‘Mickey Mouse’ blast over quarry

AN MP has accused Oldham Council of playing “Mickey Mouse politics” after an action group asking it to buy a controversial quarry site.

The Birks Quarry Action group — residents living near the site on the Oldham-Huddersfield Road at Austerlands — have written to ward councillors and residents to back their demands.

The quarry has been subject to a long-running dispute which resulted in the quarry owners losing an appeal against the Environment Agency’s decision to refuse a permit to tip at the quarry.

After the result, Ervine Connell, boss of Royton-based Opengoal Limited, broke his year-long silence to say he was willing to meet council officials and the Birks Quarry Action group to try and reach a settlement.

The group has already received a response from Mark Alcock, cabinet member for the environment, confirming council officers would be willing to meet Mr Connell to discuss potential, alternative uses for the site.

But the councillor added: “Under the current economic climate I am afraid that I am unable to give any commitment the council would be prepared to acquire ownership of the quarry site.

“If we could get funding from the Government to secure ownership of the quarry that would be enormously helpful.”

But Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, who spearheaded opposition to the quarry being used to tip inert waste, said: “It’s absolutely ludicrous.

“Does Councillor Alcock really want Government to take over what is blatantly Oldham’s situation? It’s Mickey Mouse politics.”

Mr Woolas has written to the council’s chief executive, Charlie Parker, in an attempt to resolve the issue.

Mr Woolas added: “Bringing the quarry into public ownership would end once and for all this long running saga of a proposed landfill site which has a planning permission but is unable to gain a licence to tip following the recent public inquiry.”

And a spokesman for Birks Quarry Action Group added: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to settle the future of the quarry for the benefit of the hundreds of residents.”