School row just runs and runs

An anonymous consultation document has refuelled the debate over the siting of the new £19 million Saddleworth School.

The document highlights concerns over roads, access and safety at the Diggle site, identified by the Education Funding Agency as the preferred option for the replacement school.

“Moving the school to Diggle would rip the heart out of our close Saddleworth community ruining village life and be the death of many local businesses,” it says.

Residents have already being encouraged to send submissions to Oldham Council’s consultation, whose deadline is 5pm today.

An email letter from Saddleworth School governors to parents and carers urging them to ignore the anonymous document has been withdrawn.

Brian Lord, chair of the school governors, said: “The letter on the school website about the document has been replaced by the official statement agreed by all the governors. I am extremely sorry the draft was mistakenly sent out.”

The new statement says head teacher Matthew Milburn and Mr Lord are in meetings with the EFA and Interserve, who will build the new school, to agree the actual design.

It continues: “Some people were concerned we would have a ‘ready-made’ and unattractive school imposed upon us. This is absolutely not the case.”

Oldham Council is producing a set of designs for the road layout and accompanying highway regulations, says the statement.