Battle over green site

PLANS to dispose of land behind the former Matthius Pilling site in Shaw have been met with resistance from Shaw and Crompton parish council.

The designated public space between Milnrow Road and Crompton Way is owned by Oldham Council and is one of the few remaining green areas in the town centre.

This week’s parish council meeting resolved to oppose the sale and to support the sale of the land of the former care home for social housing development.

The area has been promised as a site for social housing, according to councillors Howard Sykes, Rod Blyth and Angela Farrell, since the residential home, named after a former councillor, was demolished.

But as part of the council’s asset management planning, the derelict site has been packaged together with the public open space.

Councillor Sykes said: “There has long been an aspiration to build social housing here and I agreed with the demolition of the Matthius Pilling building for this purpose. But they are lumping this together with the open site. It is a useful green site; we have successfully refused previous applications and we must do the same with this.”

Potential disposal of the land will move forward subject to the outcome of consultation.