Locals to get their say over Osram site

Shaw and Crompton Parish Council
PLANS to finally transform the old rundown Osram Mill site in Shaw have been unveiled.

Last night Oldham Council’s horticultural boss Glenn Dale gave a presentation about ideas for the land off Refuge Street to Shaw and Crompton parish councillors.

It is hoped the area will be used as an informal kickabout area, with footpaths and wetland but the council assured the meeting that local residents will be consulted first.

The site occupies low-lying land in the Beal Valley to the south of the built-up area of Shaw, with access limited to two points off Moss Hey Street and off Refuge Street.

The council’s solicitors are currently in the process of transferring the land.

Mr Dale said there had been some issues with an unadopted sewer, locking gates and having two access points to the site but these would be consulted on.

He said: “We have moved a long way in the last two months and we’re really getting somewhere — we’ve got a masterplan.

“We want community involvement but we don’t want to force something on people that they don’t want.

“Our plan was just to have jumpers as goalposts and get things back how it used to be.”

Councillor David Murphy raised concerns about children falling in the wetland, whether it would be fenced off and whether the park would be shut at night.

He was told that the site had always had a lot of wetland and that the council hoped to get schoolchildren involved with the project.

Mr Dale said the grounds would have pedestrian access but vehicle access would be restricted to a chosen few.

He added: “It would be managed, not a dumping ground.

“As far as anti-social behaviour is concerned we will try to deal with it in a different way. We have the council’s security service if a problem comes up.”

Councillor Howard Sykes said the development was a much-needed space which would be accessible to a large number of people.

David Valentine, chair of Shaw Comrades Bowling Club, whose green sits next to the area, raised security concerns, saying it needs to be completely fenced off from the proposed park area which may attract anti-social behaviour.

He also said that the land by his club needed to include hard-standing areas so that tankers could easily empty the cess tank as one had recently sunk as it tried to empty.


Lorry summit
SLEEPLESS residents of Beal Lane who are troubled by loud lorries, are invited to attend a meeting with council officers, parish councillors and employers Yodel, ShopDirect and Littlewoods at Shaw Youth Centre from 6pm on Thursday, July 21.