New School Update

Dear Parent / Carer,

As you will know, Planning Permissions for a new Saddleworth School has finally been obtained. The delays may not be over, however IF those opposed to the scheme decide to pursue a Judicial Review. The School Governors want parents to be crystal clear about the latest position - and how further delays would impact on the future education of children in Saddleworth.

There has already been a two-year delay due to the opposition of some within our community. However, we firmly believe that local democracy has worked and, thanks to engagement of local people, the current plans are a significant improvement on those that were originally drawn up. Governors are pleased with a preferable site, a strong, coherent design and how the two fit together. If we proceed now without Judicial Review then the new school should be open for business by September 2018. However, if a Judicial Review is lodged we will face even more delays and yet more Saddleworth children will be denied the benefits that these excellent new facilities can bring.

Opponents to the scheme have long argued 'why can the new school not be built on the existing school site in Uppermill?' The answer is, it could but it is not preferable. This has been proved by a complex and highly technical feasibility report that was published over a year ago. The report (which is available via the Oldham Council website) spells out in detail why the Diggle site was chosen. In a nutshell, though, the Diggle site is larger, flatter, cheaper to build on and – significantly - there would be no disturbance to the education of children during the construction phase.

No one would deny that there are issues regarding accessing the Diggle site or, indeed, that there are currently issues in accessing Diggle because of the number of cars parked on the road into the village. However, the Council is working to mitigate these issues through, for example, parking spaces for residents on Huddersfield Road, a turning circle and improved footpaths. We hardly need to point out to parents that access to the Uppermill site is far from ideal, indeed, the footpath at the bottom of the drive is barely wide enough for single file pedestrian traffic.

The internal layout of the new school has been carefully designed to optimise space and to maintain a human scale in what will be a very large school. Each year group will be designated as a Home School and children will attend the majority of lessons in their own area or Homebase which will also be available during lunch and break time. The community will be welcomed into the school to access the excellent sporting facilities, the canteen, much larger hall and two drama studios all of which are located on the ground floor. It is only the all-weather pitch and playing fields that will be located on greenbelt land and again these will be an upgrade on the facilities that we currently have.
It is obvious how many great opportunities the new school will bring to Saddleworth children. We believe that the time for arguing is over and that further delays would be damaging for children. Many parents have felt unable to stand up and speak their minds yet the vast majority who come in to school just want to see the new school built. The time has come for all of us to speak up and get behind this initiative or risk losing out. Please, support what we are trying to achieve and let's get a great new school.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Lord
Chair of Governors on behalf of the Governing Body of Saddleworth School

Click here to download the letter.

Article added on Saturday 30th April 2016