Councillors: site study flawed

FIVE independent councillors have written to an education chief claiming a feasibility study into the siting of the new Saddleworth School is flawed.

The letter to Peter Lauener, chief executive of the Education Funding Agency, follows his organisation’s recommendation that Oldham Council build the new Saddleworth school in Diggle.

The letter is signed by Oldham councillor Nikki Kirkham and councillors Mike Buckley, Rob Knotts, Lesley Brown and Lesley Schofield of Saddleworth Parish Council.

The councillors are pressing for the £19.2 million school to be built on its existing site in Uppermill.

The letter says: “It was hoped the report would provide an objective and factual basis for comparing the alternative sites. Unfortunately, the report fails both the tests of transparency and objectivity.

“The costs of all the options considered were within a few per cent of the budgeted figure; the differences entirely due to site abnormalities and engineering work. But detailed civil engineering assessments appear not to have taken place to justify the estimates. This is puzzling as other detailed reports are included which have little bearing on the choice of site.”

The councillors add: “More worrying is the complete subjectivity, selectivity and bias in the way other factors were taken into account in comparing the sites.”

The letter concludes: “We are very concerned a study that has taken over six months, and a significant amount of public money to carry out, is so flawed and apparently so lacking in rigour and professional objectivity.”