Statement by Save Diggle Action Group – Revised Saddleworth School Plans Still Unlawful
SDAG and its supporters welcome the fact that at last there is a revised planning application announced by OMBC on the building of a new secondary school for Saddleworth. Every reasonable person wants a new school for Saddleworth, the question is where?
What is alarming is that the revised plans presented by OMBC and the EFSA and now presented to the public have totally ignored the Judicial Review Judge – Justice Kerr’s criticism on the site feasibility study site selection process for the new Saddleworth School.
The court said clearly and unequivocally that it was “unlawful”. OMBC and the EFSA have in their revised plans refused to accept that verdict and are just using a revised Environmental Assessment statement as window dressing to push through this new plan.
The Judicial Review decision was based not just “on a technicality”, as others are now suggesting but on a serious breach of planning law, and that both the EFSA’s and Oldham Council’s site selection processes were seriously flawed. We have recently written to Rt Hon Justice Greening MP Secretary of State for Education and other government ministers asking them urgently to intervene in this long running and contentious planning application as we have little faith in the process of local democracy and due diligence by our local authority and it now seems the EFSA.
OMBC’s Cllr Amanda Chatterton has publicly stated she refuses to talk to SDAG and this puts a question mark on the councils democratic stance. SDAG calls for an independent public meeting to be held so that all of Saddleworth can have a voice.
It needs to be stated that we are not a minority group as suggested by OMBC but recognise clearly the wishes of people in Saddleworth. A new and independent opinion poll conducted by Saddleworth News in August 2017 clearly states that 73% want the school to stay on its present site in Uppermill and 24% want the school on the site in Diggle.
So do we have a local authority that will listen to local public feeling or will they continue to push an agenda thats suits them against local wishes?
SDAG
D4SS were also offered the chance to comment.
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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I presume the statement from D4SS is also going to be posted?
If the statement is sent to us, yes we will post it.We have received nothing so far. This post as it says is purely a statement.
Statement and flyer sent.
Hang on a minute NOW sdag want to have a meeting where all saddleworth can have I put
That’s hilarious for the last 3 years sdag have claimed to be speaking for the majority of saddleworth
Wish they could get there story straight
Thank you for your swift response
This matter has dragged on too long, we need a new school asap. The amount of money provided for the school rebuild is far too low (c£19m as against £27m for Waterhead and £35m for North Chadd), but that is a different argument and we are where we are.
Who has the majority support in Saddleworth should be decided by a local referendum (as per www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/may/05/local-referendums-nothing-new). I’d propose a local vote for either Diggle or the existing site alongside the council elections in May 2018, for those voters in Saddleworth wards. The result binding on all parties (council/SDAG etc). Then let’s move on and build the damn thing.
Is this a factual report or an editorial? It reads like a press release from SDAG – which is fine if that’s made clear, but it’s reported as though it’s true, which it may or may not be.
Dear Saddleworth News,
I have recently become an Save Diggle Action Group supporter as I feel there are some traffic issues that need to be addressed. I am a pensioner in the area and I am new to computers so I hope I am doing this correctly.
Does you know if the Save Diggle Action Group has meetings as I have not seen any listed, is there a committee of some sort or is Mr Lucas acting alone on behalf of the group?
I ask, as I would have liked to have attended the meeting where this press statement is very aggressive and misses the point about the traffic that ought to have been mentioned.
There was a charming young lad popped a leaflet for the other group, I forget their name, they want the school in Diggle. He was kind and courteous and although we do not agree in terms of the location, he was a pleasant young chap and they did raise some valid points.
If there is a Save Diggle meeting can they dates be listed please so that the supporters can attend and have our viewpoint?
Kind Regards
David