Cost of contesting the planning applications

Saddleworth School

THE legal costs contesting four planning applications of the site of the new Saddleworth School cost Oldham Council more than £50,000, the Chronicle can reveal.

But the true expense could be much higher because it does not include the internal cost of staff time, expenses and fees in dealing with applications.

And in a response to the Chronicle's Freedom of Information request, the council say: "Not all staff Council record the time they spend dealing with particular matters.

"We are therefore unable to provide an accurate figure for internal costs."

Between August 2015 and April 2016 the Council paid £16,675 in external legal advice in dealing with the four planning applications.

And the external costs dealing with the judicial review meant they spent £33,095 on external legal advice and representation.

Today the Diggle For Saddleworth School protest group (D4SS) expressed disappointment over the expenditure.

Their spokesperson Keith Prior said: "We are disappointed money that could have gone to the new school in Diggle has had to be spent by the council fighting against a small minority of people who's sole purpose is to stop a school being built on a derelict site. It should be remembered that six of the eight issues highlighted at the Judicial Review were thrown out by the Judge.

"It is time that the opposition to the school started to be constructive and look at ways to provide the school in Diggle that will meet the requirements of all concerned."

And Brian Lord, chair of Saddleworth School governors, said: "Personally I suspect that the majority of Saddleworth people will see the £33,000 as a waste of their money. Likewise what I also suspect is a relatively small amount of people in Diggle would not agree.

"However, more importantly the children of Saddleworth have lost the opportunity of being taught in a fit for purpose building for over two years and still counting.

"If SDAG decide to continue with more legal action then the bill will continue to rise and the children will once again lose out."

The bitter row over the siting of the new £19.2 million school, which would cater for 1,500 students, has caused turmoil in communities and with parents.

It centres around moving the existing school from High Street, Uppermill, to the site of a former pallets works at Huddersfield Road, Diggle.