Bid to create a new look for Pennine seat

Saddleworth Parish Council’s alternative constituency boundary plan

A BID to create a new Saddleworth parliamentary constituency separate from Oldham has been launched by Saddleworth Parish Council.

Councillors want to see the current Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency scrapped in favour of a new South Pennine Township boundary with Saddleworth at the heart.

Under plans drawn up by several parish councillors, the new boundary would see Saddleworth North, South and West and Lees wards paired with Mossley and Stalybridge to the south.

The Milnrow and Newhey ward and the Littleborough and Wardle wards to the north would also be included to complete the new-look constituency.

Councillors argue they want to see an MP focus on the needs of such an area addressed in isolation, instead of being lumped with other wards around Oldham town centre.

Councillor Ken Hulme, who helped draft the proposal document, said: “This is not a new idea, Saddleworth used to be with Colne Valley and then Littleborough.

“Overall we won’t get a fair deal out of Oldham, we need a champion for this area that will address our needs — and it gives other parts of Oldham what they want.

“It’s an incredibly viable option.”

New constituencies proposed by the independent Boundary Commission have already been put forward. They would tear up Oldham’s current political map in the move to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600.

The plans, currently under consultation, would see parts of Oldham West and Royton, represented by Michael Meacher for 40 years, join the current Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency.

This would be renamed simply Oldham and Saddleworth, while the remaining wards under Oldham West and Royton would be represented by constituencies named Rochdale South, Middleton and Ashton Under-Lyne.

Saddleworth parish councillors hope to put forward their alternative plan, that sticks to the 75,000 voters per constituency requirement, to boundary commissioners during a visit to Manchester next Tuesday.

They hope this will be a workable alternative that will be seriously considered.

Councillor Hulme added: “What has already been proposed is completely unsuitable, it would be going back to an Oldham constituency with Saddleworth treated as a green suburb.

“A positive visionary approach is needed for an area like the South Pennines, which we won’t get from Oldham — Saddleworth would just be an add-on.”

It’s expected that Councillor Hulme will join parish council chairman Bill Cullen and the chairman of parish planning, Mike Buckley, in putting forward the plan next week.




The make-up of the new constituenciesn Black lines mark the boundaries of the boroughs of Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside.



::The brown area is the proposed new constituency including Saddleworth, Stalybridge and Milnrow.

::The green constituency would be Oldham Central.

::The blue constituency would team Royton and Shaw with Rochdale wards.

::The red constituency would team Chadderton wards with Middleton.

::The pink Ashton constituency would be made up of Tameside wards.

::The beige (top left) area covers north Rochdale and parts of Rossendale.