Saddleworth School plans under scrutiny

PROPOSED Saddleworth School for the Shaw pallet works site, Diggle.

OLDHAM Council’s planning committee is set to consider all four applications relating to the proposed new Saddleworth School at a special meeting.

The “extraordinary” meeting will take place in the council chamber on February 25 at 6pm. Three separate and one revised planning applications were all submitted of December 21 — triggering a statutory 21-day public consultation that ended last Wednesday.

Because of the confirmed committee date, the deadline to submit comments and feedback on these applications has been extended until January 31.

The cross-party planning committee members will consider the applications which are to:

::Build the new Saddleworth School on the WH Shaw Pallets site in Diggle.

::Demolish existing buildings on the WH Shaw site, excluding the listed building.

::Demolish the link bridge attached to the Grade II listed building on the WH Shaw site.

::Provide a parental drop-off area plus residential car parking as part of the wider highways scheme in Diggle.

Councillor Dave Hibbert, cabinet member for housing, planning and transport, said: “We understand these applications are complex and have attracted a lot of public interest so it is good common sense to deal with them all together at a special one-off meeting of the planning committee. This will allow members the proper attention, time and focus to deal with these matters.