Campaigners join fight on £19m school

Reporter: KEN BENNETT
Date published: 05 May 2016


A NEW campaigning group has joined the battle over the location of a new £19.2 million secondary school.

Parents and residents have launched D4SS (Diggle for Saddleworth School) ­— a website working in support of the “expedient development”of the new school at Diggle.

Organisers say more than 300 people have signed up and the website has been set up to highlight the strength of feeling in the community.

A message on the site says: “Our children are the future and they deserve a fit-for-purpose school without further delay.

“Funding has been lost before – as a result, pupils have been educated in inadequate buildings. Let’s not risk that again!”

D4SS say their objectives are to:

*Provide a platform for the rising wave of support to begin the development as soon as possible;

*Challenge any unnecessary delays – the funding’s in place, for now;

*Discredit any misinformed claims purporting to speak for the majority of the community;

*And, challenge myths around the school’s relocation to Diggle.

The website says: “We are coming together in the wake of growing frustration and dismay at the small but vocal group of Saddleworth residents trying to delay or thwart approved plans for the new Saddleworth School.

“This is in direct response to recent news Save Diggle Action Group (SDAG) plans to file for a judicial review of recent planning approvals for the school to be constructed on the WH Shaw’s Pallet site on Huddersfield Road.

“Plans have been approved, funding is in place, and Saddleworth pupils have waited long enough – onwards! Now is the time to make your voice heard.”

D4SS say growing fears some protests about the new school’s location threaten to jeopardise the opportunity, since planning consent and funding are in place.

“A growing wave of community support, urging OMBC to begin the long-awaited project ­— and meet the needs of Saddleworth pupils ­— is keen to ensure history does not repeat itself,” it says.

“SDAG do not speak for the whole community, and many parents are concerned about the delays and the effect it is having on their children’s education.

“If they were to win the search for a suitable site and the planning process for the new school would be forced to begin again with the possibility of delays of many more years.”

For more information on the group visit d4ss.co.uk