Public urged to have say on pallet works

Diggle Community Association secretary Royce Franklin at the former Shaw’s site

Words and picture by KEN BENNETT

Diggle residents are being urged to attend a special meeting to discuss proposed developments at the former Shaw’s pallet works site.

The invitation comes from the executive of Diggle Community Association, following a meeting with the site’s new owners.

Royce Franklin, association secretary, said: “Doing nothing about this site is not an option. Whatever development eventually evolves will have a significant impact on the village.”

Last month, at the request of Phil Wiggett, boss of Wiggett Construction, the DCA’s executive met him and Oldham industrialists Alan Rothwell and Lee Tilley.

Mr Wiggett said there were several options for developing the site but all would cause traffic problems at the mouth of Huddersfield Road and would need to be examined by Oldham Council highways department. The exterior of the main office building would remain because of its listed status.

The proposals include:

Developing the site as a mixture of commercial and residential properties, using the clock tower for offices.

Residential use, offering a care home, open to anyone aged 55 or over. It would comprise bungalows and 30-bed dependency unit with full facilities.

Use for the transfer of Saddleworth School, care home facilities and other residential establishments.

It is believed the site is too big to be fully used by the school. And, under the Building Schools for the Future programme, there is an expectation that school buildings have to be made available to the community outside school hours. A decision on the location of the new Saddleworth School is likely later this year.

Currently, 80 per cent of the site is an employment zone and the rest could be used exclusively for commercial use. However, this is unlikely because of poor access to the motorway.

Mr Franklin added: “We need to know the villagers’ views about the development of the site for a new school as quickly as possible.”

The site was sold to Wiggett Construction for more than £5 million earlier this year.

The meeting — open to all villagers — is at Wrigley Mill Church Hall next Tuesday at 8pm.