Travellers arrive and leave controversial site for school

The pallet works site

ANXIOUS residents living near the controversial site of a new school woke up yesterday to find a cavalcade of travellers had moved in.

The convoy, which included seven caravans, arrived at the WH Shaw's old pallet works at Diggle on Saturday.

They occupied a section of land at the rear of the sprawling site and could not be seen by traffic or passers-by on Huddersfield Road.

Initially, GMP Saddleworth and Lees policing team took to Facebook to quell locals' concerns.

Police said: "We are aware of members of the traveller community arriving at Shaw's Pallet company Diggle.

"There will be a process that will need to be actioned by the landowners and it will not be something that can be done quickly.

"Please have patience with the site management to get the process underway."

But yesterday, as police planned to return to the site with council officers to serve notices to move them on, the travellers had left.

Fears

Police officers went to the scene on Saturday and spoke to the travellers along with representatives of WRT, the site owners, and their security firm.

But some residents expressed fears the travellers could return and one said: "This could not have happened if the school had been built."

The site for the £19.2 million new school has been Saddleworth's most hotly debated topic and subject to a bitter battle with the community divided over its location.

Earlier this year objectors, demanding the school be built on its existing Uppermill site, succeeded in blocking Oldham Council's plan to build at Diggle.

But despite a High Court ruling that plans for the move were unlawful, Oldham Council said Diggle still represents "the most viable site" for rebuilding the 1,500 student school.