Keith Lucas with local Saddleworth residents (Photo: Stuart Coleman © 2014)
Diggle residents today made their feelings clear about the proposed building of a new secondary school in Diggle by erecting a huge banner supporting the idea of keeping the school in Uppermill.
The sign reads:
“Save Saddleworth’s Greenbelt
SAY NO to OMBC
It’s Not A Done Deal
The New School Can Be Built In Uppermill”
Keith Lucas, member of Save Diggle Action Group, organised the erection of the banner with the help of local residents at the junction of Ambrose Crescent and Huddersfield Road.
Bradley and Paula Wosahio who are hosting the banner said: “We had the banner put up as it was our way of supporting the community and campaign and we want to make sure the school gets built in the most appropriate place, which we believe is Uppermill”
Keith Lucas said: “The recent Educational Funding Agency announcement is great news for people throughout Saddleworth, who realise that this is a flawed plan and want the school issue discussed openly and transparently. There has been a fantastic groundswell of support from people who have felt outraged by the lack of political accountability with this issue.
A few courageous people have stood above the parapet and we are now seeing the support grow and grow. The banner is a clear sign to say we are in it for the long haul.”
Whilst the banner was being erected, passing traffic were sounding their horns and giving the thumbs up in support.
Well done to all of you
Brilliant!
Although not a resident of Diggle, the building of schools on green belt land is the thin edge of any developers wedge to ensure that the next step will be the building of hundreds of houses around the school. Because, after all, the argument will go there’s already a large building on that stretch of green and pleasant land.
The people of Uppermill need to realise that if the school is moved to Diggle the school site in Uppermill will used for housing. Looking at the density of recent developments in Saddleworth hundreds of houses could be squeezed onto the site significantly increasing the traffic through Uppermill. The existing road is already over crowded and dangerous.
ombc take note–the efa are listening to the local residents and others even if you are not.
We need the new school building , the SDAG have no interest in the future education of our children and are prepared to sacrifice this for the sake of a field , if the grant is lost we will see the current school run down and closed then my children will be educated in Oldham . I can’t expect my children to be educated in the middle of a building site ( as proposed on current location ) and excel with their results , it’s unforgivable that individuals expect over 1,000 pupils can be educated with the dangers of heavy duty building equipment moving through their school and the noise associated .
Will an action group be established to fight this project based on the dangers stated above ???
True Diggle Resident,
Exactly. We’ve asked Mike Buckley to officially state what SDAG’s policy will be if the EFA rule out Uppermill and we await his response.
In the meantime it’s important for all of us to reflect on how SDAG now hold all the cards for our childrens’ future. If the EFA rule out Uppermill and SDAG continue their fight regardless, then for the first time in generations Saddleworth will very likely lose it’s secondary school.
The sad thing is, it’s no longer scare-mongering, it’s true. If SDAG take Diggle planning to the higher courts and win, it’s all over for us and our children.
That’s not a Saddleworth I want to live in.