‘Chasm of mistrust’ over school fight

Mark Brooks: fight not over yet

A community association at the centre of the £19 million Diggle school row says a “chasm of mistrust” has grown between villagers and Oldham Council.

Mark Brooks spoke in the wake of Oldham’s confirmation the new Saddleworth School will be built on the site of the former Shaw’s pallet works.

Mr Brooks, recently-elected chair of Diggle Community Association, said: “After virtual silence since the first public meeting in October 2013, a decision has now been made without any meaningful consultation with the very people it will detrimentally affect.

“I find it incredible such a decision could be made without even the basics of a travel plan or infrastructure change being shared with the community - a community that will be left to pick up the pieces when it all goes wrong. It’s no wonder people are angry. A chasm of distrust and animosity is growing rapidly between the village and the council. My concern is this will only deepen as this ill-conceived debacle continues.”

And the campaigning Save Diggle Action Group said: “Contrary to reports, the decision of OMBC’s cabinet is not the end of the story. It is not inevitable the school will be built there.

“OMBC will first have to secure planning permission for the highways works. The council seems to have no clear plans yet. Interserve, the developer, will have to submit a very detailed planning application for the development of the Diggle site.”

SDAG, says it is working with leading planning and environmental barrister Robert McCracken QC, who will scrutinise every aspect of the planning application.

The statement goes on: “There are significant legal, environmental, ecological, transportation and infrastructure issues which, as its most recent report reveals, OMBC has not yet even considered.

“Securing planning for this project will not be straightforward.

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

“We’ve been told again and again ‘this is the end of SDAG’ or ‘it’s all a done deal, the school will be in Diggle now...’ But we have never been distracted by these claims.”

And it adds defiantly: “This is not the beginning of the end, it’s the end of the beginning: our fight goes on.”

Saddleworth Independent councillors issued a joint statement on the school decision, saying: “The cabinet decision was predictable, it was a formality the council felt it had to go through because of the lack of consultation that has taken place to date on the school site.

“Nevertheless it is 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.”