Protesters walk the walk over school link fears

Photo: Paul Sterritt

George Brooks (14) joined marchers.

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MORE than 100 villagers braved biting weather on a protest walk underpinning their fears over highway links to the proposed new Saddleworth School on Saturday.

The walkers, many carrying placards, included young parents with babies, housewives and pensioners.

The event was organised by Keith Lucas from Save Diggle Action Group (SDAG).

Speaking after the trek from Uppermill to Diggle he said: “The walk clearly showed that the proposed highways scheme is flawed and not thought out. There were so many danger hot-spots. Encouraging young people to walk to the proposed school would be putting their safety at risk.”

He went on:” The road scheme design is universally disliked by local people for and against the school move to Diggle.

“If the local council can’t agree a safe and efficient way to get 1,500 children and 200 staff to a new Diggle school site, why propose to build it there in the first place?”

Road safety was a key concern for ex-Saddleworth school pupils, brother and sister Jessica and Matthew Todd, who brought their respective babies Rose, eight months, and Emily, two years, on the walk.

Jessica (27) said:”I’m disgusted at the school move — it will ruin a beautiful valley. The school is a gift where it is.”

Matthew added: “Single lane traffic for buses will make things impassable.”

Mark Brooks, chair of Diggle Community Association, said: “Oldham Council must look deep into their conscience and ask themselves if everything has been done to ensure the safety of 1,500 pupils squeezed down a single Diggle road and footpath twice a day for 40 weeks of the year.

“Many in the community have already assessed this risk and that is why they walked — Diggle is simply the wrong location for the school.

“It is unacceptable to accept this risk to enable a new school, particularly when it can also be built on its existing site in Uppermill.

“When many people say something is wrong — then it usually is,” he observed.

Saddleworth Parish councillor Lesley Brown, who lives in Diggle, was a former prefect at Saddleworth School. She said: “I am very concerned about the illogical and seemingly badly planned move to Diggle.

“The most important thing to take into account when building anything is access. Diggle is a cul-de-sac and the road is a major problem. Who will pick up the pieces when the people opposed to the move are proved correct?

Oldham Council make its final decision over the new build on Thursday.