A decade-long saga over plans to build a high school in Saddleworth have finally come to a close as the newly completed building opens its doors.
Building work on the new Saddleworth School premises in Diggle, funded by the Department for Education, has now been completed ready for students to move in.
Bosses say it marks the ‘start of a new chapter’ in the school’s history, which has been struggling to teach students in ‘crumbling’ and outdated premises in Uppermill.
Former head boy Joe Wheeler had described the conditions in the High Street school as ‘surreal’, with leaking roofs, flooded classrooms, and tiles being blown off in strong winds.
New headteacher Mike Anderson, who took over from Matthew Milburn in 2020, said: “We’re all incredibly excited to move into our new school.
“Our new building has been designed with students at its heart with state-of-the-art teaching and specialist spaces, brilliant sporting facilities and fantastic outdoor learning and social areas.
“After a long wait we finally have the school that children and families of Saddleworth deserve.
“It is going to make a huge difference to students and staff, and we’re delighted that we’re now here.”
Proposals to relocate Saddleworth School from its long-standing site in Uppermill to a new facility in Diggle had been in the pipeline for more than a decade, and were first approved by Oldham’s planning committee in 2015.
But that decision was then overturned by a High Court Judge in 2017 following a judicial review.
However at an extraordinary meeting at the Civic Centre in 2019, the proposals for the site off Huddersfield Road were once again approved unanimously by councillors.
Construction on the new school building on the site of the former WH Shaw Pallet Works site began in July and completed at the end of February following almost 300,000 hours of work.
The 1,500 pupil school site will include a new sports hall, fitness suite and activity studios inside and an all-weather pitch outside.
Chiefs have previously said the sports provision will also be open to the community to use.
It has 80 classrooms, which feature specialist teaching rooms for science, food technology, ICT and design technology.
Councillor Shaid Mushtaq, cabinet member for education and skills, said: “It’s great news that these pupils now have the school they have been waiting so long for.
“This is a fantastic building which will transform their learning and high school experience.”
The council says that following the school’s relocation, it will apply for permission to demolish the existing Uppermill buildings.
Once cleared, the site will then be taken forward for redevelopment and is currently earmarked for a range of much-needed new homes, including a proportion of affordable homes.
