78 homes proposed next to new Saddleworth School site

A huge housing estate could be built on a former pallet works next door to the contentious new site for Saddleworth School.

Plans have been submitted to Oldham council to build 78 new homes on greenfield land off Huddersfield Road in Diggle.

The site was formerly occupied by Shaws Pallet Works which ceased trading in 2006, and has since been vacant and now demolished.

In June last year planning chiefs ended the decade-long saga of where to build a new high school in the area by agreeing to relocate Saddleworth School from its crumbling building in Uppermill to the Diggle site.

Now developer WRT Limited wants to build houses on two sites around the new school site, which are both fields used ‘occasionally’ for pasturing horses.

There would be 45 dwellings on one site, and 33 on the other. Eight homes would be affordable, with the remaining 70 for market housing.

The development would be a mix of detached, semi-detached, terraced and apartment properties.

There would be three two-bedroom apartments, 12 two-bedroom houses, 25 three-bed houses, 45 four-bed and four five-bedroom houses.

Each property would have two car parking spaces and the design of the homes is proposed to feature a ‘traditional palette’ of materials typical of Saddleworth, including slate and stone flag roof finishes.

Access is proposed to be taken from the same road that would serve the new Saddleworth School, which is being built by Interserve and is expected to be finished by the start of March 2022.

Ahead of submitting a planning application, the develop carried out a leaflet drop to around 800 households in the vicinity of the site.

There were 214 responses received which raised a number of concerns, including over access and traffic levels on Huddersfield Road, concerns over capacity of local schools and the impact on views of the Grade Two listed Dobcross Works Office Building.

There have been two objections lodged against the application so far on the council website.

One objector states: “The residents of Diggle do not want this housing development in addition to the new school.

"The pressures on existing traffic problems on Huddersfield Road will only be exacerbated by this development.

“The council must not support these plans which will bring misery to thousands of people already living in Diggle and the nightmare traffic problems that are already being experienced.”

The planning statement submitted on behalf of the developer says that WRT will be investing ‘£17m in building the site out’ which will provide investment in the local economy of Oldham, using local contractors and suppliers.

They say that if approved, the 78 new homes will result in an extra £220k a year in council tax for the local authority.

“The application site represents a suitable and sustainable location for housing in economic, social, and environmental terms, as well as being located within the existing urban area,” it states.

“The proposal offers the opportunity to deliver new homes in a borough which urgently needs to address a long-standing shortfall.

“The buildings have been designed to be attractive and to be in keeping with the character of existing properties on Huddersfield Road and of residential development within the Diggle settlement boundary.”

Gillian Worden, an associate at P4 Planning which was in charge of submitting the application, said: “The planning application for this scheme has been a an intricate process and our client has taken great care to ensure the scheme reflects the character of area and is in keeping with the surroundings of Diggle Village.

“It will help to support local businesses and services and help the local authority deliver its housing needs for the future.”

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