highway safety’ and concerns over the impact of the traffic associated with the new school.
Seconding it for refusal, Cllr Max Woodvine said the 77 homes would adversely affect Diggle, arguing it was ‘too much too soon’.
However Cllr Barbara Brownridge said the land was allocated for development, and there were no reasons to refuse the housing proposals.
“Here’s a site that’s not in the green belt, and the fact is we desperately need houses and I think Saddleworth has to make its contribution to that overall number of houses,” she said.
Planning officer Matthew Taylor had told the meeting the two parcels of land had been allocated to development for ‘some time’, although not necessarily for housing.
Head of planning Peter Richards emphasised the entire site planned for development was allocated for employment use, and was not in the green belt.
Speaking about the traffic concerns, highways officer Wendy Moorhouse said: “We’ve considered the additional traffic from the development and we consider that it will operate safely even at the times when the schoolchildren would be using the access road.”
The development will be made up of 45 homes on one plot, and 32 on the other, with a mix of sizes, from two-bed up to five-bed properties, with more than 150 parking spaces delivered on the sites.
Ten per cent of the whole estate must be designated for affordable housing.
The developer must also pay a financial contribution of £378,747 towards the enhancement of existing open space and a further financial contribution to the provision of compensation for the loss of suitable ground nesting bird habitats.
After the vote to reject the application was overruled, six councillors voted to approve, compared to three who voted against.
Be interested to hear what exact price they’ve put on the loss of bird habitats. And that’s a very specific sum for enhancing open space.
With every new build planning application granted, Oldham Council demonstrate how they don’t care about the impact on the environment or Saddleworth resident’s well being. Case in point what happened in Springhead and Grotton. Makes you wonder if any of them actually live in the area.
If you studied development across the whole of Oldham you’ll realise that these building programmes are universal and we are, in fact, not being “targeted”. Each borough must help carry the weight of population growth and here in Diggle we are not so special that we should be exempt. We do not live in a bubble and all of us must shoulder responsibility . Margaret.
Once again, another rough deal for the residents of Diggle !!! Oldham council do not care about Diggle residents objections/opinions, or any other Saddleworth resident, they only care about money, because Saddleworth is the gift that keeps giving, they will not be happy until they have concreted over Saddleworth, maybe the land in Diggle could have been used to build a new health centre that would be able to accommodate the Saddleworth residents and ALL the new residents from the numerous housing developments over the years, however, Health centres don`t pay council tax do they !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, they pay business rates which are higher than council tax. You really should try to be more open-minded and less focussed on our village always being the “victim” of Oldham. All the changes that they have made to Diggle have been an improvement, not a detraction. I fear as villagers we are gaining a very negative reputation in Saddleworth for being inward looking. Margaret
Diggle residents really are a bunch of miserable old moaners, aren’t they? They get a brand new school (20% rise in property prices), new housing (much needed as there is hardly anything for sale anymore) and all they do in whinge about a scrappy piece of land that someone once fed a horse on in 1847.
Not all of us Luke, some of us are mature enough to understand. Margaret.
While I appreciate that it may be unpopular in our village, I do feel we should stop being so selfish and understand that every single village and town in the country needs to contribute to increased housing stock for a growing population. It’s narrow minded of us to say we don’t want it in our village but it’s fine for other places to have it. Most of us live in houses that were new to older residents so we should stop being so regressive and embrace changes. Margaret.
Do we know who will be building the new homes.
Hopefully a reputable firm.