New school site - existing buildings on the Diggle Site
Reporter: Stuart Littleford
Oldham Council cabinet members have formally approved the WH Shaw Pallet Works site in Diggle as the new home for Saddleworth School.
The decision was taken at their meeting last night and following assessment of various cost and educational factors it was decided that the former pallet works site was the best option.
The Council said it will be providing around £2 million to fund various schemes such as road widening, fencing and footpaths, lighting and improvements to parking. There will be the provision for new ICT and audio visual equipment. The new school will have a capacity for 1,500 pupils, a capacity of 150 more places than the old school.
It was also stated that the Greenbelt land will only be used only for sports pitches and that this land will be available for use by the local community.
It is expected that the new school will be opened around Spring 2017.
The report from last night’s cabinet meeting can be viewed here: Report
Last night’s decision has been viewed with disappointment by those opposed to the Diggle move.
The Save Diggle Action Group (SDAG) and some local residents including parents of children at the school have always been opposed to the new school being built on the Diggle site. A petition was launched and a survey was also run on the Saddleworth News website.
Commenting on last nights decision, Saddleworth Independent Councillors said: “The cabinet decision was predictable, it was a formality that the council felt they had to go through because of the lack of consultation that has taken place to date on the school site.
“It was nevertheless a disappointment and a slap in the face for the thousands of Saddleworth people who have made their views very clear that they want the school to remain in Uppermill. No-one can now doubt that none of the major political parties are interested in listening to the views of the people they purport to represent.”
Great news! We all need to get behind this solution now for the right outcome for our children and community, this could also breathe fresh life into Diggle. Lets hope that sustainable transport and cycle / walking routes are prioritised as part of the development. Don’t drive your kids there.
One word. Disgraceful.
Excellent news, SDAG have delayed the build long enough it’s time to crack on. I suspect the people who run Save Diggle Action Group have no children of school age yet they’re determined to ruin it for the people who do.
The anti-Diggle brigade’s scare tactics of low-cost buildings, teacher’s deserting the school, epic floods, children being run over, electrocuted on the railway or drowned in the canal etc. would be funny if they weren’t so ridiculous. They talk about the school as if it’s a nuclear power station or a fracking site. It’s a school. With OUR children in it.
It seems to me the real objections have nothing to do with the welfare of our children at all but seem to boil down to;
1. Pathological hatred of Oldham Council
2. Jealousy of a certain local businessment who shall remain unnamed
3. Not wanting to have school runs in their village
4. Errrr…. That’s about it.
Come on Saddleworth, let’s show everyone we’re not closed-minded, bitter, angry anti-establishment conspiracy theorists. It’s time to back the Education Funding Authority and put our children first.
This is terrible why not aqquire children to other schools for 2 years , knock down the current school and rebuild on the same land, the school should be in the centre witch is uppermill.
Terrible news.Oldham council not listening to the views of the saddleworth people.
I agree with Mark - time to get behind this and support the school move to Diggle.
SDAG don’t speak for everyone in Diggle, let alone Saddleworth as they will have you believe. Shock tactics and bullying on social media is clearly the only straws this pressure group are grasping at.
The proposed site will clear away what remains of the former Pallet works. To look at the photos being distributed online by SDAG and “Save Saddleworth”, they have been taken at a very convienient angle, hiding any of the ruins and rubble. In fact didn’t SDAG Spokesman Mike Buckley have his picture taken on that site alongside Elwyn Watkins, stating the case for the school to be built there?
The complaints about the “pinch-point” at the top of Huddersfield Road can be addressed with double yellow lines and for once a clear run out of the village. I’m sure there will be provisions for made for residents who currently park there.
Let’s support a school move that the pupils deserve.
So, according to Iain, the children at Saddleworth School can be moved to other schools for 2 years while a new one is built on the same site. Well, this is a concession. I thought the anti-Diggle school move campaigners were confident that a new school could be built next to the old one with the old buildings still being used. Obviously Iain is now admitting that is not possible. Iain seems quite prepared to allow the education of children in Saddleworth to be disrupted for 2 years. Wonder what parents would think about that? What is the betting that Iain has not got any children that will be affected by such disruption.
Not ideal but let’s just get on with it before the derelict eyesore in the middle of the village gets any worse. Surely a nice new school will be a vast improvement on effectively a rubbish tip which is ruining a lovely village. Btw, kids are in school about 6 hours a day with a busy period for 20 mins either end. Balance required about disruption. And at only half a mile from the old site, kids can easily walk the extra - some will even be nearer than before!